43 Best Sights in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

This towering volcano, which erupted in April 2021, is 4,048 feet high and so huge in area that its surrounding mountainside covers virtually the entire northern third of the island. The eastern trail to the rim of the crater, a two-hour ascent from Rabacca Dry River, was a fairly easy trail until the volcano's recent eruption—which spewed thick ash and gases over northern St. Vincent. The trail has reopened, but is now far more challenging as most of it was swept away during the eruption.

Just off the main road beyond the small fishing village of Layou, about 30 minutes north of Kingstown and just north of Buccament Bay, petroglyphs (rock carvings) were carved into a giant boulder by Amerindian inhabitants sometime between AD 300 and 600. The petroglyphs are on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage Convention list; the meaning of the carvings remains unknown.

This lovely but remote expanse of beach (pronounced mah-ho) is at the northern tip of the island at the base of Mt. Royal. The beach is surrounded by private property owned by Canouan Estate and accessible only to villa residents and guests of the Mandarin Oriental Canouan resort—or to others by sea. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming.

The rugged, ocean-lashed scenery along St. Vincent's windward coast is the perfect counterpoint to the calm leeward coast. In between, the fertile Mesopotamia Valley (nicknamed Mespo) affords a view of dense rain forests, streams, and endless banana and coconut plantations. Breadfruit, sweet corn, peanuts, and arrowroot also grow in the rich soil here. Mountain ridges, including 3,181-foot Grand Bonhomme Mountain, surround the valley.

Bequia's highest point (elevation, 881 feet) is a reasonable goal for a hiking trek. Alternatively, it's a pleasant drive. The reward is a stunning view of the island and the nearby Grenadines.

In the far northeast of the island, Orton "Brother" King, a retired skin-diving fisherman, tends to more than 200 endangered hawksbill turtles until they can be released back into the sea. Call ahead, and he'll be glad to show you around and tell you how his project has increased the turtle population in the waters surrounding Bequia.

In the village of Owia on the island's far northeastern coast and at least a two-hour drive from Kingstown, Owia Salt Pond is a natural saltwater pool created by the pounding surf of the Atlantic Ocean overflowing a barrier reef of lava rocks and ridges. The Owia Salt Pond Recreational Site, 217 steps up from the pond, has a peaceful garden with gazebos, a children's play area, and a surrounding forest that protects the steep slopes. The village itself is the home of many descendants of the indigenous Kalinago (Carib) people, as well as the home of the Owia Arrowroot Processing Factory (one of six such plants in St. Vincent). Long used to thicken sauces and flavor cookies, arrowroot is now also used in pharmaceutical products. St. Vincent produces 90% of the world's supply of arrowroot, but that is only a tiny fraction of the maximum levels exported in the 1960s. Take a pleasant swim in Owia Salt Pond and enjoy a picnic lunch on the adjacent grounds before the long return trip to Kingstown.

Bequia's capital and only town, locally referred to as “the Harbour,” is on the northeastern side of Admiralty Bay. The ferry from St. Vincent docks at the jetty in the center of the tiny town, which is only a few blocks long and a block or two deep. Walk north along Front Street (which faces the water) to the open-air market, where you can buy local fruits and vegetables and some handicrafts; farther along, you will find some of Bequia's famous model-boat shops. Walking south from the jetty, Belmont Walkway meanders along the bay past shops, cafés, restaurants, bars, and small hotels.  A tourist information booth is located on the jetty.

This rocky gulch just north of Georgetown was carved from the earth by lava flow from the 1902 volcanic eruption of nearby La Soufrière (which most recently erupted in April 2021). When it rains in the mountains, the riverbed changes from dry moonscape to a trickle of water to a gushing river—all within minutes—and then simply dries up again. Before the Rabacca Dry River Bridge opened in 2007, drivers would often get stranded on one side or the other whenever it rained.

This beautiful 1-mile (1½-km) crescent of pure white sand on the southwestern coast of Mayreau has no facilities, but you can walk up the hill to Dennis' Hideaway for lunch or drinks. The adjacent dock is where the ferry that travels between St. Vincent and Union Island ties up, and small cruise ships occasionally anchor offshore to give passengers a beach break. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

This and other beaches along Glossy Bay, on the southwest (windward) coast of Canouan, are absolutely spectacular. South Glossy Bay is within walking distance of the airport, in case you have time before a flight. Shenanagins Beach Club is at the western end of the beach—which is also adjacent to the marina at Sandy Lane Yacht Club. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

The long stretch of sand in front of the row of hotels facing the Young Island Channel (Mariners, Paradise Beach, Sunset Shores, and Beachcombers on the "mainland" and Young Island Resort across the channel) varies from 20 to 25 feet wide to practically nonexistent. The broadest, sandiest part is in front of Beachcombers Hotel, which is also the perfect spot for sunbathers to get lunch and liquid refreshments. Villa Beach is a popular beach destination for cruise-ship passengers when a ship is in port. Amenities: food and drink; water sports; toilets; showers. Best for: swimming.

The Wallilabou Estate, halfway up the island's leeward coast, once produced cocoa, cotton, and arrowroot. Today, it is Wallilabou Heritage Park, a recreational site with a river and a small waterfall, which creates a small pool where you can take a freshwater plunge. You can also sunbathe, swim, picnic, or buy your lunch at Wallilabou Anchorage—a favorite stop for boaters staying overnight. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies left their mark on Wallilabou (pronounced wally-la-BOO), a location used for filming the opening scenes of The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Many of the buildings and docks built as stage sets remain, giving Wallilabou Bay (a port of entry for visiting yachts) an intriguingly historical (if ersatz) appearance that's especially fun for kids.