The trip
Overview
The eastern Caribbean rewards the long journey from the Gulf precisely because it is not one destination but dozens, and short regional flights let you treat the Windward Islands like stepping stones. This route strings together three with genuinely different characters: St Lucia's rainforest drama under the Pitons, Grenada's nutmeg-scented hills and untouristed coves, and the polished west coast of Barbados to finish where the transatlantic flights are best.
Getting there from the UAE means one well-timed European connection — typically through London — and we route the outbound to St Lucia and the return from Barbados so no island is visited twice. Ten nights over the Christmas period or February half-term puts you in the driest, sunniest window of the Caribbean year, when Dubai's own beaches have turned cool.
Highlights
- ✦Sailing beneath the Pitons and snorkelling the reef at Anse Chastanet
- ✦Sulphur springs mud baths in the crater of a drive-in volcano
- ✦Grenada's spice plantations and chocolate estates
- ✦A day at Grand Anse, two miles of unbroken Grenadian sand
- ✦Catamaran cruise with turtles and a west-coast beach finish in Barbados
Who it suits
- ●Couples and honeymooners for whom one island has never quite been enough
- ●UAE residents planning a serious Christmas or new-year escape
- ●Rum, chocolate and seafood enthusiasts — each island contributes its speciality
Why this journey works
- ✓Inter-island flights of under an hour turn three countries into one easy route
- ✓In-one-way, out-the-other routing avoids any repeated hotel or backtrack
- ✓December to April is the Caribbean dry season — exactly when the UAE turns cool
Day by day
Days 1–4
St Lucia — under the Pitons
Fly from Dubai via London, arriving into St Lucia by evening. Four nights near Soufrière where the twin Piton peaks rise straight from the sea: a sail-and-snorkel day along the coast, the drive-in volcano and its warm mud baths, a rainforest waterfall walk, and Friday night's street party at Gros Islet if the timing lands. Hotel style: small, open-to-the-breeze, with the Pitons in view from breakfast.
Days 5–7
Grenada — the spice island
A short regional flight south to Grenada, the least discovered of the three. Three nights of nutmeg plantations and chocolate-estate tours, the picture-book Carenage harbour of St George's, river-tubing or waterfall swims inland, and long afternoons on Grand Anse. Snorkellers should not miss the underwater sculpture park in the marine reserve.
Days 8–10
Barbados — the polished finish
Hop north-east to Barbados for three nights on the sheltered west coast. A catamaran cruise that anchors over turtle feeding grounds, rum tasting at one of the world's oldest distilleries, an afternoon at the Oistins fish fry, and otherwise calm-water swimming off powder sand. The island's restaurant scene is the Caribbean's best — book the good tables before you fly.
Day 11
Home to the UAE
Direct flight from Barbados to London and onward connection to Dubai, arriving the following day.
When to go
December to April is the classic dry season across the Windward Islands, with festive and February weeks booking furthest ahead. Hurricane season runs June to November — Grenada sits at the chain's southern edge and is less exposed, but late-summer travel needs flexible plans. Short tropical showers can arrive year-round and rarely outstay their welcome.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Caribbean destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi via a European hub, into St Lucia and home from Barbados
- ✓Inter-island flights St Lucia–Grenada and Grenada–Barbados
- ✓Ten nights in boutique beachfront hotels with breakfast
- ✓All airport transfers on each island
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Travel insurance
- —Lunches and dinners
- —Boat trips and excursions unless quoted
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Add three nights in the Grenadines by ferry or island hopper
- +Break the journey with a night in London each way
- +Add a two-tank dive package on each island
- +Extend Barbados to a full week
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