25NM south-east of Guadeloupe lie the Iles De Saintes, another little jewel in the Caribbean.
Full of gallic charm and pretty as a picture, the main town of Bourg des Saintes boasts a myriad of waterfront restaurants, boutiques, bakeries and a couple of small supermarkets. Originally a fishing village, it now relies mostly on tourism, with regular ferries from Guadeloupe as well as the ubiquitous cruise ships making it a busy, bustling place. But it never seemed crowded, and somehow manages to retain its’ charm despite the influx of visitors.
Our first challenge was to attach ourselves to the large mooring ball. Unlike most of the other moorings we’ve encountered so far, these ones don’t have a pick-up line, just a big metal ring in the top of the ball. There was no way to lift it up, so the only solution was to lie fully stretched out on the trampoline and try to thread the lines through it. They don’t make it easy! As we were heading into town in the dinghy another catamaran came in behind us and were also strugging with the mooring so Bruce was quick to give them a helping hand. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that there was a young attractive bikini-clad Frenchwoman on the bow!
The first sight that greeted us at the dock was a Frenchman wading into the water fully clothed after what must have been a delightful long lunch at the Café De Marine. This must be a good spot!
We had a lovely couple of days here browsing the shops, going out for dinner at Le Triangle waterfront restaurant and stocking up on some essentials (we’re now addicted to fresh baguettes). We also tried the anchorage at Anse Fideling on the adjoining island, Terre E’en Bas, but it was too rolly with nowhere to beach the dinghy so we came back to the main island of Terre D’en Haut and anchored in the lee of Pain Du Sucre, where we enjoyed another afternoon of relaxing and snorkeling.
Next stop Dominica!
Better & Better! Love the thought of fresh baguettes.
Wow! So beautiful – am slowly turning green!…..
Pain du Sucre looks a bit different to our Seal Rock’s Sugar Loaf – Can’t see a light lighthouse anyway!!
No, not quite as impressive as Seal Rocks Linda, no lighthouse but a very pretty spot nonetheless!
Yep I think that’s the sort of destinations we are looking for
See you guys soon
I think it just gets better from here Rob!