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St Vincent and the Grenadines map
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Passports & Visas
All people entering St Vincent and the Grenadines require valid passports, a return or onward ticket and sufficient funds to cover their stay for up to six months.
Citizens of the USA and Commonwealth and EU countries do not require a visa. All other countries please check with your Embassy or with your travel organiser as to whether a visa is needed. |
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Places to Go/Activities
St Vincent
Kingstown
The capital of St Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown, which is set on an excellent harbour in the southwest of the island, protected from the Atlantic by the huge spine of the island which runs down to the southern tip. With a quarter of the islands’ total population living in and around Kingstown, it is the only appreciable town in the islands and is known familiarly to the Vincentians as ‘the city’.
Parts of Kingstown are very attractive and the town still retains some of its old-time Caribbean feel in its cobbled streets and ‘shirt and skirt’ buildings (stone ground storeys and wooden uppers). A particularly good feature of the town is the covered colonnades that line many of the old streets. These walkways made of stone arches keep pedestrians out of the sun and the rain, both of which the town sees very regularly of course.
Kingstown is being developed fast and so slightly characterless concrete colossi are appearing among the pretty old buildings, but some features to look out for are the Law Courts (seat of the St Vincent and the Grenadines parliament) and the nearby Police Station. The central market building has no architectural significance beyond its weird pink and white colour-scheme but it is fun to visit for the exotic fruits and vegetables on display. Behind the gridiron of downtown streets you will find two impressive cathedrals, the Anglican St Georges, and the Gothic pile of Catholic St Mary’s.
Botanical gardens, northwest of Kingstown, t 457 1003
Founded in 1762 as a nursery for foreign plants, the St Vincent Botanical Gardens are the oldest in the western hemisphere. It is well worth taking the guided tour of the grounds, from US$3 per person, and there is a chance to see the rare St Vincent parrot in the aviary.
Wallilabou Bay
A picturesque bay and good diving spot on the western or leeward coast that was recently made famous as the location for much of the shooting of the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean.
La Soufriere
A 4000ft volcano with a crater lake that takes up much of the northern part of the island. Hike to the top through the rainforest, with stunning views if the weather allows it. See Hiking.
Historical Sites
There are some visible colonial sites, including the fortresses that were used to defend the islands against the marauding navies of the age of Empire, but besides these perhaps the most interesting thing to visit are the petroglyphs or rock carvings that have been left by the Amerindians. These are mostly found on mainland St Vincent.
Museum
The St Vincent Museum is currently without a home and so the artefacts are not on display. There is an exhibition of important archaeology at Heritage Hall (the Old Carnegie Public Library), t 451 2921. It is open Mondays to Thursdays 10am-5pm, entrance is a donation of EC$5.
Bequia
Port Elizabeth
A quaint harbour town with brightly painted buildings and a lovely charm to it, particularly along the Belmont waterfront. Most of the islands’ shops, restaurants and bars are in the area and there is a long tradition of boat-building here.
Moonhole, t 458 3068
Community of private residencies built into the cliffside on the south-western tip of the island. Weekly organised tour, call ahead to book.
Fort Hamilton
Remains of an 18th century French fort on the north side of Admiralty Bay. Little of the fort is still standing, but the walk up is nice and there are stunning views across the bay towards Port Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Beach.
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, t 458 3596
Hawksbill turtle hatchery in Industry Bay in the north east, run by local fisherman Orton ‘Brother’ King since 1995. Small admission fee to see the tanks and learn about the conservation process.
Union Island
Fort Hill
On the north east of the island, this 17th century fort offers panoramic views across Clifton and towards the Grenadines. Reached by four wheel drive or a 450 ft hike.
Mount Taboi
Highest mountain peak in the Grenadines and the most demanding hike in the area. Spectacular views at the top of the 1000 ft climb.
Tobago Cays
Stunning collection of small deserted islands, brilliant snorkelling and perfect white sands. See Day Sails. |
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Restaurants
There is a pretty good range of restaurants in St Vincent and the Grenadines, from very simple local establishments serving authentic and inexpensive Vincentian food (from the island’s excellent fruits and vegetables), through the waterfront diners designed mainly for yachtsmen, to the more sophisticated dining rooms, usually in hotels, that offer a more formal or romantic international dining experience. Of course many of them take advantage of the fantastic settings in the islands, often with a cracking view out to sea.
