St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Caribbean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. It shares the southernmost Grenadines Islands with the independent island nation of Grenada.

Understand

Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been ineffective at introducing new industries. Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors.

Climate

Tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November).

Landscape

Volcanic, mountainous. Highest point: Soufriere volcano (St Vincent) 1,234 m

Climate

Tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November).

Regions

• Saint Vincent - the largest island, the majority of the territory

• Grenadines - an archipelago of 32 islands and cays, to the south

Cities

• Kingstown - the capital

• Barrouallie

• Chateaubelair

• Georgetown

Getting there

By plane

The largest airport is E.T. Joshua Airport just outside of the capital of Kingstown. Most flights in and out are relatively local, mostly flying to nearby islands such as Canouan, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Saint Kitts. A new international airport is under construction and is estimated to be completed in 2011, at which time E.T. Joshua will cease operation.

By boat

The islands have many docks and bays, including two large enough to accommodate a cruise ship. Despite this, very few cruises stop in the country and the vast majority of travelers come to the country by airplane.

Traveling around

The Island is relatively small, but the mountainous landscape makes it difficult to get around the island. The main highways run along the coasts and as such it is necessary to drive around the whole of the island to get from one side to the other. In terms of public transportation the island is served by a large number of privately owned vans that act as a bus service. These vans have an "H" at the beginning of their license plates, meaning they are "for hire." Cost to ride is EC$1. Many of them have graphics on the front. Driving is on the left.

By boat

- Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all crewed charter (no bareboat available) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Operating from 8 international offices (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Monaco).

- Marinas and Cruising Logs in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Things to do

• Carnival in early July a.k.a. Vincy Mas (much music and drinking)

• Eat pork or chicken at a roadside barbeque on Friday or Saturday night

• Enjoy the view from Fort Charlotte

• Visit Montreal Gardens

• Hike the Vermont Nature Trail

• Visit the Botanical Gardens

• Climb La Soufriere Volcano (not an easy climb!)

• Swim in the Tobago Cays

• Visit the Arawak Rock Carvings

• Black Point Tunnel

• Hike up to and enjoy the view from Fort Duvernette

Eat

Surfside Restaurant - between Calliaqua and Ratho Mill (turn at Sunsail)

Drink

In Kingstown, the water is safe to drink, but be a bit careful at some other locations. The water quality can vary depending upon the season of the year and how the water (often rain water) is collected. Bitter Lemon is a popular soda. Hairoun is a popular locally produced beer. Adventurous drinkers will want to try Black Wine.

Sleep

Many tourists arrive in the Grenadines, stay at a resort, and never get the opportunity to interact with the citizens. If you want to get a taste of the true culture, consider a guest house or apartment in Kingstown. Fort View Guest House in Edinboro is a good choice. It is within walking distance of downtown Kingstown.

Buy

Ju-C Cola & Hairoun Beer

The official currency of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD). The exchange rate is US$1 = EC$2.67. A helpful hint: When using US dollars, multiply the price you see by .4 and you will get change back. Most merchants accept both paper U.S. and all forms of E.C. currency. U.S. coins are not accepted, as the central bank does not accept them as currency.

Costs

Talk

The main language on the islands is English. As a former British colony, British spellings are more common than American spellings.

Stay healthy

The US government suggests that hepatitis A and B shots be given to anyone traveling in the Caribbean, however there are no major health risks in the country.

Safety

Hurricanes are an annual risk. The La Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is occasionally active, but a sophisticated advance warning system is in place and resulted in zero casualties in its latest eruption in 1979.

St. Vincent uses the North American style of calling codes, where all local numbers are seven digits. The area code for the islands is 784, which makes all international numbers for Saint Vincent in the form of 1-784-XXX-XXXX