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Area
Guide to the Islands
Islands are listed in alphabetical order.
Bequia (Bek-way)
 Bequia was named the island of the
clouds by the Caribs, (pronounced Bek-way) this
is the largest of the St Vincent dependencies
with a population of 4,874 (1991 census). The
island measures a compact seven square miles.
Her history has been deeply entwined with the
sea for generations. and the age-old traditions
of boat-building, fishing and whaling are still
evident.
Tourism is becoming much more important as more
cruise ships stop and the number of yachts increases.
More hotel rooms and apartments are being added.
The island is quite hilly and well forested with
a great variety of fruit and nut trees. Its main
village is Port Elizabeth and here Admiralty Bay
offers a safe anchorage. The quaint waterfront
of Port Elizabeth is lined with bars, restaurants
and craft shops. The nearest beach to Port Elizabeth
is the pleasant Princess Margaret beach, which
shelves quickly into the clear sea. Beaches away
from Princess Margaret are deserted and quiet.
The major activities for Bequia are the beaches,
snorkeling, diving and exploring. All the ingredients
for a peaceful and relaxing vacation.
Getting to Bequia
Inasmuch as Bequia is gloriously "off the
beaten path", here are some suggestions to
aid your travel plans.
No matter where your journey begins, as a first
step we recommend that you fly to Barbados. From
the USA, you'll most likely use American
Airlines; however USAir is now a good connector from
the Philadelphia area, and Air
Jamaica works well from New York.
As a next step, once you're in Barbados, we recommend
that you fly directly to Bequia via Mustique Airways or SVG
Airways .
As an alternative, you might fly to the main island,
St. Vincent, rather than Bequia. From Barbados,
LIAT
or Caribbean
Star are the connecting airlines to St. Vincent.
Once in St. Vincent, you'll then go by ferry to
Bequia, which is about a one hour trip. It's best
to arrive in St. Vincent by early afternoon, but
if you arrive later, you may still be able to
catch a ferry, since the last one doesn't leave
St. Vincent until 7:00pm. (Ferry schedules are
subject to change, so you'll need to be flexible.
It's very dark at 7:00pm, which means you'll miss
the fun of the boat trip. Also, arriving in Bequia
in the dark is not nearly as pleasant as seeing
the countryside in the daylight. Of course, missing
the last boat would mean a night in St. Vincent
with its extra cost, or chartering a boat.
Canouan
Set in the middle of the Grenadine archipelago,
Canouan is an island of only 5 square miles. Along
with beautiful un-spoiled scenery, the island
claims some of the best beaches in the Caribbean
- long stretches of powder-white sands, and is
surrounded by wide shallows and coral - a scuba
divers dream. The island stretches over 11 sq
km (7.9 sq miles) and has several hotels.
Mayreau
Mayreau lies west of the Tobago Cays. It is the
smallest (1 1/2 square miles) of the inhabited
Grenadine islands, with a population of two hundred
and fifty-four people. Mayreau is accessible only
by boat. The island is rimmed by magnificent sweeping
white sandy beaches perfect for sailing and snorkeling.
This is a privately owned island with few residents
and only one resort.
Mustique
This island, 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide at
its widest point, is hilly, with a large plain
in the north and is essentially composed of seven
valleys each with a white sand beach and wooded
hills that rise to a height of 495 feet. While
small, you will love this island's safe, warm
turquoise waters, soft white-sand beaches, varied
terrain and astonishing views.
Mustique is privately owned, and has long been
a hiding place for the rich and famous, including
Princess Margaret and other members of the British
Royal Family, Mick Jagger and David Bowie to name
a few. There are several exceptional hotels and
inns on Mustique Island.
Palm Island
This tiny resort island is just a mile from Union
Island, where you are met by the resort's private
boat and transported to this 135-acre tropical
oasis of unhurried rest and stress free relaxation.
Originally known as Prune Island, Palm got its
current name when former owners, the late John
Caldwell (a.k.a Johnny Coconuts) and his wife
Mary, planted hundreds of coconut palms, 800 of
them, and transformed the deserted island into
a palm covered resort.
This private island has been turned into a resort,
made up of 20 beachfront stone cottages. Here
it is possible to dine in the open air and all
water sports take place from the wide, white shores.
Of it's four beaches, Casuarina Beach is reputed
to be one of the finest in the Grenadines.
Petit St. Vincent
The southernmost Grenadine governed by St Vincent
lies Petit St Vincent, a 113-acre island resort
is almost entirely surrounded by white-sand beaches
and offers a wide range of sporting and marine
activities. Twenty-two private cottages are scattered
some on hillsides, some set into the sides of
cliffs, some right on the beach - all absolutely
heavenly. Visitors gather for meals in beachfront
pavilions and the ambience is carefree and festive.
The island is a yachtsman's dream. Petit St. Vincent
is a great place for a perfect honeymoon or romantic
getaway. For most people the appeal of PSV is
what it "does not have"- no telephones
or television, no air-conditioning, no casinos
or cabarets. Not even room keys.
 St. Vincent
With a history dating back to 1765, St. Vincent
is the largest island with rugged mountainous
terrain, lush forest, valleys and waterfalls,
and many beautiful uncluttered beaches and inlets,
( 21 miles long and 11 miles wide). This is one
of the most most fertile of Caribbean islands,
providing it's inhabitants with exotic fruits,
vegetables and spices. It is also home to the
oldest Botanical Gardens (20 acres) in the Western
Hemisphere. These Gardens include a breadfruit
tree descended from the original brought to the
island in 1765 by Captain Bligh from Tahiti.
 The Soufriere volcano which is located
in the north of the island, is a wonderful attraction
for any energetic and adventurous traveler, offering
a sensational birds-eye view of the crater, the
Grenadine islands and all of St. Vincent.
On the islands's southwest coast, lies Kingstown,
the small, but bustling capital with a beautiful
natural harbor. It is a market town which has
a variety of small and interesting shops. From
here the island's two highways wind their way
north along scenic coastlines, offering spectacular
views of most of the island's great beaches. There
is much to see and do, and St. Vincent is one
of the few islands where you will thoroughly enjoy
great West Indian Cuisine.
Tobago Cays
The huge Horseshoe Reef that protects these five
deserted islets, with their dazzling, palm-studded
shorelines, provides some of the best snorkelling
and diving in the world.
The brilliant powdery, white sand, the colored
waters shaded in unimaginable blues and the neon
marine life beneath give true meaning to the "stop-the-world-l-want-to-get-off'
Caribbean fantasy. The only way to get here is
by boat.
Union Island
Union Island is located midway between Grenada
and St. Vincent and is equidistant from Barbados,
Trinidad and Martinique. Mount Parnassus on Union
Island soars 275m (900ft) above sea level - guarding
the entrance to the southern Grenadines and reminding
you of a little Tahiti. The 2100-acre mountainous
island is fringed by superb beaches and is the
stopping-off point for yachtsmen and visitors
heading to some of the smaller Grenadines.
Clifton Harbour, the main town, is small and commercial.
There are several beachfront inns with a relaxed
atmosphere.
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