Could St Vincent & The Grenadines Be Your Ideal Luxury Vacation Destination?
St Vincent and the Grenadines "The Jewels Of The Caribbean" is a country of 32 tranquil tropical islands and cays located in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. The major islands of the Grenadines are: Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island, and Petit St Vincent. Several of the smaller islands are privately owned. The people of St Vincent and the Grenadines refer to themselves as Vincentians.
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St Vincent, covered with lush green tropical rainforests, rises 4,048 feet out of the azure sea, to the top of Volcano Soufriere. Less developed than many Caribbean islands, this unspoiled mountainous island is surrounded by a shoreline of quiet beaches and peaceful inlets. |
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The Grenadines are a combination of steep hilly islands and flat coral cays, surrounded by gorgeous beaches and unspoiled coral reefs. Renowned for phenomenal scuba diving, as well as some of the best sailing conditions in the Caribbean, St Vincent, & especially the Grenadines, are much less crowded than many of the other Caribbean islands. |
The blockbuster movie "Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man´s Chest" was partially filmed at St Vincent and the Grenadines. Local artiste, Winston "Iston" Stanley Lewis played a minor role, getting his 60 seconds of fame.
Looking for a luxury vacation away from it all? Find out more, and decide if St Vincent & The Grenadines is the right place:
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St Vincent & The Grenadines Location
St Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent country of 32 islands and cays within the British Commonwealth. Part of the Windward Islands chain, positioned between the Eastern Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the islands are located just north of Grenada, just south of St Lucia, and about 100 miles west of Barbados.
Geographic Coordinates: 13°15"N, 61°12"W |
Getting To St Vincent & The Grenadines
St Vincent & The Grenadines have 6 airports, ET Joshua Airport (Kingstown, St Vincent) being the largest. Others are located on Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island and Palm Island (though this is a private airport). To reach St Vincent & the Grenadines from North America and Europe make a connection at Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, St Lucia, Puerto Rico or Trinidad. These locations are serviced by major airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and Air Jamaica. Flights times are between 20 and 45 minutes from these locations, except Puerto Rico which is 2 hours 20 minutes.
More information on regional transport for travel between the islands of St Vincent & The Grenadines is covered here.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Climate & Weather
St Vincent & The Grenadines Weather
Current Conditions
Arnos Vale, St Vincent |
St Vincent and the Grenadines have a tropical climate, with average yearly temperature around 85F, but with the refreshing Eastery Tradewinds keeping you comfortable. The ´wet season´ is June to October, but this usually only means a 1-2 hour rain shower every 2 or 3 days. The ´dry season´ is November to May. Average rainfall for St Vincent is 150 inches in the mountains and 80 inches on the coast. |
The southern Grenadines, including Petit St Vincent, are warmer and much drier than St Vincent, but remain comfortable due to the cooling Tradewinds.
St Vincent and the Grenadines are on the southern edge of the ´Hurricane belt´, and are less likely to be hit than areas of the central Caribbean. For any severe weather threat, several days warning is always available.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Language
English is the official language of St Vincent & The Grenadines, but French Patois can be heard on some of the islands.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Currency
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St Vincent & The Grenadines currency uses the East Caribbean Dollar (ECD or XCD - fixed at EC$1 = US$2.68). $US currency is widely accepted in all hotels and some shops. Most establishments accept major credit cards. Banks are happy to exchange other foreign currency and travellers checks. |
St Vincent & The Grenadines Food
You´ll certainly eat well on St Vincent & The Grenadines. Considering the islands size, the restaurants can be very good, but they may not meet the most demanding requirements of the ultra-luxury vacation tourist.
Expensive places to eat include (in alphabetical order) Basil´s Beach Bar (Seafood, Mustique), Firefly Hotel Restaurant (French, Mustique), Frangipani (Caribbean, Bequia), and Lime N´ Pub Restaurant (Caribbean, St Vincent). For a special romantic meal, try Young Island Resort Restaurant (Caribbean, St Vincent).
Inside Advice There are plenty of good restaurants on St Vincent & The Grenadines, as well as more casual dining options such as beachside grills and take-out pizza. You don´t have to eat at the most expensive places to eat well.
After dinner there are some nightclubs in St Vincent, but if you expect a broad and lively nightclub scene, St Vincent a & The Grenadines is probably NOT the place for you!
St Vincent & The Grenadines Accommodation
St Vincent & The Grenadines can offer the luxury vacationer expensive accomodations in high-end resorts such as; The Cotton House Hotel (Mustique), The Palm Island Resort (Palm Island), The Petit St Vincent Resort (Petit St Vincent), and The Young Island Resort (St Vincent).
