Eastern Caribbean Cruise - from Bridgetown - 126873

Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. This city, with a population of 6,700 lies at the South coast of the country. Tourists will find a huge range of shopping options and an exciting nightlife at the ultra-modern port facility of this idyllic little town. Bridgetown has a historic synagogue, built by Brazilian Jews in 1627, shortly after the founding of the British colony. A variety of water sports are on offer at the beaches at Dover, Rockley and Needhams Point.

St. George's is the capital of Grenada, which is one of the prettiest ports in the Caribbean with its narrow, steep streets running between the houses and churches. The horseshoe-shaped harbour basin of the Carenage in the town centre is encircled by Wharf Road. Along the quay promenade there are old warehouses from the French and British colonial era, some of which have been restored and converted into restaurants, shops or offices. On the elevated area around St. George are the remains of old fortifications, such as Fort George, behind which rises the silhouette of the forested mountainsides.

The Dominican peninsula of Cabrits is in the eastern Caribbean. In the past, the English and the French settled here. The volcanic island is surrounded by a coral reef, one of Dominica's most beautiful underwater national parks. Sights include: Cabrits Historical Park (1987), the Historial Museum, the ruins of Fort Shirley and Fort George, dating from the 18th /19th century, sulphur springs, a forest nature reserve with 135 varieties of bird, the Botanic Gardens and the Titou gorge.

Soufrière is the second-largest town on the island of St. Lucia. The deep-sea port is located on the foothills of two extinct volcanoes, the Pitons, which are St. Lucia's most famous sights. Soufrière is a collection of colourful houses with arcades at the edge of the rainforest before which little fishing boats lie at the beach. On Saturdays the weekly market is held on the beach promenade. There are lots of small shops on the main street and at the church square. A restored colonial house and a parish church made of huge, dark grey bricks with an open wooden roof truss are worth a visit. The road from Soufrière to Fond St. Jacques runs through dense rainforest to the East and leads to the spectacular diamond waterfalls, the Botanic Gardens, sulphur springs and the "Drive-in Volcano", which can be viewed from the inside.

Charleston is the largest town on the volcanic island of Nevis, which is part of the western chain of the Leeward islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Even today, this port radiates the old-fashioned charm of the West-Indian colonial islands. Charlestown has the best shopping amenities on the island and restaurants serving a range of true culinary delights. Sights include: the palm-lined picture-postcard beach, Pinney's Beach, the Cotton Ginnery Complex shopping mall, the Bathhouse with hot sulphur springs and a hot spring.

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, has a carefully restored old town that retains the charm of the colonial buildings. With its many squares, churches and remnants from the colonial era, visitors should definitely take a full tour of the city. This was where the first university, the first cathedral (Catedral Basílica Menor de Santa María) and the first hospital in the region were built. Parque Colon with the bronze statue of Christopher Columbus and the lighthouse with Columbus' grave, as well as the Palacio de Borgella are all in the old town. Other attractions here include the Basilica Menor de La Virgen de la Anunciacion, the oldest church in the New World and various museums, including the Gallery of Modern Art, the 'Museo del Hombre Dominicano' and the National Theatre.