The food is generally either solidly international (in most of the places that appeal to yachtsmen and other travellers or tourists), or it is solidly West Indian. There is a handful of other styles, a French restaurant on one island and an Italian on another, say, but many of the islands are small and so there is not necessarily that much choice.
You may well find during the off season (generally April to November) that some independent restaurants shut completely or only open at certain times, so do call ahead. Likewise, entertainment put on by an establishment may only be on offer during the high season. St Vincent and the Grenadines has a good choice of Bars, many of which also sell food or are part of a restaurant.
Please see a full listing of The Restaurants of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
A pick of the Restaurants of St Vincent and the Grenadines –
Prices for a main course (excluding steak and lobster, which are more expensive) are as follows: expensive – US$20 and above, moderate US$10-20 and inexpensive US$10 and below.
Lime N’ Pub, Villa, St Vincent, t 458 4227, expensive
Lively waterfront eatery and bar run by expat David Dunn and friendly staff. Set on a raised waterfront deck with greenery and nautical decorations. Extensive menu of good, mainly international fare, including a wide variety of seafood and meats. Large cocktail menu.
Young Island Resort, off St Vincent, t 458 4826, expensive
Gourmet restaurant serving most meals in romantic thatched arbours just above the beach. Eclectic menu of regional Caribbean cuisine and international fare – delicious homemade bread. Live entertainment on weekends including a steel band orchestra. Reservations required if you are not staying at the resort.
Devil’s Table, Bequia Marina, Bequia, t 458 3900, expensive
Pirate-inspired restaurant with plenty of ambiance and good food, run by the owners of the Moskito Bar. Fusion of European and Caribbean cuisine, try the Black Angus beef with rum sauce. Live music on Wednesday and Saturday nights, plus backgammon tournament and barbecue on Saturday.
Fernando’s, Lower Bay, t 458 3758, expensive
Unique and intimate restaurant tucked away in the hills above Lower Bay. Fresh seafood, caught daily by owner Nando, and other authentic Bequian food. Simple deck with a lovely atmosphere. Well worth a visit. Open for dinner only and limited seating, so booking is advised.
Basil’s Bar, Britannia Bay, t 488 8350, VHF 68, expensive
World famous watering hole of the rich and famous, and seafood restaurant with a unique laid-back air, presided over by its amiable owner, Basil Charles. Charming and rustic, with bamboo walls and palm thatch roofs, it extends from the beach out above the bay on stilts. Every Wednesday is party night with a barbecue and jump-up featuring a live band.
L’Aquarium Restaurant, Clifton, t 458 8311, moderate
Open-sided restaurant at Bougainvilla, serving French and creole cuisine, specialising in fresh fish. Dinner is watched over by the inhabitants of a large tropical aquarium and the lobsters in their tank, from which you can choose your meal (in season). |
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Rum
In the northern part of St Vincent, about 21 miles from Kingstown on the east coast, lies St Vincent Distillers which has produced rum since the early 1900s. The most popular rum product in St Vincent is the ‘Sunset Very Strong Rum’, which contains 84.5% alcohol by volume. It is often wisely blended with other ingredients to produce punch, however some locals do drink it straight chased by a cool glass of water or soda. ‘Sunset Premium Rum’ and ‘Captain Bligh Golden Rum’ are both award-winning dark spirits and the ‘Sunset Rum Punch’ is a popular ready mix available throughout the Caribbean.
You might come across two other local rums with interesting qualities. Boisbande (pronounced ‘bawbondy’) is supposed to be an aphrodisiac and Jackiron is an extremely strong rum that is distilled in Trinidad. Officially it is illegal in most Caribbean islands, but nonetheless it is popular in Carriacou particularly. It is disarming because it is one of the few liquids in which ice sinks. |
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Sailing
St Vincent and the Grenadines have some of the finest sailing grounds in the Caribbean, even the world. You can cruise under the vast green heights of St Vincent itself and then head out into the Grenadines, which lie like prone animals on the sea horizon around you, and pull into an isolated cove, slide off into the crystalline sea and snorkel the reefs. If you are lucky, dolphins will jump at the prow of your yacht as you make the crossings between the islands and cays.
