Gardens of The Caribbean

There are so many horticultural highlights on this unmissable Caribbean cruise, but I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the remarkable Balata Garden on Martinique created by Jean-Phillipe Thoze as inspiration for his art. It's such a treat for the eye!

About this tour

This special BBC Gardeners’ World Caribbean Islands & Gardens cruise is about as uplifting as travel gets. You wake to a new island most mornings, step ashore into lush tropical planting, and return to the ship to talk it all over as the next stretch of turquoise sea slips by. With a string of islands on the itinerary and a handful of wonderful gardens along the way, it is a trip brimming with colour, scent and horticultural surprise.

What I love about the Caribbean is how generously things grow. Heat, humidity and volcanic soils give these gardens an exuberance you simply cannot match at home, from towering palms and tree ferns to heliconias, gingers and orchids. Each island has its own character, and each garden its own way of making the most of the tropics.

Garden highlights

Valombreuse Botanical Garden, Guadeloupe - the island's first floral park
Papillote Tropical Gardens, Dominica - lush rainforest planting around natural hot springs
Balata Gardens, Martinique - an exceptional collection of tropical plants and flowers
Palm Tree Gardens, Grenada - over 300 plant species in two immaculate acres
Smithy's Garden, Grenada - an exotic, tropical garden with a wild and untamed feel

Destination highlights

Eight Caribbean islands, from Barbados and Grenada to Martinique and Dominica
Bustling Caribbean markets and cuisine
Pastel Dutch colonial Willemstad on Curacao
On-board talks and a gardeners' Q&A with David
Tropical scenery, turquoise seas and vibrant communities

Booking details

Next departure: 14 February 2027

Operator: Connoisseur Travel for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Book with Connoisseur Travel for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

What you'll learn

The Caribbean is a lesson in tropical abundance and in how gardeners work with heat, humidity and volcanic soils. You will look at how a layered structural planting holds a tropical garden together when everything grows so fast, and how foliage, form and scale are every bit as important as flower colour. Plus you’ll discover how Caribbean gardens are vital for conserving the plants of the tropical regions. Even if you cannot grow these plants at home, there are ideas on shape, texture and bold foliage that travel further than you might think.

Gardens you'll visit

Valombreuse Botanical Garden

lush, floral sanctuary boasting over 1,000 tropical species. Stunning collections of exotic orchids, giant palms, and vibrant bromeliads nestled along a scenic jungle river

Papillote Tropical Gardens

wild and exotic volcanic paradise with geothermal hot springs under a prehistoric canopy of giant ferns, waterfalls, and brilliantly iridescent hanging jade vines

Balata Gardens

breathtaking artistic masterpiece showcasing thousands of tropical plant species, featuring towering bamboo groves, majestic bromeliads, and a thrilling treetop suspension canopy walk

Palm Tree Gardens

intimate, coastal hillside oasis showcasing a colourful collection of tropical plant species. It features 40 distinct palm varieties, exotic orchids, and a lily pond shared with roaming red-footed tortoises

Smithy's Garden

wild-inspired, two-acre oasis famed for supplying award-winning Chelsea Flower Show blooms. It features a unique microclimate where lush rainforest flora and orchids thrive beside a fruit orchard

Beyond the gardens

A cruise like this is as much about the islands and the rhythm of life at sea as the gardens. Between ports there are David’s on-board talks and the easy company of fellow gardeners, and ashore there is colour everywhere: markets, pastel harbours, rainforest and beach. It is a holiday that relaxes and inspires in equal measure.

A note from David

By the end of the voyage you carry home more than photographs: a feel for the exuberance of tropical planting, a sharper eye for foliage and form, and the particular pleasure of having seen a string of islands and colourful gardens unfold one beautiful morning at a time.

David Hurrion