Hot to see the sights
| St. Vincent is steeped in natural beauty and history: the Botanical Gardens here are the oldest in he Western Hemisphere – Captain Bligh of Mutiny on The Bounty fame (immortalized in the film of the same title with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson) anchored here on January 23, 1793 to drop off 300 hundred precious breadfruit saplings that had been the purpose of his previous ill-fated mission. There are beautiful waterfalls (especially at Baleine), abundant and peculiar tropical wildlife to see on many of the nature trails including the rare St. Vincent Parrot and also the impressive La Soufrière Volcano. Many petroglyphs have been left by the Pre-Colombian Indians; many examples are on display in the National Museum and there are huge examples of rock carvings on the East Coast and at Barrouallie and Yambou. Sightseeing and tours are well worth it. |  Falls of Baleine, St. Vincent |
Port Elizabeth, Bequia
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The GrenadinesThe Grenadines are a scattering of over 30 islands and cays, some inhabited, some not. Many are in sight of one another – most are no more than a few miles long and have idyllic beaches and near perfect conditions for sailing, diving and snorkeling. The islands have a colorful history and culture, each island slightly different from the next. The Grenadines offer some of the finest sailing in the world – you can charter a yacht and plot your own course or join any number of crews. Many of the sightseeing and tour companies in St. Vincent offer trips to The Grenadines. The color of the sea, with its unbelievable shades of blue and turquoise, never fails to lure the most seasoned of yachtsmen and shy celebrities. Try to get to the Tobago Cays and Palm Island – the un-spoilt natural beauty of The Grenadines both above and below the water really takes some beating. Ask the next celebrity you meet. |
Places to see
| The Vermont Nature Trail, St. Vincentoffers an opportunity to explore the St. Vincent Parrot Reserve. The Reserve conserves 10,870 acres of forest, set aside in 1987 to help preserve the endemic St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona Guildingii) and its rain forest habitat.
This hike entails 1 1/2 hours of comfortable walking through a canopy of trees. |
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| LA SOUFRIERE VOLCANO TRAIL, St. Vincent Experience a fabulous opportunity to capture the volcanic nature of our island, by taking a tour to La Soufriere. La Soufriere, one of the most studied volcanoes, rises to a peak of 4048 ft. above sea level.This tour takes you along the picturesque Windward Coast of St. Vincent. The coastal highway runs alongside the Atlantic Ocean passing through banana, coconut and arrowroot plantations, and travels through the Byera Tunnel, which was built in 1813 to open the Carib lands to settlement. The road to La Soufriere leaves the coastal highway at Rabacca and travels through the Orange Hill banana and coconut plantation to where the foot trail begins a 21/2 hour exhilarating and challenging hike with resting points at the river bed and Jacobs Well. The foot trail leads one through a canopy of Bamboo Ridges, lowland forest with patches of cultivation and then into tropical forest with a profusion of tree ferns, tall trees festoon with bromelias, lianas and moist shade dappled with sunlight. You emerge from the shade into a zone of vegetation stunted by altitude, breeze and frequent cloud cover and continue to an alpine-like zone before the last stretch of scree to the crater itself. The view is breathtaking and well worth the hike. The journey down is less challenging and takes about 1 1/2 hours. |
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| WALLILABOU FALLS, St. VincentAttractions : View 12 foot Falls and bathe in shallow pool, 4 to 6 feet deep. Facilities : Changing rooms and pit toilets. A picnic site is being developed. |
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| RICHMOND BEACH, St. Vincent Attractions: Spacious black sand beach with a natural stand of Indian Almond trees, swimming, picnicking and popular fishing spot. Note: Beware of undertow near Wallibou River. |
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| TRINITY FALLS (Petit Wallibou Falls), St. VincentAttractions : Scenic trail to view 40 foot Falls (often in 3 cascades) descend into circular pool, then into second pool. Swim or bathe in pools. Note: Recommend that you obtain a guide. |
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| OWIA SALT POUND, St. VincentAttractions: Picnic areas and small garden overlooking tidal pools sheltered by volcanic formations. Note: Watch out for “stinging” yellow sea anemones on rocks. High tides and breaking waves can be dangerous. |
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| FALLS OF BALEINE, St. VincentAttractions: Spectacular 60 foot Falls and deep swimming pool. Facilities: Rustic picnic shelter and paved path, 250 yards from beach to Falls. Access: By boat with many of the tours operators. Hiking from Fancy, tour guide is recommended |
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| THE SPRING STUDIOS AT THE OLD SUGAR MILL, Bequia The Old Sugar Mill at Spring has been the home of Spring Studios for six years. But in the heyday of the sugar trade it played a significant role in the production of the sweet staple. Experts in the colonial history of the island believe that the mill was built in the mid 1800s. It continued operating until around 1940. Due to the need for self-sufficiency on a remote island during the 18th century, the plantation grew a variety of agricultural products including sugar. Now Mike Goddard and Margaret Mitchell are the driving force behind the operation that features pottery making demonstrations as well as displays of local art such as decorative home wares and fountains. Margaret’s background as an illustrator does now much of the decorating of the creations crafted at the old mill. Both Mitchell and Goddard stress the painstaking, labor intensive techniques involved in creating the art that is offered for sale at the gallery. They also occasionally exhibit the works of prominent artists from off island. When you approach the studio/gallery, you are struck by how close the building resembles the sugar mill it once was. A must see!! |
| MODEL BOATS, BequiaBequia is internationally renowned for its model boats building. One of the many artists, is Mauvin Hutchins. From an early age he made them from coconut shell and later from gum. With determination and dedication, Mauvin has been building boat for nearly 35 years. Weeks of work are needed produce such a fine craft. Now famous, he has captured the international market. |
