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With 32 glorious islands in one destination, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines is a tropical paradise offering visitors the best waters in the Carribean for sailing and yachting, heavenly white-sand beaches, pristine coral reefs, magnificent waterfalls, and lush tropical rainforests. If you’re looking to escape your hectic lifestyle or want relax on your own private island for the day, St. Vincent & The Grenadines is place for you.
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines are a set of 32 islands and cays in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. Saint Vincent is the main island in the chain and is dominated by Mount Soufriere Volcano at 4,048ft (1,234m). The Grenadines are comprised of approximately 600 islets between St. Vincent and Grenada and occupy a 45 square kilometers. The major islands in the northern Grenadines are Bequia, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Canouan, Petite Canouan, Union Island, Petite Nevis, Palm Island, Petite Saint Vincent, Mustique, Petite Mustique, Baliceaux, Bettowia, Quatre, and Savan.
The first settlers of St. Vincent & The Grenadines were the Carib Indians and, as a result, the islands’ still boast a large number of Carib artifacts today. Although Christopher Columbus explored the islands on his voyage in 1498, Britain and France battled for control of St. Vincent for most of the eighteenth century until the island was ceded to Britain via the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The French forcibly seized the island with aid from the Caribs 1779, but it was ultimately regained by the British under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. Shortly after the Caribs were deported to Roatan, Honduras, and with the advent of slave labor from Africa, The Middle East, and Portugal, the island’s economy flourished as a result of sugar, coffee, cocoa, and cotton plantations. In 1877, St. Vincent became a British colony of the Windward Islands. Despite a Legislative Council being inaugurated in 1925, universal adult suffrage was not introduced until 1951. St. Vincent was granted Associate Statehood by Britian in 1969 allowing it to self-govern its internal affairs. The island gained its independence from Britian in 1979.
Today, the islands’ economy hinges on tourism, banana production, construction and offshore banking. Due to natural disasters such as hurricanes destroying a large portion of the crops, St. Vincent & The Grenadines often experience high unemployment which forces many to leave the islands.
No hyperbaric chamber are available on the islands. The nearest hyperbaric chamber can be found in Barbados.
All travelers are required to present a valid passport and return ticket to enter St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Visitors from the Dominican Republic, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, The People’s Republic of China and Syria will be required to present a visa in addition to their passport and return ticket. Tourists are allowed a stay of up to 90 days and will be required to pay a departure tax upon exiting the islands. Since immigration policies change frequently and without prior notice, all travelers are advised to verify the current immigration requirements for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with the local authorities prior to leaving home. For more details, please visit the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of National Security, Air & Sea Port Development.
Visitors are prohibited from bringing drugs, firearms, spear guns, Hawaiian slings, wildlife, plants, and certain fruits and vegetables into St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Although there is not a limit on the amount of currency that you can bring to St. Vincent & The Grenadines, you must declare all amounts over $10,000. For more details, please visit the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning.
St. Vincent & The Grenadines do not require any vaccinations to enter the islands unless you have arrived from or have visited a destination that is infected by yellow fever. In these cases, you will be required to present proof that you have been vaccinated against yellow fever. Travelers that plan to engage in any activities that bring them in direct contact with bats, carnivores, or other mammals are strongly urged to obtain a rabies vaccination.
It is recommended that all tourists purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover theft, loss, accidents, and medical emergencies. If you plan to participate in adventure sports such as scuba diving while on vacation, please verify that your policy will cover you for these events. All necessary prescriptions along with a letter from your physician detailing your medical condition and the medication being carried with you should accompany all visitors to St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Visitors to St. Vincent & The Grenadines may arrive by air or sea. The main airport on Saint Vincent, E.T. Joshua Airport (SVD) outside of Kingstown, welcomes many international flights and serves as a gateway for domestic travel within St. Vincent & The Grenadines and to other islands in the Caribbean. Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, and Trinidad offer connecting flights to St. Vincent & The Grenadines from North America and Europe. Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Delta, LIAT and US Airways provide regularly scheduled flights to St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Travelers should consider the length of the flight, mandatory stopovers, and price when selecting an airline carrier.
Many international cruise lines visit the following ports of call in Saint Vincent & The Grenadines: Kingston, Bequia, Mayreau, and Tobago Cays. Holland America, Princess Cruises, Silversea, and Windstar Cruises are a few of the cruise lines that service the islands and provide passengers with opportunities for various local attractions, activities, and shopping.