The eight or so main islands lie in a 60-mile string that stretches south from St Vincent to Union Island. They vary a great deal in character. Some are quite developed, others have just a small local community, others have nothing but a hotel. The Tobago Cays have no buildings at all, though their beaches and reefs are so attractive that there can be over 200 yachts at anchor there at the busiest time of the year.
Of course there is quite an infrastructure for the yachting industry, with beach bars and restaurants in most of the coves around the Grenadines. Some bays have buoys, but in most places you will anchor on the sandy bottom. There are also other services - in the Tobago Cays you will find people in small boats will approach you with fish and other food for sale. You can even order food from the supermarkets Union Island, arrange a massage on board your yacht, or join a scuba dive. There are marinas in St Vincent (most sailing charters start here) and Canouan, but there are also yachting facilities in Bequia and Union Island.
The sailing in the Grenadines is excellent, though it is worth knowing that it is a little more ‘exposed’ than that of, say, the British Virgin Islands. The chain of the Grenadines lies across the prevailing wind from the Atlantic (in contrast Sir Francis Drake Channel in the BVI is protected by the many islands) and so the currents, swells and winds are stronger in the Grenadines. The islands are also a little further apart – there is roughly an hour’s sail between them - and so the sailing is generally a little more demanding, but of course a corresponding feeling of freedom. The Grenadines also have a slightly ‘rawer’, more naturally West Indian atmosphere about them too. The unsophisticated nature and the beauty of the islands and its beaches are the key ingredients make them a magnificent place explore under your own steam.
Most of the sailing in the Grenadines is bareboat sailing, but it is possible to organise a skipper and a cook, or a full crewed charter, some of which are attached to the hotels or take out day sails (see Day Sails/Boat Trips). Otherwise the charter brokers in the metropolitan countries will help you.
In St Vincent and the Grenadines, our recommended yacht charter company is –
TMM Bareboat Vacations, Calliaqua, t 456 9608
TMM St Vincent is a small and well-established yacht charter company based in the south of St Vincent, ideally positioned for sailing the Grenadines. The company, headed up by John West, keeps a fleet of 15-20 catamarans and monohulls up to 50ft long with between two and six cabins. Charters are mostly bareboat, but skippers and cooks are available on request.
St Vincent
The main marinas are in the south-east of the island, to the east of Villa, but no more than a 10 minute drive from the airport. The longest standing facility is at Blue Lagoon, where a handful of charter companies are based. Facilities include showers, a laundrette, a restaurant and bar, internet café and a small supermarket that can provide all you need in the way of provisioning services. There is a new marina in Calliaqua nearby. It is fully equipped, offers repair facilities and has berths for around 40 yachts.
If you arrive by sea, Customs and Immigration can be cleared at Kingstown harbour and ET Joshua Airport or at Port Elizabeth in Bequia.
Sam’s Taxi Tours, t 456 4338, cater to yachtsmen, offering mooring and customs and immigration clearance.
Bequia
Customs and Immigration are both located at the harbour jetty in Port Elizabeth.
Admiralty Bay, an excellent natural harbour and a favourite anchorage, has easy access to the very pretty waterfront of Port Elizabeth. There are other anchorages on the south side of the island, particularly Friendship Bay
The charismatic local character Winston Simmons (known to everyone as African) will find you a mooring for a reasonable fee or offer you some useful advice about the harbour. He is easily contacted on VHF CH68.
Bequia hosts a popular Easter regatta every year, open to anyone to join. The event usually lasts five days and involves a number of events and races for all classes of boats. Registration and more information can be found at www.begos.com/easterregatta.
Mustique
There is a jetty located in Britannia Bay and immigration and customs clearance is at the airport. There are 28 moorings controlled by Mustique Moorings, VHF 16/68. Sailing vessels carrying more than 25 people are not permitted.
Canouan
Charlestown Bay, the main anchorage, is marked by red and green beacons. Contact Marcus, known locally as ‘Iceman’, for fuel, ice, water and moorings. VHF 16 or t 458 8375. Canouan Foodstore, right by the Moorings, has a good selection of provisions. There are day anchorages in the isolated bays in the north of the island.
