Cruises - Azores Cruise Club

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Caribbean
porTS of Call
Snorkel with exotic fish in Aruba,
trek through lush rainforest in Dominica,
and come face-to-face with dolphins in
Tortola. All against a backdrop of sun-baked
sands and neon-blue waters.
Basseterre, St Kitt’s
One of the British Leeward Islands, St Kitt’s is one of the Caribbean’s pearls.
Once an illustrious sugar colony, it now focuses its efforts on being a tropical
paradise. And it excels in every sense, with its seductive blend of blonde sands
and duck-egg blue seas. Away from the shores though, you’ll find plenty of
historic sights to tick off your checklist. Or why not pop across to the neighbouring
island of Nevis, which is just three kilometres over The Narrows channel?
• Hop on a train at the Needsmust Station, and St Kitt’s Light Railway will take
you on a three-hour tour of the island’s best bits. You’ll chug over ravines
300-feet-deep, circle Mount Liamuiga volcano and take a sneak peek at the
island’s black-sand beaches.
• Soak up the jaw-dropping views over lush sugarcane fields from the 17th-century
Brimstone Hill Fortress. Once known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies,
this major British garrison was abandoned in 1850. Now, it’s been restored back
to its grand former self, with cannons, swords and the like all on display.
• Sunbathe your way through the day on one of St Kitt’s beaches. There’s a selection
of white sand spots like Turtle Beach and black sand spaces like Pump Bay.
Bridgetown, Barbados
A hypnotic calypso isle, Barbados is the ultimate Caribbean dream. And at just
21 miles by 14 miles, the island really is your oyster. Of course, it’s most famous
for its palm-fringed beaches, but there’s more than talcum powder sands here.
• Take a tram ride through a labyrinth of underground caverns at Harrison’s Cave
in St Thomas. A natural phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed,
it’s all sparkling streams, playful waterfalls and stalactites and stalagmites.
• Go snorkelling in search of hawksbill and green turtles. Once endangered because
of over-fishing, these creatures are now protected and monitored. If you don’t want
to get wet, the best way to see them is through the portholes of a mini-submarine.
• Take it easy on Carlisle Beach or, if you’re feeling energetic, slip on a pair of flippers
and propel your way past the underwater shipwrecks just off the shore.
Visit your local travel shop | 0871 230 2800 | thomson.co.uk/cruise
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. The cost of calls was correct at the time of publication.
See page 3.