Iles Des Saintes

Scooter Row

Great logo!

Iles Des Saintes (or just simply, The Saints) are only 5 miles from Guadeloupe at the nearest points, so it was a quick sail to the only town, Bourg des Saintes on the largest island in the group of islands that make up the Saints. Everyone that comes to the Saints falls in love with the island as it is the epitome of a seaside town, with a sparkling clean town center with cute shops, sidewalk cafes and ice cream shops, meandering small streets, and scooters everywhere! The anchoring is notoriously difficult but they have alleviated that problem by putting in an abundance of free moorings off the town.

The first day we were at the Saints, we just explored the town, did some window shopping, and of course, took full advantage of the ice cream shop. Better yet, it was gelato, not just plain old ice cream! Maria, myself and Niko accompanied Nola and her dog, Tara, to a nearby island for some much needed running, swimming and sniffing.

Another great sail

The next day was Bastille Day, and what a treat it was to be on a French Island! There was a traditional boat regatta to celebrate the day and somehow, Joana’s mooring was smack dab right in the middle of the race! So, we sat on our bumbkin in our bright red folding deck chairs, sipping on cold beer, as the traditional boats jockeyed for position while trying to avoid us. We could literally reach out and touch them, if we dared! The boats are all painted different colors and the logo designs on the sails have a style all on their own.

Now that's a colorful hull

After the race, we went to town to help celebrate. All the boats where up on the beach, so we walked around and checked them out. The workmanship on the boats was magnificent. As we were drooling over the boats, a band started up and rocked regae for all to hear. It was a great time, over 100 boats lined on the beach, kids playing in the water, good music playing in the background, and beer.

Maria and Nola 

Later that night, we met up with Nola and Jerry on Moonsong and had a great dinner at a French restaurant that over looked the harbor. The French sure know how to eat well!