Mayreau
There are good anchorages in Saline Bay and Saltwhistle Bay. Onshore you will find just a couple of small food stores offering the basics.
Union Is
Union Island is a useful stopover with plenty of possibility if you need to provision or repair your yacht. There are 15 berths in the main harbour at Bougainvilla, t 458 8678, where dockage, ice and water is available. Anchorage Yacht Club Hotel & Marina, t 458 8221, also has dockage. By the airport in Clifton boat repairs and gas are available with Laurent.
The island is the last port of call before you arrive in Grenadian territory to the south and so can clear Customs and Immigration here. With its air connections, it is also a popular pick up and drop off point for sailors.
Captain Gourmet on Clifton high street, t 458 8918, offers full provisioning and a delivery service on high quality food produce.
Tobago Cays
All visitors to the Tobago Cays are required to pay an entry fee of US$4 per person per day. If you decide to sail there the fee will cover 24 hours on the islands and the charge varies on the size of your yacht; 40ft and under costs EC$40, 41ft to 70ft costs EC$50 and 71ft to 100 ft costs EC$60.
There are many good anchorages but no facilities for sailors on the islands. |
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Scuba Diving
The reefs and marine life of St Vincent and the Grenadines are typical of the eastern Caribbean and so you can expect to see brightly coloured hard and soft corals furring walls, fringing reefs and pinnacles on the islands’ submarine shores. The fish life is not in as good condition as in many other islands, however, as the islands, particularly St Vincent, do suffer severely from over-fishing. There few large reef fish to be seen off St Vincent itself, even many of the small reef fish have gone. In compensation, dive companies will point out the many smaller creatures, for instance crabs and starfish, which can be seen amongst the corals.
St Vincent and its Grenadines islands differ in their physical structure. St Vincent itself is much larger than the Grenadines and it is mountainous in nature, so it has steep-sided coves, the walls of which are clad with corals. The Grenadines tend to have shallower seas and often greater visibility because of their lighter sand. Here you will find a multitude of reefs with an excellent variety of wildlife. Bequia offers good diving and there are numerous dive sites in close proximity to the coasts. Dive sites include Pigeon Island, the boulders and the wall on the northern side of West Cay. In Canouan and Mustique there are also some good options and a nice variety of dive sites.
Diving takes place at all the islands around Union Island, including of course the Tobago Cays, which can be reached from all of the islands in the area. One notable wreck dive is the Puruni off Mayreau. It was a gunship that served in British Guyana (now Guyana). Very occasionally there will be trips out to Sail Rock beyond the Tobago Cays, which is pristine, but pretty much unprotected in the Atlantic, so it is reserved for experienced divers on a favourable day only.
There are dive outfits in each of the islands and most hotels have an arrangement so that you will be picked up and taken to the dive site. The nearest recompression/hyperbaric chamber is in Barbados. |
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Service Charge/Tipping
Tipping for good service is the norm and many places add a 10% charge. In restaurants, check the bill, but around 10% should be added if service is not included. In private villas and apartments, service is not included so all members of staff, including the ground staff, should be tipped on your departure. Check with the local property manager for guidance.
On May 1st 2007 VAT was introduced to St Vincent and Grenadines, replacing consumption tax and other taxes. VAT stands at 15% and applies to most services and goods. It will be included in the published price. |
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Spas
Spas were late in coming to St Vincent and the Grenadines, but there are now a handful of options (most islands have something available) if you would like a massage, beauty treatment or other alternative therapy. Several of the hotels have a room that can be used for treatments or a dedicated spa building, often in an idyllic setting with a stunning view. Hotel generally spas allow outside visitors, but equally, if your hotel does not have a spa, it is usually possible to call on an outside practitioner to come to your room through the front desk of your hotel. Massage therapists will also come to yachts.
St Vincent
Beachcombers Hotel, Villa Beach, t 458 4283
There is a small spa at Beachcombers Hotel. Facials, pedicures, manicures, massages and a sauna are available onsite.
Spa Kalina, Young Island, t 458 4826
Set amongst the tropical flora on the hillside, Spa Kalina offers massages, reflexology, facials, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Natural products from Earth Mother Botanicals of Barbados.
