The Ultimate Travel Guide to St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is probably the best place to go if you want to visit a tropical paradise with white beaches, palm trees, a blue sea, and slow-paced rhythms.
We are in the Lesser Antilles. The 125 islands and islets that make up this Caribbean country are spread out in a diagonal pattern between St. Lucia (to the northeast) and Grenada (to the southwest) in the Caribbean Sea.
People have lived on the islands for at least 7,000 years, when the native Siboney people moved there. Since then, many different people have lived there, including the Arawaks and the Caribs, before they were forced to leave by the Spanish invaders. The French and the English then fought over who would control the archipelago. In the 20th century, the archipelago decided its own fate: since 1979, St. Vincent has been a part of the Grenadines and is an independent Commonwealth state.
When travelers arrive on the island of Saint Vincent, where the capital, Kingstown, is located, they have just enough time to get settled and figure out how to get to the beautiful Grenadines.
Kingstown has a little more than 30,000 people living there. It is a busy town where people are busy with their jobs and the buildings aren’t taken care of very well. On closer study, the most interesting part of the city is probably the public market, where you can meet locals, be amazed by the huge variety of tropical fruits, and maybe buy some things that will help you on your trip. Even though the market is open every day, the best day to go is Saturday, which is the most important day.
Grenadines
The beaches of St. Vincent are not known for their beauty, especially since the sister islands of the Grenadines are just a few kilometers away and have some of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. However, those who want to take a tour of St. Vincent can move a few kilometers from Kingstown to the beaches of Villa Beach and Indian Bay, while on the eastern coast (also called Sopravento or Winward), there are wilder and more blustery beaches.
In the north of the island is the volcano La Soufrière, which is 1233 meters above sea level and has a footpath that goes to its crater. On the west coast, Richmond Beach at Chateaubelair Bay is the most famous beach.
As stated, the Grenadines are the real draw of the archipelago. Just south of St. Vincent is Bequia, which has beautiful beaches and quiet bays where lucky boat owners can land.
Margaret Beach and Lower Bay beaches are close to Port Elizabeth, the biggest town on the island. Frienship Bay, in the southeast of Bequia, has a beautiful beach that is even quieter. If you want, you can go all the way to Spring Bay, which is between the sugar cane fields and the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary reserve, where baby turtles are raised and then released into the ocean.
Canouan Island
Canouan Island, on the other hand, has the usual Caribbean charm. The town of Charlestown is probably the best place to get into the spirit of the island.
Long beaches in Canouan are never too busy. Twin Bay on the island’s east side is one of the most beautiful, even though it’s a little hard to get to.
Union Island
Union Island is in the south of the group, close to where the sea border with Grenada is.
People who come to Union Island often want to see Fort Hill and Richmond Bay Beach. The island is also known as a place for boats to anchor and as a good place to start a trip to the Tobago Cays, which are a great place to go diving.
Tobago Cays
The Tobago Cays are five small islands that are completely surrounded by coral reefs. They are a national park that is protected by the government and the people who live there. Luckily, the government and the people who live there are committed to protecting this paradise, which has become a place where snorkeling fans go for day trips, even though their popularity could upset the delicate natural balance of the sea.
Mayreau
Mayreau is west of the Tobago Cays and only has 300 people living there. Saltwhistle Bay is where most of the beaches are, and the island is by far one of the calmest places in the Grenadines. We recommend that people who want to go down here bring cash with them because there are no banks.
Mustique
Unfortunately, only a few lucky billionaires can enjoy Mustique’s beauty. It is a private island where music and entertainment stars rent homes at prices that are too high for regular people. But you can take a day trip and spend at least a few hours at Britannia Bay Beach.
Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent
Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent, which are both in the far south of the archipelago, are two of the “smaller” islands in terms of size. They are both private islands with big, luxurious resorts where you can spend the night.
Useful information
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a place that works for most budgets. Depending on your tastes, you can find cheap or very expensive places to stay.
From December to May, which is the high season, the weather is great, it rains very little, and prices are the highest. Summer is the start of the rainy season, and July is the wettest month. From almost every island, you can take a ferry to another island. If you have your own boat, it’s easy to move around the group whenever you want. While the new Kingstown airport is being built, international flights from Europe or the United States cannot land at the current airport. To get to St. Vincent by air, you must make a stopover on another Caribbean island, like Grenada or Barbados.
