34 Best Sights in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

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 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.