Rugged and majestic, born of volcanic fire yet matured in barefoot elegance, we call on small harbors and private islands that all belong to the Caribbean but live spiritually in a state of mind.

In a theatrical scene of grandeur, we call on Castries, a breathtakingly exotic gateway to St. Lucia. So enamored were the French and British that they savagely fought each other for her procession. You’ll see their ruins at Fort Rodney and Pigeon Island on her north shore. Grand Pitons to the south and the original French settlement, Soufriére .

On the island of St. Kitts we feel the sigh of history settled over the ruins of Brimstone Hill — “the Gibraltar of the West Indies” — whist the landscape is abloom with fruits and flowers. Sailing though azure waters, we slip into St. John’s, a picturesque place of rich plantations, forts, and sugar-cane ruins, each romantically picturesque yet all tragically entwined with the practice of slavery. Today, however, we find landmarks of remembrance, colorful quays that await exploration, off-road adventures, and inflatable dinghy boats that zip to the best dive spots.

With a mastery of mesmerism, we enjoy two days at sea; sitting in the calm of dawn on your private terrace, you discover how the rhythms of your body slowly keep time to the gently lapping waves.

As we slowly approach Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, coconut palms sway in the sun and more than 3 kilometers of beaches shimmer with the warmest welcome.