7-Day Caribbean Gems

The British are still coming!

They discovered her natural beauty in the 1620’s, and they’ve been here ever since. Although the island became independent in 1966, life here till retains a strong British accent.

With a climate that is considered among the kindest in the West Indies, and spectacular natural beauty, Barbados is truly one of the gems of the Caribbean.

The capital of St. Barthelemy, Gustavia is purely French. Though named after a Swedish king, Gustav III, and still retaining some of its Swedish influence, the small group of inhabitants are mostly young, very chic and very French.

Guadeloupe’s major center is Pointe-à-Pitre, a conglomeration of old and new buildings clustered around the bustling harbourside market. Pointe-a-Pitre is Gudeloupe’s most popular city–explore the beaches of Grand-Terre and the French fort ruins and volcanic mountaintop of Basse-Terre.

Home to the oldest botanical garden in the Americas, St. Vincent is energized by rushing rivers and waterfalls and is fast becoming an “in” resort area. Volcanic in origin, St. Vincent features an active volcano, mountainous terrain, and a rainforest.

Rostock – Hanseatic City and Northern Gateway

Make friends with Rostock, one of Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities – where the Baltic Sea laps the shores of Mecklenburg/Western Pomerania and the air tastes slightly salty, where old-fashioned sailboats provoke nostalgic longings, and where brick gables reach into the sky.

Eight hundred years of history have shaped this “Gateway to the North”. Rostock has preserved much of the charm that it once possessed as the most important member of the Hanseatic League. The gabled houses dominating the skyline attest to this, as well as the imposing brick warehouses, massive gates and fortifications, and awe-inspiring churches such as St. Peter’s with its Gothic tower 117 meters high. They all bear eloquent witness to the wealth of the city’s medieval merchants. Rostock has kept its importance as a trade center to this day, as well as its status as a university town. Its University, founded in 1419, is the oldest in Northern Europe.

And don’t forget Rostock’s shore: the seaside spa town of Warnemünde.

Our recommendations:
Go on the city tour devoted to the “History of the Hanseatic League.” And after enjoying so much culture, sample Mecklenburg roast ribs with Rostock caraway seed schnapps.

Thirty seven sandy beaches, sparkling Caribbean seas, soothing trade winds, fine dining and incredible duty free shopping combine to make St.Martin/St.Maarten a true vacationers paradise.

Destination St. Martin is proud to represent a number of smaller hotels on the French side of the island; generally not the type of places found in the glossy tourist brochures but rather more intimate yet immaculate properties which allow the visitor to experience true island life. Accommodations are available on the beach in the beautiful French village of Grand Case, in Nettle Bay near the town of Marigot and at popular Orient Beach.

The smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch in a spirit of neighborly cooperation and mutual friendship for almost 350 years.

The border is almost imperceptible and people cross back and forth without ever realizing they are entering a new country. The only marker is a monument between Union Road and Bellevue, testifying to centuries of peaceful cohabitation and the treaty that made the arrangement possible.

All the same, each side has managed to retain much of the distinctiveness of its own national culture. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance. The beaches are secluded, the luxury resorts provide lavish accommodations, and the restaurants offer some of the finest dining experiences anywhere in the Caribbean. The latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops, and the smell of fresh croissants and pastries mixes everywhere with the spicy aromas of West Indian cooking. Small caf’e9s and charming bistros add a decidedly Gaelic and cosmopolitan flair to the place. On the whole the atmosphere remains very relaxed.