With St Vincent at the prow and a series of small islands and cays sprinkled in its wake, the Grenadines have long been renowned as one of the world's top sailing destinations. With each island set only about an hour's sail apart, this area of the Caribbean is great for island hopping or drifting off to your own deserted beach. Popular Grenadine islands include exclusive Mustique, a retreat for the rich and famous; Canouan, a crescent-shaped island popular with yachters; and private resort islands including beautiful Young and Palm Islands.St Vincent boasts tropical bea ... More
With St Vincent at the prow and a series of small islands and cays sprinkled in its wake, the Grenadines have long been renowned as one of the world's top sailing destinations. With each island set only about an hour's sail apart, this area of the Caribbean is great for island hopping or drifting off to your own deserted beach. Popular Grenadine islands include exclusive Mustique, a retreat for the rich and famous; Canouan, a crescent-shaped island popular with yachters; and private resort islands including beautiful Young and Palm Islands.
Deluxe resort on 300 lush tropical acres, with 3 white-sand beaches – This Leading Hotels of the World member, 110 miles west of Barbados, is on the north end of 3-square-mile Canouan Island in the Grenadines. It's situated on the site of the island's original village, and a 17th-century Anglican Church serves as its centerpiece. Dive into Carenage Bay to explore one of the world's largest coral reefs.
Luxury adults-only All-Inclusive on a private 130-acre island, 5 white-sand beaches – Ever fantasize about being a castaway? Daydream about your own paradise of white sand and lush palms, surrounded by warm blue waters? Here, you'll experience all that and more, but you won't have to rough it like Tom Hanks did: this tropical hideaway comes with an attentive staff, a full-service spa, beachfront suites, gourmet restaurants, and more. And with a small number of accommodations, your paradise never gets crowded.
Chic, secluded, luxury oceanfront resort on a lush private island – Nestled on a peninsula between 2 bays on Mustique's north shore, this exclusive colonial-style resort is a tranquil retreat with impeccable service.
This turn-of-the-20th-century cotton plantation is set on 8 exotic acres. Along with a charming blend of past & present, enjoy the view of the Grenadines, poolside bar, tennis & more.
On a long, white sandy beach, surrounded by tropical gardens and shady palms, you will find your own private seaside hideaway amidst this gorgeous and lively Italian-owned resort.
This tiny island is fully self-contained with wonderful, private villa resort accommodations, exquisite meals, fantastic service, water sports, floating bar & views that are hard to match.
St Vincent boasts tropical beauty at its finest with lush rainforests, roaring rivers, cascading waterfalls, a volcano, and striking black-sand beaches. Boats sail in and out of Kingstown, a charming town of cobblestone walkways and Georgian buildings. Outside of town, you can visit the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere. The extensive collection of flora includes offspring of breadfruit trees brought to the island by Captain Bligh of the Bounty. Also memorable is the wonderful boat ride to the Falls of Baleine, where you can swim in a natural pool by the edge of the sea.
New York City 5 hrs
Boston 6.5 hrs
Miami 3 hrs
Philadelphia 6 hrs
Los Angeles 9 hrs
Chicago 6.75 hrs
Dallas-Forth Worth 8 hrs
San Francisco 9.5 hrs
Kingstown: St Vincent's charming capital is lush and tropical, set on a natural harbor, with a downtown that's home to impressive Georgian architecture, delicious restaurants, and many shops and markets. The Kingstown Market sells everything from clothes to fruits and vegetables, and the Craftsmen's Centre features local crafts, such as woodcarvings, pottery and dolls.
The Grenadines: Just south of St Vincent is the small chain of islands known as the Grenadines. The small and mostly unpopulated and undeveloped islands have pristine beaches and coral reefs amid a tranquil beauty. The most popular are Bequia, Mustique, and Canouan, but all are just a short trip from St Vincent.
Mustique: This popular retreat for the rich and famous is three miles long and one mile wide. Many celebrities own luxury villas here, which is fortunate since there is only one major hotel. There are however, a modest selection of restaurants.
Canouan: This crescent-shaped island is only 3.5 by 1.5 miles, surrounded by powdery beaches and blue lagoons. The coral reefs are perfect for snorkeling and diving. A dive shop on the island rents equipment.
