No, the Grenadines is not a cocktail syrup!

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St Vincent & Grenadines form a multi-island nation, probably better known by the yachties, aristocrats and rock stars, as it mat seem off the beaten track for other visitors. There are 30 islands and cays wedged between St Vincent, the centre of government and by far the biggest island, in the north and Grenada in the south. Fewer than a dozen of these islands are inhabited, and this country shares traditional West Indies culture, giving it a multi-ethnic twist of African, Black Carib, French and British influences. The total population is around 110,000, of which around 90 per cent live on St Vincent and most of the balance on Bequia and Union Island. We actually made four separate visits to this multi-island country, as set out below.

St Vincent:
Centuries of volcanic activity have fashioned this island into a mountainous terrain with dense tropical rainforests, interspersed with some spectacular plantations, often referred to as the ‘island’s breadbasket’. We took an organised tour called ‘Garden of Eden’, which took us initially through the capital, Kingstown, with its colonial architecture, before starting a scenic drive up the east coast through the Mesopotamia Valley (no, we weren’t mistakenly in the Middle East!) on our way to visit the Montreal gardens, the showplace of the island’s flora. On the way, we checked out banana plantations, nutmeg, cocoa, breadfruit, coconut and a multitude of root crops growing both wild and in organised orchards. At the gardens, we saw bougainvilleas, frangipani, hibiscus and a wide variety of anthurium lilies. During the hour or so drive each way, we travelled through some quaint fishing villages as well as getting a glimpse of every day life in some farming communities.

Bequia (pronounced ‘Beck-way’):
This is the largest island of the Grenadines, but considerably smaller than St Vincent. It was once a major centre for shipbuilding and whaling, but in recent times these have given way to fishing and tourism. It has a very laid back atmosphere, enhanced by a string of attractive but nearly deserted sandy beaches, and it is clear from the quality of the housing and the myriad of yachts at anchor that it is a rich man’s paradise. We decided against taking another organised tour, and instead took the tender over to the marina in the capital, Port Elizabeth, where we strolled around the very touristy shore area, comprising markets, stalls, cafes and restaurants, before venturing further to check out a couple of their beaches. It was an enjoyable visit to clearly a very trendy spot, without any particular individual highlight. Of interest, the closest island in the Grenadines to Bequia is the famed Mustique, a small private island that is the home away from home for such celebrities as Mick Jagger, Bill Gates and even Queen Liz, but it is off limits to cruise boats. It’s amazing what money can achieve!

Union Island:
This is in fact the second largest of the Grenadine group, but this had little relevance to us as all we saw here was a beach at Chatham Bay on the west coast of the island. This was the venue for what was classified as a ‘Captain’s call’ and on this occasion the captain chose this small island, which was mainly covered in hilly vegetation, but had a kilometre or so strip of beach on one side. There were no organised excursions, and the agenda for the three hour visit was ‘beach activities’, comprising paddle-boarding, kayaking and snorkelling, but for most people, especially the Europeans, it seemed to be more lying prone on the beach and seeing how sunburnt you can get on what was the very first day of our cruise. For us, it was neither of these, and we chose to instead stroll down the strip of beach, checking out and taking snaps of the various primitive shacks and huts selling various souvenirs and booze.

Tobago Cays:
These comprise four virtually deserted small islets within Horseshoe Reef in the Grenadines. It is a national park and is considered to have some of the best snorkelling in the Caribbean. There was also no organised tour here, so the activity for the four hours or so that we were on the beach at Petit Bateau again were ‘water sports’(eg kayaking, paddle boarding etc) and a beach barbecue. We were fortunate enough to track down a boat man, who for ten bucks each took four of us out round the far side of the neighbouring island where we were able to snorkel with turtles and the occasional starfish. It must be good as there were at least two dozen expensive boats at anchor, presumably to partake in the same activity. Our boat man, who ironically went under the name ‘Bush man’ (must be an all rounder!), was another charismatic Rastafarian who certainly knew the places to dive. The water over here would have to be about the warmest ocean water I’ve ever swum in.

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[D MJ Binkley]

Caribbean
The joys of the sea. Love this shot