Back to nature in the ‘islands off the end of the world’

The Caribbean islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines are known for beautiful beaches and a relaxed pace of life. The lush rainforests of the larger islands, along with sandy cays and ecologically diverse reefs, make St Vincent and the Grenadines a natural heaven on earth.

While cruising from island to island, superyacht owners have the perfect opportunity to soak up some of nature’s most lovely bounty. Activities from hiking to scuba diving not only showcase the area’s supreme beauty, but also give the visitor a seemingly never-ending list of things to see and do.

DIVING AND SNORKELLING

Deep sea and reef diving is first-rate in the Grenadines. The best diving can be found off the Tobago Cays, particularly around the islet of Mayreau. For more experienced divers, ‘Sail Rock’ is a world-class pinnacle dive – the tip of an underwater mountain that provides perfect views of deep-water marine life.

Tobago Cays Marine Park
Tobago Cays Marine Park encompasses the crystal clear sand-bottomed lagoon and cays, protected by the 4 kilometre Horseshoe Reef. This reef provides some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world. A profusion of marine life and clear water, where visibility to 12 metres is not unusual, make the experience truly memorable.

Diving in the Park is charged at $10 per day, with a similar charge for entrance onto the five uninhabited islands.

For more information visit www.tobagocays.org

Tobago Cays Marine Reserve | robertharding.com

Bequia
Bequia is also famous for its dive locations. The Devil’s Table is loaded with fish and coral, and there are some nearby wrecks to explore.

Dive Bequia, located in Admiralty Bay, is a PADI certified resort. It offers guided scuba diving and snorkelling trips, as well as a full range of PADI certification courses. Dives are supervised by an experienced team of professional divers. Better yet, Dive Bequia is also part of a eco-friendly initiative to protect the coral, including regular ‘clean-ups’.

For more information visit www.divebequia.com

Reef diving in Bequia | photolibrary.com

Mustique
Mustique, the private island, also has a PADI-certified Dive Shop, offering courses, day and night dives, as well as a ‘bubble maker’ novice dive course for children aged 8 to 11. The island is geared towards luxury – expect only the finest equipment and staff.

For more information visit www.mustique-island.com/sport/watersports

SURFING

St Vincent and the Grenadines is not famous for its surf, but there are some choice spots, and sports such as body surfing and windsurfing are hugely popular. The best locations for surfing are on Bequia and St Vincent.

On Bequia, Friendship Bay, Park Bay and Shark Bay all attract the island’s few surfers, while St Vincent has numerous surf destinations or ‘breaks’, including the Blue Lagoon on the island’s southern coast. The reefs around the islands make surfing a bit hazardous, but they also create the breaks that make such good surf.

The only surf base is located at Blue Lagoon, where Barefoot Yacht Charters has a shop and watersports centre.

For more information visit www.barefootyachts.com

A surfer enjoys the gap between waves | photolibrary.com

BEACHES AND ANCHORAGES

Lagoon Bay, Mustique
From the main anchorage at Britannia Bay, a leisurely 25-minute stroll south delivers you to Lagoon Bay. The golden beach, fringed with palm trees, has couple of picnic areas with wooden umbrellas and tables. The charm of this private island is that there is not a person or building in sight.

The beach can be explored by horseback with the Mustique Equestrian Centre, the only such on the islands.

For more information email: equestrian@mustique.vc

Moorings are available for vessels drawing 4.5 metres (15ft) and under. Contact the harbour master on arrival.

Plantain Beach, Mustique, is another beach you can have to yourself

Hope Bay, Bequia
On the island’s Atlantic coast, Hope Bay is a well-kept secret. Literally off the beaten track it is well worth the lovely hour-long walk from the car track to the coast if you approach it on land, but it is exactly this inaccessibility that makes it so special. With waves coming straight from the Atlantic, body boarding is popular amongst the few who discover the bay.

Admiralty Bay, Bequia
This deep, safe anchorage is a favourite of superyacht owners. Bequia, the ‘island of clouds’, offers peaceful lagoons and long stretches of nearly deserted beaches. Visitors can swim, stroll and relax, one-to-one with nature.

