Jewels of the Caribbean
- Gracie Campbell
- Feb 14, 2022
- 3 min read
St. Vincent and The Grenadines
By Gracie Campbell
14 February 2022
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the most magical and scenic places I have ever been. If you go, I recommend a high-quality sunscreen that you reapply multiple times. I went on a family trip in March 2017 and got a terrible burn within the first few hours because I wasn’t aware how close we were to the equator. Use caution if you end up traveling. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a chain of islands in the northern hemisphere on the southern part of the Lesser Antilles.
Travel Plans
My family and I flew out of the Norfolk International Airport to St. Lucia although we ran into a few mechanical delays it was a great flight. From St. Lucia we got on a VERY small plane with only 10 seats and flew to St. Vincent. We then drove to our home base Young Island Resort.
This resort has quickly become one of my favorite places I have ever stayed. We stayed in a cottage that my parents, sister, and I shared. The privacy was my favorite part. Each morning we woke to the sound of the sea kissing the shoreline and the aroma of earl grey tea filling the villa. St. Vincent is formerly a commonwealth state so there are still old many British traditions. The above picture I took from our porch during morning tea.
Come Sail Away
The best thing to do in St. Vincent is to rent a Catamaran sailboat and sail around the different islands within the Grenadines. Each island has fun restaurants and bars, and some have cool towns you can walk around in. Throughout our trip we went to a few islands and spent the night on the boat. We traveled to Petit St. Vincent, Bequia, Mustique West Indies, Happy Island, Union Island, and Tobago Cays.
Top Three Tips if You Go on This Trip
1. Bars are a big part of the culture, and I would wait to go until everyone in your party is of the legal drinking age which is 16.
2. Take time to explore the town of St. Vincent. The hotel we love is across a river from the main island which has so much history and a unique story
3. Build in days to relax. If you end up renting a catamaran having days on the front and backend of your trip to relax are so important because the boat is very go, go, go.
Mac's Pizza and Kitchen is a must if you make it to Bequia. Our catamaran captain Orlando said it is one of his favorite places in the islands.
Mustique is most well-known for Basil's Bar. Although the tacos and drinks were to die for the best part of Basil’s is the housing behind the bar which are all million-dollar celebrity homes. Owned by people like Mick Jagger, Tommy Hilfiger, Princess Margaret, and formerly David Bowie.
We loved hearing all about the people who came to the bar while they were traveling.
Happy Island
Happy Island is just that- happy.
The island only has one thing a drive-up bar. The people who work her are amazing and create a positive and lively energy for everyone who shows up. This was one of my families’ favorite things we did during our trip.
Union Island is one of the most renowned kitesurfing destinations in the world. We were at Union Island during the winter season which is their popular kitesurfing months although we did not participate it was so much fun to watch competitions and people training in this unique sport. The athlete uses a board like a wake board and a large kite to propel them over the water.
The last stop on our trip was Tobago Cays which had hundreds maybe thousands of green sea turtles. It was breathtaking to have the opportunity to go snorkeling and see this magical up close. This also allowed me the chance to go snorkeling for the first time which before this trip was something I had only seen on TV.
When we finally went home, we got back on the tiny little plane and flew to St. Lucia. We had an extra stop on the way back, so we went to Miami to Norfolk. Although this was a long travel day, I loved having the time on the plane with my family to reflect the amazing adventure we just took.
Comments