Caribbean for Nature Lovers

Description

3 Nights – St Lucia
4 Nights – Dominica
4 Nights – St Kitts (option to visit Nevis or swap with Trinidad & Tobago)
3 Nights – Antigua

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✈️ UK to St Lucia (3 Nights): Your Caribbean nature escape will begin in St Lucia, where you’ll find dramatic volcanic peaks alongside rainforests and coral reefs. The iconic Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton) dominate the landscape and are home to some of the island’s endemic species such as the St Lucian parrot, plus plenty of trails to explore. Make sure you visit the Sulphur Springs, with its mud pools, hot springs, and sulphur vents.  For snorkellers and divers, the coral reef at Anse Chastanet is spectacular.  St Lucia is one of the major migration routes for humpback and pilot whales so it’s a great place to sail out to sea on a whale watching tour.

 ✈️ St Lucia to Dominica (4 Nights): From St Lucia, you’ll take a short flight to Dominica, the ‘Nature Island of the Caribbean’. The island has remained largely untouched by mass tourism and whilst it’s not known for its beaches or sprawling resorts, instead, you’ll find rivers, rainforests covering 80% of the island, and the world’s second-largest hot spring lake at Boiling Lake. The Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to cloud forests, volcanic peaks, and waterfalls including the stunning Trafalgar Falls. Whale watching here is world-class. Sperm whales live in Dominican waters all year-round, and humpbacks pass through seasonally. If you missed them in St Lucia, you’re almost guaranteed a sighting here. For scuba divers, Champagne Reef offers a truly unique experience where geothermal vents send up streams of bubbles as if you’re swimming through champagne. Birdwatchers will be in their element too as the Syndicate Nature Trail and Morne Diablotin National Park are home to over 170 species, including Dominica’s two endemic parrots: the Jaco and the Sisserou, the island’s national bird.

✈️ Dominica to St Kitts (4 Nights):  (Could be replaced with Trinidad and Tobago – see alternative itinerary.)  Next, you’ll be transported to St Kitts. This laid-back, uncrowded part of the Caribbean offers a great mix of rainforests and golden beaches.  A scenic railway loops around the island, offering a wonderfully relaxed way to take in the lush landscapes, with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife along the way. St Kitts is dotted with colonial buildings and is home to the impressive Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the centre of the island, Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, offers walks and hikes through cloud forest where you might spot green vervet monkeys and a variety of birds. For some beach time, St Kitts doesn’t disappoint with favourites including Cockleshell Bay, South Friars Bay and Frigate Bay. If you fancy a bit of shopping or just soaking up some local life, head to Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts.  If you’d like to experience the quieter side of life, a short ferry ride will take you across to Nevis, St Kitts’ sister island, where you’ll find rainforest trails around Nevis Peak, spotting rare orchids and the Nevis ground lizard along the way. The island’s botanical garden is well worth a visit too, with native plants and hummingbirds. Nevis’ beaches offer a more peaceful experience than St Kitts with Pinney’s Beach and Oualie Beach a couple of great options.

✈️ St Kitts to Antigua (3 Nights): Your final stop is Antigua, just a short 20-minute flight from St Kitts. Antigua is most known for its spectacular beaches (one for every day of the year)  but there’s a lot more to discover if nature is more your thing. Inland, you’ll find tropical dry forests and great birdwatching spots.  Nelson’s Dockyard National Park is a must-see. It’s a beautifully restored 18th-century naval dockyard surrounded by walking trails, historic forts, and lovely coastal views. It’s a great spot to soak up Antigua’s history and natural beauty in one place. Cades Reef is a great spot for snorkelling, while Devil’s Bridge shows off the island’s natural rock arches that have been carved by the Atlantic.  Antigua is also famous as the sailing capital of the Caribbean, with ideal winds and waters.  It’s especially lively during the famous Antigua Sailing Week, which is usually at the end of Spring.

 ✈️ Antigua to UK: Your private transfer will take you to the airport for your journey back to the UK.

 

Alternative Itinerary: Trinidad & Tobago (instead of St Kitts and Nevis)

✈️ Dominica to Trinidad (2 Nights): As an alternative to St Kitts, you could fly from Dominica to Trinidad for a different kind of nature experience. Trinidad is incredibly biodiverse, with over 2,000 flowering plants, 700 species of butterfly, and rare mammals such as ocelots and red howler monkeys. Its rainforests, waterfalls and coastal mangroves offer lots of opportunities for walking, hiking, exploring, and wildlife spotting. One of the highlights for nature lovers is the Asa Wright Nature Centre, an eco-lodge and research station set in pristine cloud forest. It’s home to a huge range of species, including the Oilbird, the Bearded Bellbird, and 18 types of hummingbirds. Not far from Port of Spain, the Caroni Bird Sanctuary offers another wonderful experience. Or take a boat trip at sunset to see thousands of Scarlet Ibis returning to roost in mangrove swamps.  For a relaxed wander, head to the Royal Botanic Gardens near the city with their wide variety of flowers and lovely surroundings.

⛴️ Trinidad to Tobago (2 Nights): Continuing the alternative itinerary, you’ll take the ferry to Tobago.  Often described as what the Caribbean used to be, it’s friendly, laid-back, and mostly untouched by mass tourism. Some even believe it inspired Robinson Crusoe… and standing on a deserted beach, you’ll understand why.  The island is home to the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere, where you’ll find jungle trails, waterfalls and wildlife such as the Tobago mockingbird and hummingbirds. Buccoo Reef and the Nylon Pool offer brilliant snorkelling, while Little Tobago Island is great for birdwatchers, where you might spot the rare, Red-billed Tropicbird. Manta rays, whale sharks, and even migrating whales can also be spotted in the waters. The beaches here are picture perfect. Pigeon Point is the most famous, but Englishman’s Bay, Store Bay, and Pirate’s Bay are just as lovely. And if you’re around on a Sunday, head to Buccoo for its legendary street party with steel drums, local food, and plenty of rum punch.  From Tobago you’ll fly to Antigua for your final stop before heading back to the UK. Alternatively you can skip Antigua and spend longer in Tobago and fly back home from there – this itinerary is completely flexible.