Water and fuel are available at the anchorage, which lies next to the shops and restaurants of Port Elizabeth, Bequia’s capital.

Admiralty Bay, Bequia | photo by Ken Gillham/robertharding.com

Tamarind Beach Hotel, Canouan
Located in the middle of the chain, Canouan is one of the most beautiful, peaceful islands in the Grenadines with a natural harbour that makes it a perfect destination for yachts. Unspoilt beaches and quiet coves are complemented by the pure luxury delivered by the Tamarind Beach Hotel and Yacht Club. The hotel boasts not only an international standard restaurant, but two further venues: Pirate Cove restaurant and bar with more informal dining and live music, and the Beach Bar on the sand.

For more information visit www.tamarindbeachhotel.com

WALKS AND HIKES

St Vincent
St Vincent boasts nature trails through untouched virgin forests, magnificent waterfalls, and hikes up to the island’s (now dormant) volcano rim. Trinity Falls and the Falls of Baleine are wonderful hikes with views of magnificent waterfalls.

The trip up to La Soufriére volcano takes you over 4,000 feet through bamboo forests up to a windswept landscape – more reminiscent of a moonscape – where the summit sits along a mile-wide crater.

For a shorter hike, the Vermont Nature Trail offers visitors the opportunity to spot the brightly coloured St Vincent parrot.

Contact HazEco tours for a personalised tour of St Vincent’s natural attractions:
www.hazecotours.com

Hiking in bamboo forests | robertharding.com

Mustique
The private island of Mustique offers walks through lush hills with bird-watching opportunities – Mustique has 50 indiginous species including the Magrove Cuckoo and the Tropical Kingbird.

Bequia
From beaches to hills, Bequia has some interesting hiking trails for walkers of any stamina level. Walking from driveable tracks into the lush forests or towards the coast is truly rewarding for everyone.

For more information visit www.hiking-bequia.com

CLIMBING

St Vincent
The face of the Belaine Waterfall, on St Vincent, is a popular climbing location. Make sure that you have your own equipment, as infrastructure is minimal in this unspoiled natural location. For the brave, there are also opportunities to jump or dive in to the beautiful natural pool at its base.

Belaine Waterfall climbers and jumpers | photolibrary.com

CYCLING

St Vincent
Cycles are available to rent from Sailor’s Wilderness Tours, based in Kingstown, St Vincent. Operating for over 30 years, the company offers mountain bike tours as well as a variety of hikes and other tours.

For more information visit www.sailorswildernesstours.com

Mustique
It is also possible to rent a bike and cycle around Mustique, although the island’s unpaved tracks may make the terrain a little challenging for some.

WINDSURFING

The winds are ideal for windsurfing and kite surfing but there is little opportunity to rent equipment, so many superyacht owners bring their own. Popular spots to windsurf include Godahl Beach, Canouan, the beach at the Saltwhistle Bay Club on Mayreau, the beaches on Union Island, and Authneal Beach on Bequia.

Perfect windsurfing conditions, but bring your own board | robertharding.com

TURTLE WATCHING

Bequia
The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary was set up to protect the indigenous Hawksbill Turtle from extinction, and offers a rare opportunity to see these beautiful creatures up close and learn about the efforts to secure their preservation.

For more information visit www.turtles.bequia.net

The critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle | robertharding.com

Charter Guide St Vincent and the Grenadines charter guide Spared the tourist hordes and unsullied by major development, these mountainous islands and pristine cays are where you can encounter the natural Caribbean and get away from it all

Itinerary St Vincent and the Grenadines: a week exploring its natural side Well off the beaten track, this collection of islands, islets and cays has horseshoe reefs, bamboo forests, active volcanoes, cascading waterfalls and an eponymous parrot

Fact File St Vincent and the Grenadines fact file The facts to arm yourself with when cruising these beautiful islands from the lobster season to local hazards and from dress codes to drum bands