Along the Windward Coast
The Vigie Highway leaves Kingstown to the east. Fifteen minutes by car, you’ll arrive to the St. Vincent airport, the E.T. Joshua. Very close is the cricket field of Arnos Vale, where important international cricket matches are played, and where the West Indies national team faces those of England, Australia, New Zealand, India and Pakistan.

Following to the east, by the south coast highway, you’ll reach Villa, the most tourist zone of the island. At 180 m- of the Villa coast is the little island of Young, a paradise, but private. In a nearby isle is Fort Duvernette, an spectacular fort built in the XIX century.

Vigie Highway, goes along a region that inhabitants called the “panera” of the island, and it is because in the Atlantic coast are the more fertile lands. From this narrow road, without security rails, you can see deep valleys with some small farms, and banana plantations. Don’t be surprised if, before arriving to Georgetown, you are in a huge traffic jam, caused by two drivers, that have stopped to chat, or by someone that stops to buy fish in the stands next to the highway.

Georgetown, is the second largest city in St. Vincent, and at some time, was the wealthy sugar capital of the island. But when the sugar price fell dramatically, the factory employing the majority of the valley inhabitants had to close. Crossing this place by car, sometimes you have the feeling of being in a ghost city, although very close is the Mount Bentick Rum Refinery (open from Monday to Friday, entrance fee), where rum is still elaborated.

A little more to the north is the Rabacca Dry River, an old lava river that currently is the starting point to climb the La Soufrière volcano. There is a well-signaled path that will take you, in around three hours, to the edge of the crater. Is a tough walk, only for those fit enough, but the effort is worthy. From the edge of the crater, the volcano has an impressive aspect. The weather, up here, is humid and cold, so going well equipped is necessary, but also to climb with the company of a guide.

To the Grenadines
Most of the people arrive to the Grenadines by sea, in their own boats, or in a rented one. From Kingstown leave, regularly, ferries going to these islands. Besides, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and the Union island, have little airports where small planes can land.

14 km. south of St. Vincent, is the island of Bequia, which most active place is Admiral Bay, a precious harbor of transparent waters, protected by green, craggy hills, where ships dock. A submarine park, where there are, at least, thirty excellent places for submarines and scuba divers, surrounds the island. The little town of Port Elizabeth, is a bit more than a road with some restaurants and shops. Some of the inhabitants are expert ship builders, and you can see them working along the coast, constructing fishing boats.

During the XIX century, the whale hunters of New Bedford used Bequia, as a whale station. Aytheneal Oliverre, the last harpooner of the island, has turned his small house south of Bequia, into a Whale Museum (open daily. Entrance fee), . The main door is flanked with a whale’s jaw, and inside is a vertebra of the first he killed in 1958. When a whale is captured (Oliverre captured the last one in 1992, because the International Whale Foundation only permits the islanders to harpoon two each year), all the people go to watch it.

The visitors of Mustique, 24 km. south of St. Vincent, are generally received by the only policeman of this place, to check if their destiny is correct. But really, there are not to many places to go in this island of 8 square km., where there are only eighty houses, fifty of them with such famous owners as Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Princess Margaret, and other members of the English and Monegasque royalty, as well as some millionaire businessmen. However, in the west coast, fishermen have establish a small camping place in a beach close to Basil’s Bar (the only public restaurant of the place), where they eat seashells.

At the little island of Canouan, that seems a half moon, are some of the best white sand beaches of the Caribbean. Recently a new luxurious resort, has been opened, having the only golf field in the Grenadines. Even smaller is Mayreau, with only 5 square km., where some hundred people live. Nearby, are five empty isles, known as Tobago Cays, an excellent place for submarines and scuba divers.

The mountainous Union Island, is the navigation center of the most southern Grenadines, and an ideal starting point to visit the neighboring islands. East of the Union is the island of Palm, known before as Prune, a paradise for those looking for peace and calm.

Petit St. Vincent is the most southern island of the Grenadines, where you’ll find only one resort, which many say is the best of the islands; clients communicate with the personnel using a flags system, because privacy is what, those that can afford some days in this little paradise, will find.