Bourg des Saintes is an adorable seaside town, sparkling clean and picturesque, with red roofs and a handful of those older Caribbean buildings that are all balconies and shutters. The landscape of volcanic hills and deep bays is strikingly beautiful. Flowers grow in abundance around the houses and no one is in a hurry. Local boats are anchored all along the waterfront. The island features beaches with good swimming and wind surfing, a fort with a botanical garden, and a large number of French restaurants. The roads are narrow and there are only a few dozen cars on the island. Motorcycles are the way to travel.
The town of Bourg de Saintes.
Village street of Bourg de Saintes.
Town Square, Bourg de Saintes.
Kerry in Bourg de Saintes.Our stopover was for two days, the first of which, we cleared into Customs and walked the town as well as enjoyed lunch at a French restaurant overlooking the bay. Ongoing ashore the next day, we discovered that it was a public holiday and most shops were closed. However, the motorbike rental place was open, so we hired a motorbike and toured the island. Travelling the narrow concrete streets lined with brightly coloured houses, shops and restaurants, we visited the bays around the island and walked around Fort Napolean, the fort overlooking the town from high above it. We found a grocery store that was open and stocked up on a few fresh vegetables, milk and bread. Our afternoon was spent sitting in the cockpit of Hasta La Vista watching the yachts, fishing boats with their fishermen, and generally enjoying the beautiful sites.
The next morning, Thursday 28 May, we pulled up anchor and sailed to Dominica.