Palm Island: This is a private resort with a very casual ambiance within its 24 beachfront stone cottages, open-air restaurant, and a complete roster of water sports to keep you active and entertained along wide, white shores.
St Vincent is about 18 miles long and 11 miles wide with an area of 133 square miles, while the Grenadines, comprising 32 islands and cays, contribute another 17 square miles. The islands, which are surrounded by coral reefs and clear water, are home to coconut groves, banana plantations, and arrowroot fields. There are many beaches of both golden and black volcanic sand abound.
St Vincent & The Grenadines enjoy tropical weather with average year-round temperatures ranging from the low 70°s to the high 80s, with the overall average around 86°. Constant trade winds keep the climate pleasant without the need for air-conditioning. Winter nights can actually get a bit cool. The Dry Season is from November to May and the Wet Season runs throughout summer and beyond. A great benefit of St Vincent's deep southern Caribbean location is that it is out of the traditional tropical storm belt, so the threat of a hurricane is minimal.
High Season in the Caribbean goes from mid-December to mid-April, with February being the busiest month. Winter snows bring herds of refugees from the cold, so make your reservations as early as possible! Once things begin to warm up in the north, the island crowds subside and Low Season kicks in from mid-April to mid-December. While there is less planned tourist entertainment during the low season, it has the advantage of far greater solitude.
St Vincent is a quiet island best known for its volcanic black-sand beaches. Lazily soak up the Caribbean rays, or scuba dive, snorkel, and swim in clear, warm waters. Sailing and fishing are also very popular activities, and several festivals and regattas celebrate them throughout the year.
La Soufriere: Standing at the rim of St Vincent's volcano, you get what just may be the best panoramic view in the Caribbean. Look inside to see steam rising from the crater, and stroll along the Rabacca Dry River to see the flow of lava from the eruption in the early 20th century.
Beaches: All of St Vincent's beaches are public, and many border hotels where lunch and drinks are available. Some of the beaches have golden sand, while others have the famous volcanic black sand. The area's most popular spot is Villa Beach, about 10 minutes from Kingstown. Tranquil waters allow for safe swimming, and there are many cafés and water-sports. Close by is Indian Bay Beach, with reef-protected calm water ideal for snorkeling. The clean, clear water at Buccament Bay has black sand, as does nearby Questelle's Bay Beach.
Scuba Diving & Snorkeling: St Vincent has more than 30 dive sites along its leeward shore. Snorkelers and divers alike often spot seahorses and frogfish.
Sailing: St Vincent is famous for its sailing. Visitors can rent fully provisioned yachts, or hire a captain and a crew. All the hotels can arrange half-day, full-day or overnight rentals.
Fort Charlotte: These ruins sit atop a steep promontory more than 600 feet above sea level. Cannons used to fight off French troops are still there, as are oil murals depicting the history.
Botanic Gardens: Founded in 1765, these are the oldest in the West Indies. Some of the trees are more than 200 years old, and there are 20 acres of almond, nutmeg, teak, mahogany and cannonball. One of the breadfuit trees was reputedly among the seedlings brought by Captain Bligh in 1793.
Carib Rock: This rates among the most impressive petroglyphs in the Caribbean. Here you can see a human face carving dating from 600AD.
Shopping: The best shopping is in Kingstown, where shoppers can walk from shop to shop. The Kingstown Market, best seen on a Friday or Saturday morning, is festive and colorful and sells everything from clothes to produce. The Craftsmen's Centre features local crafts and at Sprott Brothers visitors can find clothing designed by locals, as well as Caribbean-made furniture.
There are several wonderful small cafés and restaurants serving both local specialties like breadfruit dishes and callaloo soup, as well as international classics. Fresh seafood, typically of the Caribbean, is the prime menu item just about everywhere.
