Category: Travel

Christmas in the Caribbean

Are you a Christmas fanatic who shops all year round for decorations and gifts or more of a Scrooge? If you are the first, then visit the Caribbean anytime after October. Christmas in the Caribbean starts early: all the malls in St. Lucia were decorated and Christmas carols blasted from the speakers when we were there in November.

Since readers liked last year’s photo blog from Florida, here’s one from the Caribbean, mostly Martinique, where Santa and other holiday decor is the norm. The majority of the festive ornamentation is traditional and (fake) evergreen and wreaths abound, but I prefer the original and surprising celebrations, like the relaxed Santa in the display in Sainte Anne, Martinique.

Caribbean Christmas display
Christmas display in Sainte Anne
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The Best of the Grenadines

We have been to the Grenadines four times, including our elopement in Union Island in 2004. We love these islands and of course our best of the Grenadines is subjective but could help you if you plan to visit.

I already wrote about why this country is great for cruising so here I detail our favorite places to go and things to do in the Grenadines.

About the grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is located just north of Carriacou, the northern island of Grenada. Even though Bequia and Union Island have nice protected anchorages, they are just too far north for insurance companies to allow us to stay there for hurricane season. Fortunately there’s enough to do in Grenada to keep cruisers happy. Before and after hurricane season, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a great place to spend some time. Here are some of the things we love about it.

Hurricane Beryl devastated the southern Grenadines, including Union Island and Mayreau, leaving many people homeless. If you want to help rebuild, here are some fundraising links.

Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, Bequia

Bequia is one of the more populous islands in The Grenadines, and a great place to base a Grenadines getaway. It’s also a top Caribbean destination for families, and one of the reasons is the turtles!

The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary protects hawksbill turtles
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One Year On The Boat

We moved onto Sava a year ago today! It seems like such a long time and we have been through a lot: good and bad. We love it most of the time and plan to continue living on the boat and exploring the Caribbean. These are some of the things we’ve learned after one year on the boat.

We Do Not Need Much

Seriously, none of us need much. We’ve been conditioned by advertisers and merchants to think we do, and then we’ll be happy.

We moved onto the boat and this lifestyle knowing it was completely different from our Toronto existence. There is not much room on board, and a lot of it goes to ship equipment and systems.

luggage for a boat
What we brought with us when we moved on board Sava one year ago today

At different times we have had to sacrifice what we thought were key elements of a life well lived. Things like heat and hot water, plentiful showers, ice cold beers, sleep, wifi, fresh veggies and sun protection were not always available. Now that we have put lots of work into Sava, and learned a thing or two, life has improved. Cold beers!

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