ST VINCENT AND BEQUIA  |
| sailing in the Grenadines |
Though the credo of VFH
Central is to never repeat travel destinations because, well, “it’s a big world
out there and someone’s gotta see it”, I have always had a secret desire to
revisit the island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, or SVG.
We last visited the
area nearly 20 years ago on what was our first vacation together when we sailed
on the now defunct Windjammer Cruises. With just 36 or so people onboard the
majestic three-masted Yankee Clipper we sailed from St. Lucia through the
islands of the Grenadines. Along the way we stopped for a time at several
previously unheard-of islands like Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island,
anchoring in Grenada overnight before sailing back to St. Lucia.
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| The Yankee Clipper |
It was quite a
trip, and the beauty was unending.It was in the
Grenadines where I went scuba diving for the first time ever. I was shocked by
the clarity of the water and the diversity of marine life beneath the surface.
Although I did not dive again until we started traveling to the Sandals family
of resorts, where diving is included in your stay, I have always harbored a
desire to see this part of the world again.
KIDS?
Technically we are not
actually “repeating” a destination when we travel to the newest Sandals resort
located on St. Vincent, for on that Windjammer “bucket-list” cruise long ago we
never physically stopped at the island.
Originally, the Sandals
company planned St Vincent to be a “Beaches” resort which is (shudder) a family
resort also run by them, but for some reason Sandals decided to transition the
property into a proper, adult couples only all-inclusive resort where you will
never hear the word “no”, or for that matter, incessant prattling and whining
as you would expect at a child-centric location. Ugh.
A Beaches resort will
open on the island in 2027 according to an article in the St. Vincent Times. We
will NOT be there….
SANDALS EFFECT
Tourism is growing on
St. Vincent because of Sandals. Used to be there was only one flight daily
(except for Tuesdays) on American Airlines, but because of the popularity of
Sandals other airlines like JetBlue and soon, Delta, are adding flights from
the United States. It once was difficult to get to SVG, but that is changing. Still,
just be sure to plan far in advance as flights fill up. We (Janet) booked our flight a
long time ago, using Aadvantage Miles.
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St Vincent
and the Grenadines |
YOU CAN GET THERE FROM
HERE
For further insurance
against missing a connecting flight out of Miami (where American notoriously
schedules very tight windows) we (Janet) chose to fly into Miami the night before our
flight to St. Vincent. We (Janet) didn't want to risk missing any time in the Grenadines,
because before our stay at Sandals St Vincent we are first traveling to Bequia,
one of the islands we visited on that long ago Windjammer cruise, for a
four-night stay.
There is also a tight connection once we arrive at Argyle International Airport on St Vincent, for after we clear customs we then need to head immediately catch a ferry to Bequia.
To expedite matters we (Janet) arranged for a
car to take us directly to the Bequia Express ferry for the hour-long passage to Bequia. At first the arrival time
for the flight and the departure of the ferry didn’t jibe, but Bequia Express
people shifted the departure time to accommodate a later arriving flight.
(I cannot stress enough how valuable Janet is in this entire process. Without her doing all the necessary research and arranging we would not have made the ferry.)
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| Bequia |
BEQUIA (BEK-wee)
With this trip to St. Vincent we will have visited each of the islands that hosts a Sandals resort, Janet and I are really
looking forward to returning to Bequia for this extended stay. It will be our vacation before our vacation as it were. We are staying at the Bequia Plantation Hotel before our Sandals visit on St Vincent.
The Yankee Clipper's captain was born on Bequia and on that Windjammer cruise we anchored overnight in Admiralty Bay and only got to see a little bit of the island. It was not enough.
A HIDDEN GEM
A bit about the island.
Just 7 square miles and with only 5,000 inhabitants, Bequia is large enough to
offer plenty to do but still be intimate and peaceful.
Sugar was once the
prime commerce, but that has faded, and now Bequia is known for her
shipbuilding craftsmen and whaling. Many of the inhabitants can trace their
heritage to Scottish immigrants so the local patois comes often with a Scottish
brogue. Whaling is still allowed and up to four can be harvested each year,
although years can pass without a catch. To read more about Bequia's history
and whaling culture, click below for two great resources.
WHALEBONER
There are several reasons to get excited over a visit to Bequia. One could explore her maritime history at the Boat Museum and take a tour of the island and visit Sample Cay where the whalers process the animal.
Or, one could visit the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. The Yankee Clipper’s captain spoke of his time as a boy when the sea turtles were so plentiful that they could literally hitch rides on their backs. Their numbers have dwindled over the years, but at the sanctuary they are endeavoring to replenish the population.
Blackbeard the pirate had some business in Bequia in the the 1710s. Perhaps there may be some hidden booty somewhere on the island, but for us simply lolling about on any of the beautiful beaches is probably the extent of our exploration. You'll probably find us lounging at the Whaleboner Bar, sipping a local Hairoun beer. A mere 10-minute walk from our hotel, the entrance to the Whaleboner is decorated with two soaring whale rib bones and you can sit in chairs right on the water's edge, overlooking Admiralty Bay. We'll be there, happy that we have finally returned to this beautiful island.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SVG?
Just in case you're unsure about where St. Vincent and the Grenadines is located...
The island nation is south of St. Lucia, north of Grenada and west of Barbados. Bequia is 9 miles south of St. Vincent.
Thanks for reading
Love Janet and greg
© 2025 by Gregory Dunaj
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