The Grenadines

The Grenadine Islands are known for great sailing, excellent scuba diving and snorkeling, magnificent beaches, and unlimited chances to relax with a picnic, watch the sailboats, and wait for the sun to set. Each island has a different appeal. Whether you like quiet, nonstop activity, or socializing (as long as you're not looking for wild nightlife), the Grenadines may be your thing.

Bequia

Bequia (pronounced beck-way) is the Carib word for "island of the cloud." Hilly and green, with several gold-sand beaches, Bequia is 9 mi (14½ km) south of St. Vincent's southwestern shore; with a population of 5,000, it's the largest of the Grenadines. Although boatbuilding, whaling, and fishing have been the predominant industries here for generations, sailing and Bequia have now become almost synonymous. Bequia's picturesque Admiralty Bay is a favored anchorage for private and chartered yachts. Lodgings range from comfortable resorts and villas to cozy West Indian-style inns. Bequia's airport and frequent ferry service from St. Vincent make this a favorite destination for day-trippers as well. The ferry docks in Port Elizabeth, a tiny town with waterfront bars, restaurants, and shops where you can buy handmade souvenirs, including the exquisitely detailed model sailboats for which Bequia is famous. The Easter Regatta is held during the four-day Easter weekend; revelers gather to watch boat races and celebrate Bequia's seafaring traditions with food, music, dancing, and competitive games.

Canouan

Halfway down the Grenadines chain, this tiny boot-shape island—just 3½ mi (5½ km) long and 1¼ mi (2 km) wide—has only about 1,200 residents. But don't let its historically slow pace and quiet ways fool you. Canouan (pronounced can-o-wan), which is the Carib word for "turtle," has a modern airport with an extended runway suitable for small to mid-size jets, and boasts one of the region's largest and most exquisite resorts, with a championship golf course, a world-class spa, and a casino! Canouan also claims four of the most pristine white-sand beaches in the Caribbean, and it's a busy port for yacht charters and diving expeditions to the Tobago Cays. Mount Royal, the highest point on the island at 900 feet, offers panoramic 360-degree views of St. Vincent, all the Grenadines, and even St. Lucia on a clear day.

Mayreau

Mayreau (pronounced my-row) is minuscule—just 1½ square mi (4 square km). With the exception of 22 acres at its northern tip that was purchased in 1977 by a German-Canadian family and 21 acres that comprise the island's single (unnamed) village and were acquired by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mayreau is privately owned by heirs of the original French plantation owners. Only about 250 residents live in the hilltop village, and there are no proper roads. Guests at the resort on Saltwhistle Bay enjoy the natural surroundings in one of the prettiest locations in the Grenadines—one of the few spots where the calm Caribbean is separated from the Atlantic surf by only a narrow strip of beach. It's a favorite stop for boaters, as well, who anchor in Saltwhistle Bay and come ashore for lunch or dinner. Except for water sports and hiking, there's not much to do—but everyone prefers it that way. For a day's excursion, you can hike up Mayreau's only hill (wear sturdy shoes) to a stunning view of the Tobago Cays. Then stop for a drink at Dennis' Hideaway and enjoy a swim at Saline Bay beach, where you may be joined by a few boatloads of cruise-ship passengers. This pretty little island is a favorite stop for small ships that ply the waters of the Grenadines and anchor just offshore for the day. The only access to Mayreau is by boat (ferry, private, or hired), which you can arrange at Union Island.

Mustique

This upscale haven, 18 mi (29 km) southeast of St. Vincent, is 3 mi (5 km) by 1¼ mi (2 km) at its widest point. The island is hilly and has several green valleys, each with a sparkling white-sand beach facing an aquamarine sea. The permanent population is about 300. Britain's late Princess Margaret put this small, private island on the map after owner Colin Tennant (Lord Glenconner) presented her with a 10-acre plot of land as a wedding gift in 1960 (Tennant had purchased the entire 1,400-acre island in 1958 for $67,500). The Mustique Company—which Tennant formed in 1968 to develop the copra, sea-island cotton, and sugarcane estate into the glamorous hideaway it has become—now manages the privately owned villas, provides housing for all island employees, and operates Mustique Villa Rentals. Arrangements must be made about a year in advance to rent one of the luxury villas that now pepper the northern half of the island. Sooner or later, stargazers see the resident glitterati at Basil's Bar, the island's social center. Proprietor Basil Charles also runs a boutique crammed with clothes and accessories specially commissioned from Bali. A pair of cotton-candy-color, gingerbread-style buildings, the centerpiece of the tiny village, houses a gift shop and clothing boutique. There's a delicatessen-grocery to stock yachts and supply residents with fresh Brie and Moët; an antiques shop is filled with fabulous objets d'art to decorate those extraordinary villas—or to bring home.

The Mustique Blues Festival, held during the first two weeks of February, features artists from North America, Europe, and the Caribbean; shows occur nightly at Basil's Bar. The festival is quite a draw.

Palm Island

A private speck of land (only 135 acres), exquisite Palm Island used to be an uninhabited, mosquito-infested swamp called Prune Island. One intrepid family put heart and soul—as well as muscle and brawn—into taking the wrinkles out of the prune and rechristened it Palm Island. The family cleaned up the five surrounding beaches, built bungalows, planted palm trees, and irrigated the swamp with seawater to kill the mosquitoes. The rustic getaway existed for 25 years before Palm Island's current owners, Elite Island Resorts, dolled up the property, and now it's one of the finest resorts in the Caribbean. Other than the resort, the island is populated only by a handful of privately owned villas. Access is via Union Island, 1 mi (1½ km) to the west and a 10-minute ride in the resort's launch.

Petit St. Vincent

The southernmost of St. Vincent's Grenadines, tiny (113 acres), private Petit St. Vincent, pronounced "Petty" St. Vincent and affectionately called PSV, is ringed with white-sand beaches and covered with tropical foliage. The resort was created in 1968 by the late Haze Richardson, who passed away in 2008. Several current staff members have worked at the resort from the beginning, and his widow, Lynn Richardson, now owns and manages the resort. To get here you fly from Barbados to Union Island, where the resort's motor launch meets you for the 30-minute voyage.