Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The capital is a busy, unpretentious port town where most Vincentians come to shop, work and catch a minibus, rather than a tourist showpiece, and that makes it interesting. Arched stone arcades and cobbled lanes, a legacy of the British colonial era, shade the shops along the main streets, and the three-storey market building near the waterfront is packed with fruit, vegetables, fish and spices, liveliest on Friday and Saturday. St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral is an eccentric mix of Gothic, Romanesque and Moorish styles in dark volcanic stone, and the Anglican St George's Cathedral nearby has fine stained glass.

TipKingstown is also where the ferries to Bequia and the southern Grenadines leave from; the jetty is a short walk from the market.

Founded in 1765, the gardens on the northern edge of Kingstown are among the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere. They were created to grow useful plants from around the British Empire, and in 1793 Captain William Bligh brought breadfruit here from Tahiti on his second voyage, after the infamous mutiny on the Bounty had ended his first; a tree grown from one of the original plants still stands. Today the gardens are a peaceful spread of lawns, palms and flowering trees, with an aviary that has helped breed the endangered Saint Vincent parrot.

TipLocal guides at the gate will show you the highlights for a tip; agree the amount first. Mornings are cooler and the birds more active.

On a headland around 200 metres above the sea west of Kingstown, Fort Charlotte was completed in the early nineteenth century and named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III. Unusually, many of its guns point inland, because the British feared attack from the Garifuna as much as from the French navy. The views are the reason to come: Kingstown harbour below, the leeward coast to the north and the Grenadines strung out to the south, with Bequia close by. Old barracks rooms hold paintings depicting the Garifuna's history.

TipGo late in the afternoon for the light and the sunset; a taxi up and a walk down is a good combination.

In the hills of the Buccament Valley, a loop of about three kilometres climbs through rainforest of tall trees, tree ferns and bromeliads to a viewing platform where the Saint Vincent parrot, the national bird, is often seen. This big, multicoloured Amazon parrot lives only on Saint Vincent, and the population has recovered from a few hundred birds thanks to protection of the forest. Other forest birds include the whistling warbler, also found nowhere else.

TipArrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the parrots are most active, and bring binoculars, insect repellent and a rain layer. A small fee is collected at the trailhead.

A small, sheltered bay on the leeward coast, framed by cliffs and a rock arch, Wallilabou was used as the main set for Port Royal in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, and some of the wooden film buildings still stand by the jetty. Yachts pick up moorings here, and a small hotel and restaurant serve drinks and lunch to those touring the coast road. Nearby, a short walk inland leads to a small waterfall and pool.

TipBoat boys will offer to help yachts tie up for a fee; agree the price first.

Near the northern end of the leeward road, beyond Chateaubelair, a short trail crosses the Richmond River on a bamboo bridge and leads through a bamboo grove to a pair of waterfalls, one above the other, falling down a dark cliff into pools where you can swim. There are changing rooms at the site and natural hot pools fed by volcanic springs nearby. It is one of the most beautiful and accessible natural sites on the island.

TipThe road north is narrow and winding; allow plenty of time. A small fee is charged, and the falls are at their most dramatic after rain, though the river can then be too strong for swimming.

La Soufrière, at about 1,230 metres the highest point on Saint Vincent, is one of the most active volcanoes in the eastern Caribbean. Its eruption in 1902 killed more than 1,500 people, and explosive eruptions in April 2021 forced the evacuation of the whole northern third of the island and blanketed it in ash. The forest has been regrowing since, and the climb to the crater rim is again one of the great Caribbean hikes, through rainforest and then exposed volcanic slopes to a summit where, on a clear day, you can look into the crater. The usual route starts on the windward side near Rabacca and takes around three hours up; a steeper leeward route climbs from near Chateaubelair.

TipCheck the volcano's alert level with the UWI Seismic Research Centre and trail conditions with local authorities before going, and hike with a licensed guide. Start at dawn, as the summit is often in cloud by midday, and bring warm, waterproof layers.

An hour by ferry from Kingstown, Bequia is the largest of the Grenadines and the favourite of many visitors: big enough to have restaurants, shops and a social life, small enough to feel like a village. Life centres on Port Elizabeth, at the head of Admiralty Bay, one of the most beautiful anchorages in the Caribbean, where yachts from around the world drop anchor. A waterfront path leads past bars and boutiques to the beaches. The island has a long seafaring and boat-building tradition, still seen in its model-boat workshops, and a small, strictly limited traditional humpback whale hunt is still permitted under international rules.

TipThe Belmont Walkway from Port Elizabeth to the beaches is lovely at sunset; water taxis are an easy alternative to the path.

On the southern side of Admiralty Bay, a long arc of soft, golden sand backed by trees, Princess Margaret Beach is named after the British princess, who is said to have swum here on one of her visits. The water is calm and clear, there is little development, and at the far end a rocky headland separates it from Lower Bay, which has a couple of beach restaurants. Snorkelling along the rocks is good.

TipIt can be reached on foot from Port Elizabeth over the hill in around 20 minutes, or by water taxi; bring shade, as facilities are minimal.

Mustique is a privately owned island, bought in 1958 by the Scottish aristocrat Colin Tennant, who gave a plot to Princess Margaret and turned it into a famously discreet hideaway for royalty, rock stars and the very rich. Today around a hundred villas, a hotel and a cottage resort share its hills, beaches and reefs. Day visitors arriving by yacht or excursion boat can visit Basil's Bar, the island's legendary waterfront bar, and swim at beaches such as Macaroni Beach, but much of the island is off-limits.

TipAccess is managed by the Mustique Company; check the current rules for day visitors, which can change, before planning a trip.

Canouan is a small, hilly island with beautiful beaches and a long barrier reef on its windward side, sheltering a lagoon of extraordinary colour. Much of the north is occupied by a luxury resort and marina development with a golf course, while the south is the domain of the island's villages and locally run guesthouses. Canouan was hit by Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Godahl Beach and the lagoon of the windward coast are the highlights.

TipCanouan's airport receives some regional and private flights; ferries from Kingstown also call on their way south.

The Tobago Cays, five small uninhabited islands enclosed by the Horseshoe Reef, are the jewel of the Grenadines and the most famous spot in the whole country. Inside the reef the water is shallow, calm and luminous turquoise, and around Baradal there is a turtle-watching area where green turtles graze on the sea grass, often within a few metres of swimmers. Elsewhere, snorkellers find reef fish, rays and corals, and the small sandy islands offer walks and views over the reef. The area is a national marine park, and there is a fee for each visitor and each boat.

TipMost people visit on a day sail from Union Island, Canouan, Mayreau or Bequia, or on their own yacht. Do not touch turtles or coral, keep your fins off the sea grass and use the moorings provided.

Union Island is the southern gateway of the Grenadines, with an airport and a customs and immigration post at Clifton, the main town, and a dramatic profile of steep, jagged hills. It is the jumping-off point for the Tobago Cays, a kitesurfing centre and home to Happy Island, a bar built on a heap of conch shells in the harbour. Hurricane Beryl struck it with full force in July 2024, damaging or destroying most homes and buildings, and much of the island has been rebuilding since. Chatham Bay on the west coast is a wild, beautiful beach with a few rustic restaurants.

TipCheck what services, accommodation and boat trips are operating before visiting, and spend locally: the island's recovery relies heavily on visitors returning.