Properties/Sailing breaks within St. Vincent
All the following properties or sailing breaks fall within the St. Vincent area. Click on the property/sailing break name below for more information.
About the Caribbean islands
St. Vincent
St Vincent and the Grenadines, a collection of 32 islands and cays are located in the Eastern Caribbean and are part of the Windward Islands group. St Vincent itself, the largest and chief island, is a verdant and volcanic island of steep mountain ridges, valleys and waterfalls, dominated by the 4,000 ft volcano, Soufriere, at its Northern end. The rugged Eastern coast is lined with cliffs and rocky shores, while the Western coastline dips sharply down to the sea. Blessed with a rich volcanic soil, it produces an abundance of fruit, vegetables and spices with bananas being the principal crop. A holiday in St. Vincent to many people is the experience of a lifetime.Population: 117,000
Size: 133 Square miles
Capital: Kingstown
Characteristics
The island is not necessarily a popular tourist venue, though this is rapidly changing, as St Vincent is very keen to improve its tourist industry and is bending over backwards to achieve this goal, which is now having some effect. It is an unspoilt and very beautiful island and there is much to see amidst its exotic splendour. Kingstown is a busy, thriving town, filled with old-fashioned style shops selling real bargains. The local residents generally speaking, are unfamiliar with the requirements of tourists, though they are friendly and helpful and have an excellent sense of humour.
Beaches
The majority of its beaches are of black volcanic sand except in the South, around the area known as Villa, and also Young Island, with its exclusive hotel.
Things to Do
Swimming, snorkelling, day charter trips both sailing and speed boats. The island boasts the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere and should definitely be visited. One of St Vincent's most popular attractions is virtually unapproachable by land - The Falls of Baleine which can only be reached comfortably by boat; swimming in the huge rock lined pool formed by the 60 foot falls is the thing dreams (and photographs) are made of for many visitors. Excellent diving courses are available. For a real taste of Caribbean life, a trip down to the old whaling village of Barrouallie is a must, where you can buy fish directly from the fishermen on the beach.
Shopping
A visit to the new Kingstown Market and shopping mall, a bustling, vibrant market can produce some fruitful findings, from fresh fruit and vegetables to jewellery and wood carvings, unique hand-crafted handbags, hats, a variety of hand woven baskets and even children's toys that arc authentic reflections of the environment and its people, as the island is home to a divergent group of artists, producing marvellous works of art. There are a limited number of gift type shops. The locals are very friendly and great fun, but do bear in mind that they have not experienced tourism on the scale of many other islands, which can be a breath of fresh air to some visitors, but a nightmare for others!
Restaurants & Nightlife
St. Vincent sports an eclectic range of dining options from beachside grills and take-away pizzas to simple, casual fare and more elaborate fine gourmet cuisine. Along the Villa and Indian Bay strip is a delightful amalgam of local and international restaurants. Hotel restaurants are generally open to non-resident guests. Moorings around the Young Island Cut make many of these restaurants easily accessible to yachtsmen. For those seeking a slightly more adventurous lunch or dinner experience, take the picturesque drive out to Pebbles in Mount Pleasant or take a boat ride over to Petit Byahaut or Young Island. While St. Vincent may not boast a raucous nightlife scene, there are a few spots that offer evening entertainment. A number of hotels feature live weekly entertainment with local steel bands or string bands. Grand View and Young Island Resort are just a few that offer live music, usually on Fridays and Saturdays. There are a couple of well-known, lively nightclubs in Kingstown and also two located in Villa.
Getting Around
Jeep hire companies, taxis are plentiful, both land and sea. A ride on a St. Vincent "bus" will either exhilarate or terrify you, with 24 other passengers squashed into a mini-bus, with the subtle name of "Crazy Man" and driving at breakneck speed, that would even have Damon Hill struggling to keep up and 2,000 decibels blaring Reggae; but after all, it does only cost a dollar - normally! Regular ferries to Bequia - it is worth a trip just to watch the flying fish that really do fly, playing in the wake of the ferry-boats. It is also feasible to see whales and dolphins if you are very lucky.
Getting There
There are direct flights into ET Joshua Airport from many other Caribbean Islands
Currency
Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC $), which has a fixed exchange rate to the US $ @ 2.67. US currency, traveller's cheques and major credit cards are generally accepted.
The island is not necessarily a popular tourist venue, though this is rapidly changing, as St Vincent is very keen to improve its tourist industry and is bending over backwards to achieve this goal, which is now having some effect. It is an unspoilt and very beautiful island and there is much to see amidst its exotic splendour. Kingstown is a busy, thriving town, filled with old-fashioned style shops selling real bargains. The local residents generally speaking, are unfamiliar with the requirements of tourists, though they are friendly and helpful and have an excellent sense of humour.
Beaches
The majority of its beaches are of black volcanic sand except in the South, around the area known as Villa, and also Young Island, with its exclusive hotel.
Things to Do
Swimming, snorkelling, day charter trips both sailing and speed boats. The island boasts the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere and should definitely be visited. One of St Vincent's most popular attractions is virtually unapproachable by land - The Falls of Baleine which can only be reached comfortably by boat; swimming in the huge rock lined pool formed by the 60 foot falls is the thing dreams (and photographs) are made of for many visitors. Excellent diving courses are available. For a real taste of Caribbean life, a trip down to the old whaling village of Barrouallie is a must, where you can buy fish directly from the fishermen on the beach.
Shopping
A visit to the new Kingstown Market and shopping mall, a bustling, vibrant market can produce some fruitful findings, from fresh fruit and vegetables to jewellery and wood carvings, unique hand-crafted handbags, hats, a variety of hand woven baskets and even children's toys that arc authentic reflections of the environment and its people, as the island is home to a divergent group of artists, producing marvellous works of art. There are a limited number of gift type shops. The locals are very friendly and great fun, but do bear in mind that they have not experienced tourism on the scale of many other islands, which can be a breath of fresh air to some visitors, but a nightmare for others!
Restaurants & Nightlife
St. Vincent sports an eclectic range of dining options from beachside grills and take-away pizzas to simple, casual fare and more elaborate fine gourmet cuisine. Along the Villa and Indian Bay strip is a delightful amalgam of local and international restaurants. Hotel restaurants are generally open to non-resident guests. Moorings around the Young Island Cut make many of these restaurants easily accessible to yachtsmen. For those seeking a slightly more adventurous lunch or dinner experience, take the picturesque drive out to Pebbles in Mount Pleasant or take a boat ride over to Petit Byahaut or Young Island. While St. Vincent may not boast a raucous nightlife scene, there are a few spots that offer evening entertainment. A number of hotels feature live weekly entertainment with local steel bands or string bands. Grand View and Young Island Resort are just a few that offer live music, usually on Fridays and Saturdays. There are a couple of well-known, lively nightclubs in Kingstown and also two located in Villa.
Getting Around
Jeep hire companies, taxis are plentiful, both land and sea. A ride on a St. Vincent "bus" will either exhilarate or terrify you, with 24 other passengers squashed into a mini-bus, with the subtle name of "Crazy Man" and driving at breakneck speed, that would even have Damon Hill struggling to keep up and 2,000 decibels blaring Reggae; but after all, it does only cost a dollar - normally! Regular ferries to Bequia - it is worth a trip just to watch the flying fish that really do fly, playing in the wake of the ferry-boats. It is also feasible to see whales and dolphins if you are very lucky.
Getting There
There are direct flights into ET Joshua Airport from many other Caribbean Islands
Currency
Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC $), which has a fixed exchange rate to the US $ @ 2.67. US currency, traveller's cheques and major credit cards are generally accepted.