Climbing the rigging, untying ropes, setting sails – today is all about sailing. Time to lean back and relax in the deck chair and watch the passionate crew hoisting the sails by hand.

The 'Paris of the Islands,' the 'Pearl of the Antilles,' or the 'Venice of the Tropics' – Saint-Pierre in the northwest of the French dream island Martinique has always inspired romantic comparisons. Founded in 1635, the city at the foot of the volcanic mountain Pelée flourished due to sugar and slave trade, becoming the economic and cultural center of the island. Prosperity continued until 1902 when Pelée erupted, destroying Saint-Pierre and burying 30,000 people under lava, embers, and ash. Today, the coastal town is officially classified as a 'City of Art and History': In addition to the ruins of the theater and the old church, the intricate buildings of the Chamber of Commerce and the cathedral are worth a visit.

Two famous volcanic cones are indisputably the emblem of St. Lucia and have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Gros and Petit Piton tower over the southern, windward side of the island and, in Soufrière, seem close enough to touch. The volcanoes have in fact long been extinct, but the sulphur springs demonstrate the power of the earth's core and still bubble up. In the Botanical Gardens, natural abundance is combined with artistic arrangements to create a colorful tropical paradise. Some people claim that Josephine, who later became Napoleon's wife, used to bathe in the little pool in the garden.

Dominica, nicknamed the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, is one of the most untouched of the Windward Islands. It boasts some of the highest mountains in the Lesser Antilles, as well as many beautiful national parks. Its interior is characterized by thick forest, where rivers plunge into the depths and tiny streams wind through the jungle. Two extinct volcanoes are at the center of the Cabrits National Park and, recaptured by nature, the former strategically important Fort Stanley appears like a picturesque backdrop in the heart of the lush woodlands.

With an area of 100 square miles and a population of only around 53,000, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the twelve smallest recognized states in the world. Located to the southeast, Nevis is the smaller and quieter of the two leeward islands – and a true Caribbean dream. Lush green rainforests stretch along the slopes of its extinct volcano, flowing into long sandy beaches that shimmer seductively in various shades of yellow, black and red toward the ocean. Charlestown itself is quite manageable, and offers two museums as cultural alternatives to splashing around in the warm Caribbean waters.

Anguilla is one of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, a British Overseas Territory that also includes several small, uninhabited coral islands. This small island is host to more than 30 superb beaches protected by coral reefs. Enjoy the turquoise blue sea and white sandy beaches of Road Bay as you swim against a backdrop of palm trees.