Gourmet: French Restaurant is located in clapboard house near a pier. A long, comfortable bar leads to the rear verandah where diners sit among vine-laced lattices and look out at moored yachts. The delicious menu includes such choices as seafood casserole, curried conch, shrimp in garlic sauce, and fresh fish in ginger with peppercorn sauce. Villa Beach, Kingstown
Highly Recommended: Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is set three stories above the center of Kingstown. Diners have the choice of an indoor room decorated in earth tones or a patio open to the trade winds. The international menu includes lobster, snapper with lemon-butter and garlic sauce, and steak with onions andmushrooms.There are also traditional Creole dishes, made from fresh fish, chicken, mutton, beef, and goat. More than sixty drinks are featured at the bar. Bay Street, Kingstown
Local Flair: Bounty draws locals and tourists alike to its central Kingstown location. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Diners are treated to a wide assortment of pastries, rotis, sandwiches, homemade soups, quiche and pizza. The menu also has an interesting drink selection - including passion fruit and golden apple - and a gallery with works by local artists. Egmont Street, Kingstown
Romantic: Basil's Bar & Restaurant is set within a 19th-century sugar warehouse. Inside, exposed brick and stone, a mahogany bar, soaring arches, and candlelight set a romantic scene. The menu includes grilled lobster, escargots, shrimp cocktail, grilled red snapper, and grilled filet mignon. A wide selection of French wines is also available. Bay Street, Kingstown
The majority of the nightlife is in the hotels, with nightly barbecues and dancing to steel bands among the popular activities.
The Aquatic Club: This is the loudest and liveliest nightspot on St Vincent. Bands play reggae, soca and calypso music, and the club is centered around an open-air verandah and an outdoor deck. Kingstown
The Attic: Features live jazz and easy-listening music. There's also karaoke on Wednesday nights. Kingstown
The Emerald Valley Casino: This small casino has 3 roulette tables, 3 blackjack tables, and a Caribbean stud-poker table, and a craps table. Penniston Valley
Touch Entertainment Center: An extremely popular hang-out, with disco nights and a DJ spinning mixes on weekends. Kingstown
Fisherman's Week: Celebrates local fisherman and their contribution to the livelihood of the islands. April through May
Carnival: Known locally as Vincy Mas, this event lasts 10 days and brings the islands' best brass, steel and calypso bands, folk and calypso dancing, and costume designs together. The festival ends with a parade featuring bands and depicting scenes from mythology and folklore. June - July
Canouan Annual Regatta: In addition to various regattas, there are fishing competitions, a cricket match, donkey relay races, a Calypso competition, and crab races. July - August
The Festival of the Nine Mornings: This event begins, appropriately, nine mornings before Christmas, with people parading through the streets before dawn. Organized dances are held in dance halls on each of the nine mornings. December
Very casual, loose-fitting natural fibers are the best choice for the tropical weather. Some upscale restaurants or clubs may have a semi-formal dress code. Bathing suits and bare feet should be restricted to beach and pool areas. In general it is helpful to note that while Trinidad & Tobago is a fun holiday spot, its dress code reflects its conservative colonial heritage.
We strongly advise that you confirm the following information and regard this only as a basic guide.
Sunburn & Heatstroke: The sun can be harsh, especially in summer, so sunblock and a hat are essential. Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.
Drinking Water: Drinking water is usually safe in the better hotels and restaurants, but it's safest to stick to bottled water when out and about.
English is the official language of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The current runs on 220 volts/50 cycles AC, so you'll need an adapter for US appliances.
Entry: US citizens staying for 3 months or less need one of the following: a) passport, b) certified copy of their US birth certificate and a government-issued picture ID, or c) naturalization papers and a government-issued picture ID. Visitors also need to show a ticket for departure from St Vincent & The Grenadines.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: Effective January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including US citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
The passport requirement does NOT apply to US citizens traveling to or returning directly from a US territory. US citizens returning directly from a US territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. US territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Customs: You may enter the island with duty-free goods equaling 1 liter of potable spirits or wine, 200 cigarettes (one carton) or 100 cigars or 50 cigars and cigarettes not exceeding 230 grams in total. All articles in excess of this exemption will be taxed.
Departure Tax: A tax of US$12.00 will be levied upon departure.
US Customs: Upon return to the US, you may bring in $600 worth of merchandise without paying duty. The next $1,000 worth of merchandise is charged at 10%. Gifts of up to $50 may be sent home duty free. One quart of alcoholic beverage may be brought in duty free, as well as 5 cartons of cigarettes.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Department of Tourism: PO Box 834, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies, phone 784-457-1502
Dallas: 6506 Cove Creek Place, Dallas, TX, phone toll-free 800-235-3029
New York: 801 - 2nd Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017, phone toll-free 800-729-1726