5 Places To Visit When Yachting in St Vincent and the Grenadines
Stretching its way towards the border of the Caribbean Sea, at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the Lesser Antilles host a set of islands known as St Vincent and the Grenadines, or St Vincent for short. It is one of the Caribbean islands where English is the primary language, which is great for having chats with locals and picking up some great “on the ground” travel tips. But for now, here’s a list of five places that are essential, interesting and quirky when yachting in St Vincent.
Culinary Base Camp – Kingstown
As the biggest urban center (which isn’t exactly a mega city!), and most accessible location in St Vincent, you’re likely to be chartering a yacht here, where there is the greatest number of options for yachts. This is a perfect opportunity to get some urban pleasures before setting off on the open seas. Out on the islands you’ll be spoilt with BBQs on empty beaches, stumbling upon incredible local delicacies you’ve never heard of, and maybe a few meals you might want to avoid.
Kingstown is a great place to stay with familiar American style food or to try to find some local places serving some tantalizing dishes. Market Square is naturally the place to start, it’s busy, safe, and a great place to bump shoulders with locals while checking out their produce, local crafts, and best of all, local food. Best to avoid on cruise days, when it will be too packed with other tourists. Make sure to try a traditional “buljol”, a dish of sautéed codfish, peppers, and other vegetables, and “red belly”, a somewhat sweet bun stuffed with shaved coconut. For a quick thirst-quencher, you’ll always find some Hairoun on offer, as St Vincent’s national beer.
Kicking back on Uninhabited Islands - Tobago Cays
Tobago Cays is THE popular destination. Consisting of five small islands with abundant coral reefs, it’s worth including despite the over 8,000 yachts that make it their destination annually. As a wildlife reserve, it’s a perfect place for gazing, bathing, and sailing. This is a barebones place where you get to experience the full pleasures of being out there in nature and enjoying the luxuries of a yacht. There are no food services to speak of so it’s the best location to pack a picnic, break out the BBQ or have your personal on-board chef waft smells of food up onto the deck while you admire the view!
The Tobago Cays are only accessible by yacht and ferries from the Grenadines, so after the last boats set sail going back to the Grenadines you might end up greeting your neighbors on the beach. Anyone left over will be having a similar yachting experience and it’s a great chance to meet some like-minded people. If that’s not your thing, there’s plenty of places to anchor for the night away from the madding crowds and just lie on the deck watching the stars.
Culture Vultures - Black Point Recreational Park
Just south of Georgetown on the east side of St Vincent island lies a tempting mix of dark history and natural beauty. Once the estate of British Colonel Thomas Browne (and now a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean!), here, African slaves dug the Jasper Rock Tunnel at a stunning length of 360 feet through solid volcanic rock to make it easier to transport sugar by linking Grand Stable to Byera Bay.
As it is an ecotourism site, visitors will be impressed by its natural vegetation, especially in the areas surrounding the Grand Sable River and its tropical garden. There are BBQ sites and the whole park is popular for picnicking under shaded gazebos for locals and tourists alike.
The highlight of the trip is a walk through the tunnel, braving its abundant bats and the sound of waves echoing against the black rock and beams of the light crash in against the shadows out to a black sand beach. The beach is wild and photo-perfect, but not safe for swimming.
Stranded in Paradise - Mopion Island
Photo by lisa bat
What comes to mind when you imagine a deserted island? For adults, it might be Tom Hanks befriending a football, or the cast of Lost going through an unusual ordeal. If you ask a child to draw one, then chances are they’ll draw Mopion island without even realizing it. The island is famous for being almost cartoonishly fantastic, a tiny sand spit with a single thatched umbrella, shining golden and white being engrossed by the blue sky and water around it. Visiting this is like realizing dreams do exist, and not just as desktop backgrounds. Novelty and guaranteed perfect pictures are the main reason to visit, but the shallow waters also provide great snorkeling opportunities.
Get Active – Union Island
If one of your friends or family is an adventure junkie, it might be best to leave Union Island until last, or they might never leave. There’s simply too much to do there, from learning to kitesurf with certified instructors, amazing diving, loads of viewpoints for strolling and hiking up to 360 degree, island-wide panoramas, mountain bike rentals, and stand up paddleboarding… and all within a few miles of the amazing Tobago Cays and other Grenadine islands.
Photo by anoldent
This is the perfect place for family and friends to split up for the day and regroup later over dinner on the yacht to share the day’s tales. Active people can have their thrills, beach lovers can chill in any number of its beaches. For an island only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, this place packs in weeks’ worth of thrills.
One of the greatest pleasures of St Vincent and the Grenadines is how mysterious they are. There isn’t a ton of information online, it’s often overlooked in favor of islands closer to the US that are more on the tourist radar. Other’s footsteps have been washed off its beaches, and the seas are open to all – get ready for the unknown!
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