Inside Advice - You´ll find plenty of hotels, inns and lodges to stay at, as well as villas and vacation homes to rent. In our broad experience travelling in the Caribbean islands, you´ll get maximum satisfaction and value by renting your accomodation. You get the complete flexibility of your own home away from home, more space, more privacy, and you can rent a beachfront luxury villa with your own private pool, and still save money!
Things To Do On St Vincent & The Grenadines - Recreation & Entertainment
Take Your luxury vacation on St Vincent & The Grenadines and experience the "Jewels Of The Caribbean":
St Vincent & The Grenadines Beaches & Waters
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St Vincent & The Grenadines is a favorite with the high-end yachting crowd, providing some of the best sailing and scenery in the world. Ideal for island hopping and reaching remote cays, boat charters are available in a wide range of sizes on St Vincent, with or without a crew. Just obey the landing & immigration requirements at each island, and do not take shortcuts over the shallow reefs. |
The majority of the beaches are soft, warm, white coral sand, but some areas on St Vincent; Mount Wynne, Windward Coast, and Brighton Beach, have beautiful black volcanic sand beaches - ideal for surfing or buggy boarding.
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St Vincent & The Grenadines´ quiet beaches, warm waters, pristine reefs, and breezy trade winds make them a watersports paradise for anyone interested in: deep sea fishing, sailing/boating, snorkeling & scuba diving, windsurfing... Swim, snorkel or fish at the beach or take a boat trip to fish or scuba-dive on pristine reefs and wrecks in deeper waters. |
Ashore On St Vincent & The Grenadines
St Vincent has a bustling market, a number of historic churches, various botanical gardens, 2 forts, and a medical museum to visit. Take a ´Jeep Safari Tour´, Bike Tour, ´Hardy Hikers Tour´ or one of many ´Nature Tours´. The island is a natural tropical paradise with lots to do.
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Visit the surreal Owia Salt Pond or a turtle sanctuary. Take a refreshing dip at Hells Gate Waterfall, Trinity Falls, Dark View Falls, or the Falls of Baleine. Ornithologists and nature lovers should visit Vermont Nature Trails. One of St Vincents major attractions is La Soufrière Volcano (lat eruption April 1979) - requiring a strenouous hike and a rope descent into the crater. |
The Grenadines also offer plenty of interest. Away from the high-end resorts, their culture is dominated by age-old traditions of boat-building, fishing and whaling. Typically the further away from St Vincent you go, the more your vacation takes you away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Petit St Vincent has cottages scattered around with no telephones, no air conditioning, no casinos, just peace, privacy, pristine white sand beaches and clear warm waters.
Come ashore on St Vincent & The Grenadines and experience "The Jewles Of The Caribbean".
Transport On St Vincent & The Grenadines
St Vincent is best explored by car, taxi, rental bike or foot.
From St Vincent you can travel to the Grenadine islands by plane (Bequia, Mustique, Canouan & Palm Island), by Ferry (Bequia & Mustique), or by Water Taxi (Canouan). Bequia has two competing car, passenger & cargo ferry companies with several crossings a day from Kingstown, St Vincent. The smaller islands and cays are only accessible by charter boat.
Once on the Grenadines, they are so small that the most popular mode of transport is by foot!. Bequia has taxis readily available. Mustique has ´Rental Mules´ (rugged golf carts), motorbikes, a few taxis and horses. Canouan has a few taxis.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Electricity
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a reliable supply of electricity at 220/240V, alternating 50Hz, except for Petit St Vincent which has 110V, 60Hz. Most hotels have 110V shaver outlets. The standard electrical plug has 3 rectangular pins so you will need an adapter.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Size
St Vincent, with the capital of Kingstown, is the largest island (18 miles long and 11 miles wide), covering about 133 sq miles of the nations total area of 155 sq miles.
The Grenadines extend about 45 miles to the southwest of St Vincent, the major islands (ordered from N to S) being; Bequia (7 sq miles), Mustique (5 sq miles), Canouan (3 sq miles), Mayreau (1.5 sq miles), Union Island (3.5 sq miles), Palm Island (135 acres), and Petit St Vincent (113 acres).
St Vincent & The Grenadines Population & Demographics
St Vincent & The Grenadines islands are home to about 118,000 people. About 25% live in and around Kingstown, on St Vincent, and about 10% throughout the Grenadine Islands. For St Vincent & The Grenadines population demographics click here
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St Vincent & The Grenadines Economy
Banana production and coconut palms are currently the most important sector in the economy for St Vincent & The Grenadines, though tourism is growing rapidly as a major sector, especially on St Vincent. There is a small offshore financial sector too. |
If you have any questions, or need help in any way with planning Your Luxury Vacation On St Vincent & The Grenadines, please feel free to e-mail or Contact Us