Bequia
Dani’s Spa, Gingerbread Hotel, Belmont Walkway, t 530 1658
Small spa located in the gardens of the Gingerbread Hotel. Treatments include a range of holistic massages, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am–7pm.
Mustique
The Cotton House, Endeavour Bay, t 456 4777
Across the lawn from the Great House of the hotel, a two storey building standing close to Endeavour Beach. Wide range of treatments at the fitness centre, four treatment rooms, relaxation room with sea views and a specialist beauty salon. Appointments required.
Canouan
Raffles Amrita Spa, t 482 0893
Stunning ocean views from the private palapas set on the hillside above Godahl’s Beach and over the water just offshore) at the Raffles Canouan. Traditional and modern treatments including facials, waxing, bathing regimes, sun therapies and touch therapy.
Tamarind Beach Hotel Spa, t 458 8044
Selection of therapeutic massages set right on the ocean side.
Petit St Vincent
Petit St Vincent Resort, t +1954 963 7401
Sixty minute sessions with practitioner Lisa including massage, facials and life evaluation. |
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Taxis
On the larger islands, St Vincent and Bequia for instance, taxis are available at the airports, the docks and through hotel receptions. On some of the smaller Grenadines however, Mayreau say, or Petit St Vincent, there is obviously little need for a taxi. Once your hotel has collected you from the airport, which it can do on request, you can probably walk anywhere you need to go.
Water taxis are available in some of the islands. They can take you to another part of that island easily accessible by sea or they might take you from one island to another. They can usually be contacted on VHF Channel 68.
The government fixes rates for taxi fares (taxis are not metered), so it is a good idea to confirm your fare before setting off. If you take a taxi for an extended time, perhaps on a tour of the island (which many taxi drivers offer), expect to pay between EC$40-50 per hour for two to four passengers. Fares increase late at night through to early morning.
Standard taxi rates are as follows -
From the Airport –
To Kingstown – EC$15-20
Villa/Indian Bay – EC$20-25
Blue Lagoon - EC$25-30
From Kingstown -
To Villa - EC$35-40
Blue Lagoon - EC$40-45
Taxi operators and tour companies that offer fares include -
St Vincent
Sam’s Taxi Tours, Cane Garden, t 456 4338
Experienced and knowledgeable company with a wide range of specialised sightseeing tours and a taxi service.
Bequia
B&G Jeep Rental, Bequia, t 458 3760
The leading jeep rental company in Bequia, run by Gideon Olliveirre, who also runs a taxi service on the island and takes island tours.
Challenger Taxi, Tours & Rentals, Belmont, t 458 3811
Car and jeep rentals, taxi service, island tours, shopping trips, airport/ferry transfers.
Jump in Taxi Service, Paget Farm, t 458 3782
Open-backed taxis service run by the Bynoe brothers. Also offer tours of the island.
All water taxis stand by on VHF 68. Winston Simmons (known to everyone locally as African) can provide a water taxi and useful advice.
Canouan
Jus once taxi service, 458 8774
Water taxis readily available on VHF 68
Mayreau
It’s not far to walk anywhere on Mayreau, but there are a few cars on the island, so if you need someone to drive your bag to the top of the hill then you can call Curtis (cell 527 8391, VHF 16, 68).
Practically speaking, the most useful taxi will be the water-taxis, which can be arranged by asking around in the Village. The crossing to Union Island from Mayreau will cost around EC$50 (though the Union Islanders charge rather more).
Tobago Cays
Water taxis are available from nearby Union Island. If you get them to drop you off for the day, they are fairly reliable about picking you up again.
Union Is
Taxis are available at the airport, though it is worth remembering that some hotels will pick you up on arrival, ferrying you to the dock where relevant. Water taxis are available at the waterfront in Clifton.
Seckie’s Water Taxi, Union Island, t 530 5913/492 0787, VHF 16
Service provided from Union Island to Palm Island, Mayreau, Canouan, Tobago Cays, Mopion, Petit St Vincnet, even the Grenadian islands of Petit Martinique and Carriacou. The boat holds up to 8 people and the fare for the whole boat runs from EC$100-300 depending on destination. |
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