Introduction
St Vincent & the Grenadines make up part of the Windward Islands and lie south of St Lucia. St Vincent, like all the Windwards, is volcanic and mountainous with luxuriant vegetation and black sand beaches. The Grenadines are equally lush. Kingstown, capital of St Vincent, is a lively port and market town on the southern coast. The town contains 12 small blocks with a variety of shops and a busy dock area.
Bequia: This island lies 14km (9 miles) south of St Vincent and is the largest of the Grenadines. Admiralty Bay, the island’s natural harbour, is a favourite anchoring spot for yachtsmen from all over the world. Heading south, the next port of call is Mustique, a gem in the ocean taking up only 4.5 sq km (2 sq miles). Verdant hills roll into soft white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. St Vincent is one of the few islands where good West Indian cuisine can almost always be enjoyed. Specialities include red snapper, kingfish, and souse (a sauce made from pigs’ foot). Many evening events take place in hotels.
Facts for Travellers
Full country name: St Vincent & the Grenadines
Area: 150 sq km
Population: 120,519
Capital City: Kingstown
People: African (75%), Black Carib (1%) and Scottish
Language: English
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Government: independent state within the British Commonwealth
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4
Dialling Code: 784
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$)
Vacation Deals
We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for St Vincent & the Grenadines and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the
best hotels and resorts in St Vincent and the Grenadines with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports.
Popular hotels & resorts in St Vincent and the Grenadines are
Palm Island
and Sunset Shores Beach Hotel.
Passport & Visas
Visas are not required. Citizens of the USA, Canada and the UK can visit with proof of citizenship in the form of a birth certificate or voter's registration card, accompanied by an official photo ID. Citizens of other countries must have a valid passport. A return or onward ticket is required of all visitors.
More Information About Visa Requirements
Getting There & Around
There are no international flights into St Vincent & the Grenadines. Passengers coming from overseas must fly to a neighbouring island and then switch to a prop plane. LIAT, Airlines of Carriacou, Mustique Airways and Air Martinique fly between St Vincent and Trinidad, St Lucia, Martinique and Grenada.
Yachties can clear customs at Kingstown or Wallilabou Bay.
Buses are a good way of getting around St Vincent. In Kingstown, they're rolling discotheques, filled with people and loud reggae music, but they're cheap, reliable and plentiful. The buses on Bequia are essentially shared taxis. They're cheap and good for getting around during the day. Taxis - usually pick-up trucks with benches in the back - are a good option on St Vincent, Bequia and Union Island.
There are several car rental agencies on St Vincent. The required local license can be obtained at the Traffic Branch in Kingstown. Driving is on the left.
Getting between St Vincent & the Grenadines is easiest by boat. A ferry makes a one-hour run between Kingstown and Port Elizabeth on Bequia several times a day.
You can also fly between St Vincent and Union Island and Bequia, though it's more expensive and generally less convenient than catching a boat.
When to Go
The temperature on balmy St Vincent hardly changes. The average daily high varies about 1°F from January to July. Rainfall is a different matter. July is the wettest month, when there's measurable rainfall an average of 26 days, while April, the driest month, averages six days of rain. January to May are the driest months and thus the best time to go, but they're also the peak tourist season. Generally, the Grenadines tend to be drier than St Vincent.
St Vincent's carnival, called Vincy Mas, is the main cultural event of the year. Usually held during the first two weeks of July, it features a 12-day run of calypso and steel band music, colourful costume parades and lots of dancing. Most of the action is centred in Kingstown. On Bequia, there's a major regatta over the Easter weekend.
Best Beaches
There are exceptional white-sand beaches on virtually all of the Grenadines and some tan and black-sand beaches on St Vincent.
The most beautiful beaches in St. Vincent lie along the south coast, some of the best being at Villa, four miles from Kingstown.
Best Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
The waters offer excellent visibility and coral reefs. Divers will find colorful sponges, soft corals, great stands of elkhorn coral, branching gorgonian and black corals, and a few sunken wrecks. There's a range of dives for any level of experience.
Owia Bay, in the northeastern corner of St Vincent, has good tidepools and a popular swimming hole. Lower Bay, at the southern end of Admiralty Bay on Bequia, has some of the island's best swimming and snorkeling. Canouan, midway in the Grenadine chain, has beautiful beaches and great reefs for snorkeling.
Attractions
Unimpeded tradewinds make the Grenadines great for windsurfing; try Bequia's sandy Friendship Bay.
There are many good hikes on St Vincent, including the Vermont Nature Trails and the more challenging trek up the La Soufrière volcano.
Cricket and football are very popular. Tennis courts are available at Kingstown Tennis Club and facilities may also be arranged through hotels. Horseriding can be arranged in Mustique. The only golf course is the Carenage Golf Course on Canouan.
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