Santo Domingo – Bridgetown · 26 February – 3 July 2028

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 Sir Francis Drake Channel, where swords once crossed, is now one of the most beautiful sailing spots. Jost van Dyke, the smallest of the main islands in the British Virgin Islands, is a mountainous volcanic object of beauty with fewer than 300 inhabitants. One of them, Foxy, has been mixing his cocktails since 1968 and the bar of the same name enjoys a legendary reputation as perhaps the most famous beach bar in the Lesser Antilles. The island's past is less reputable – it was named by a Dutch pirate. The island gives its most beautiful treasures to all who visit – fine sand, green palm trees, colorful beach bars and the luminous blue of the sea.

It almost seems as if no other career choice than pirate was possible in the 17th and 18th centuries in the British Virgin Islands. Jost van Dyke, Blackbeard, Francis Drake – they all went on the prowl in the Dream Territory during the golden age of privateering. Norman Island was named after the pirate captain Norman, who allegedly hid his treasures here, and inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write his adventure novel “Treasure Island”. If you dig a little in the fine sand on the uninhabited private island today, you probably won’t discover any gold coins, but you will discover an equally valuable treasure: deep, Caribbean relaxation.

St. Barthélemy, affectionately known as St. Barths by most, already had many "owners" before the Lesser Antilles were acquired by France in 1877. When the first estate was acquired by the banker David Rockefeller in 1957, the island's future was finally sealed. It became a refuge for the international jet set and an elegant holiday paradise for many Hollywood stars. For over 40 years, St. Barths has cultivated a luxurious lifestyle with a Caribbean laissez-faire approach. You can stroll through the charming main town of Gustavia, whose beautifully restored houses and colonial facades look out over the sea with its elegant superyachts, browse in the shops for precious items, or enjoy a sundowner in the picturesque harbor surrounded by clusters of high class bars and restaurants.

Îles des Saintes is a small archipelago that was disputed for a long time until it finally became French in 1816. In the charming main town of Terre-de-Haut, take a delightful stroll along the waterside promenade. Boutiques, cafés, bars and restaurants invite you to browse and spend some time here. The savoir vivre takes place against a backdrop lit up in all the pastel shades of the Caribbean. Fort Napoleon is set high above the bay and your climb up to it is rewarded by a spectacular panoramic view. On the other side of the island, the Plage de Pompierre invites you to enjoy a dip in the sea and sunbathe on the beach.

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.

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.

More than 300 years of British rule have left their mark. The whole of Bridgetown, Barbados' historic center, with its colonial architecture surrounding Trafalgar Square, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A green hilly countryside and endless fields of sugar cane characterize the island's landscape. Old colonial houses are reminders of the high life of the plantation owners, while innumerable colorful chattel houses are evidence of their workers' moveable properties. The sweeping coastline is a picture postcard of fine sandy beaches and turquoise sea surrounded by vibrant coral reefs.