Unless you’re at the beach, going anywhere on St. Vincent becomes an adventure in traveling up and down. This is a volcanic island with extensive hilly terrain, even near its shoreline, but it also offers a contrasting impression of green interiors, black beaches, bright pastel-colored buildings, busy town waterfronts, and dramatic rocky crags on islets just offshore. It takes a little more effort to get to St. Vincent than more accessible islands like Barbados, Jamaica, or Puerto Rico – since you still usually have to connect through one of these hubs or somewhere else – but any effort is more than worth it.
The St. Vincent capital of Kingstown is just around 12 small blocks long, but is awash with street and commercial life on a sunny weekday morning. Among the collage of buildings and splashy advertising, you spot the open-air markets and street stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables. Stock up for the day on your favorite bananas, mangoes, or coconuts for snacks before you head further into the island or up into the surrounding mountains.
What to Do and See
Much of what you encounter outdoors around St. Vincent will be within the range of its volcanic terrain – meaning, you can do everything from taking on the steep ascent up its dormant volcano Soufriere, to exploring the preserves, parks, and man-made sites that mark its historic timeline. But you can also take advantage of the easy access to well-managed reserves and monuments such as these notable locations:
Vermont Nature Trail – in the island’s Buccament Valley, this superb reserve provides an astounding two-hour jungle trek with glimpses of iguanas, armadillos, and some of the more than 35 resident bird species along the way. If you’re literally up for something more extreme, there’s always the ascent up the three-mile trail to the summit of the main volcano of La Soufriere from the windward side of the island. Other nature highlights on each side of the island worth exploring include the Falls of Baleine, Trinity Falls, and Wallilabou Falls. (www.discoversvg.com)
Fort Charlotte – 600 feet above Kingstown, with fine views of the coast, the Grenadines, and the capital below, is an 18th-century fort whose cannons still point inland to protect against the French and the Caribs.
Botanical Gardens – The nearby dense with rare exotic flowers, plants, and teak, mahogany, and cannonball trees. Also still abundant here – descendants of the breadfruit tree brought by the notorious Captain Bligh from the South Pacific. Pause for a minute on your way out for a short visit with the lively, brilliantly colored St. Vincent parrots.
Where to Dine and Relax
The French Verandah – Located at the waterfront Mariners Hotel on Villa Bay, this elegant dining landmark specializes in Creole and Gallic dishes, with memorable creations such as shrimp in mango and coconut salsa, French onion soup, and chicken in mushroom sauce. (www.marinershotel.com)
Rooftop Restaurant at The Cobblestone Inn – A favorite of the lunchtime and business crowd, the specialties here include both Caribbean and continental cuisine – try their traditional Creole dishes, which include fish, beef, goat, and chicken, or a dinnertime serving of fresh snapper with lemon-butter garlic sauce. (www.cobblestoneinnsvg.com)
Young Island Resort Restaurant – Gourmet lovers can take the 2-minute ferry trip across to Young Island Resort just for the pleasure of lunch or dinner here. Before you decide on your entree, you can taste the incredible, freshly-baked coconut, banana, or cinnamon breads prepared here. Specialties here include the mahi mahi, but there’s plenty to choose from on an extensive menu for a five-course meal that ranges from West Indian to continental fare. (www.youngisland.com)
St. Vincent certainly retains much of its original natural abundance and human history, whatever your exploration may include along the way. Change has been significant in recent decades, as it has elsewhere in the region, for instance, with a new and larger international airport. Even so, it stands out as a luminous and unspoilt destination, certainly showcased well already on the big screen to the world, but for those who also come along in person, a place where you don’t have to be a “pirate” of the Caribbean – just a traveler with a passion for this corner of the world, and all that St. Vincent continues to be.