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines are a dream destination for those individuals that love sailing and yachting. Caribbean Travel Awards designated St. Vincent & The Grenadines as the “Best Sailing & Yachting Island” in the Caribbean while Sail Magazine identified SVG as the “Finest Stretch of Water Anywhere”. Private boaters may enter the islands and clear customs through one of the following ports: Chateaubelair, Kingstown, and Wallilabou in St. Vincent or Bequia, Canouan, Mustique, and Union Island in the Grenadines. Additionally, charter boats will be require to present customs officials with a Grenadines Cruising License while private vessels will be required to pay a Cruise Tax for an unlimited stay in the islands. With its protected cays, natural anchorages, and managed moorings, St. Vincent & The Grenadines are guaranteed to provide boaters with the trip of a lifetime.
Tourists can visit the other islands in the St. Vincent & The Grenadines by air or sea. Domestic flights from Saint Vincent to the Grenadines will land in one of the following Grenadine airports: Palm Island (PLI), Mustique (MQS), Canouan Island (CIW), J.F. Mitchell (BQU), or Union Island (UNI). Grenadine Air Alliance, SVG Air, LIAT, Mustique Airways, and Trans Island Air offer daily flights between the islands.
Inter-island ferries provide vacationers magnificent island views along the journey to their final destination. M/V Bequia Express I & II and M/V Admiral Express II offer daily departures between St. Vincent and Bequia while M/V Barracuda, M/V Gem Star, and M/V Canouan Bay provide daily ferry service between the islands of St. Vincent, Canaouan, Mayreau, and Union Island. Additionally, visitors requiring transporation between St. Vincent and Mustique can engage the M/V Endeavour.
The nine inhabited islands of St. Vincent & The Grenadines offers visitors a wide range of accomodations including modest guest houses, charming inns, magnificent villas, and luxury resorts. Several resorts in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines make it easy to book accomodations and scuba excursions in one location.
In ports such as Bequia or Kingston, liveaboard opportunities also welcome scuba divers who wish to stay close to the sea.
From Black Point Tunnel, the islands’ most popular historical site, to one of the lushest valleys of the Caribbean, Marriqua Valley; St. Vincent & The Grenadines offer a variety of diversions to satisfy the history buff and adventurer alike. Tourists can visit Wallilabou Bay on St. Vincent, the location where “The Pirates of the Caribbean” was filmed along with the magnificent Wallilablou Falls. Additionally, visitors can hike to the summit of the awe-inspiring La Soufriere Volcano or swim at the picturesque Dark View Falls. The world-renown Tobago Cays Marine Park allows tourists to view and interact with turtles in their natural habitat.
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines provides its visitors with endless opportunities for excitement and adventure through the following activities: bird watching, whale watching, windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, sailing and yachting. Nature-lovers will enjoy the Botanical Gardens just outside Kingstown and the St. Vincent’s Vermont Nature Trail with its amazing variety of tropical flora and fauna.
From roadside snackettes and cafes to family run restaurants and fine dining establishments, St. Vincent & The Grenadines offers a variety of dining options and many local, regional, and international cuisines. Curried goat, black fish, and lambi are some popular local specialties. Additionally, locally produced Hairoun beer and Sunset rum compliment any meal.
Local beach bars, restaurants, and cozy little clubs offer laid-back fun, Caribbean style. Steel drum bands provide much of the entertainment, though resorts and hotels offer more variety with reggae and calypso. Street parties are common, as are impromptu cocktail parties.
Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent, consists of twelve small city blocks enabling tourists the ability shop an entire city in less than a day. Tobacco, liquor, handmade crafts, crystal, china, cameras, jewelery, and watches line the display windows of many shops in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Local artwork, pottery, and hand-crafted model sail boats, the islands’ hot pepper and other seasoning sauces along with Hairoun beer and Sunset rum make great souvenirs for loved ones back home.
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines provide world class diving and offer divers the ability to experience reef, wall, wreck, cave, and drift dives. St. Vincent was coined the “Critter Capital of the Caribbean” by Sport Diver Magazine and, as a result, blennies, seahorses, gobies, frogfish, crabs, lobsters, eagle rays, manta rays and a variety of other marine creatures call the island home. Most dive sites in St. Vincent & The Grenadines offer excellent visibility and are a short boat ride from many dive centers.
There’s a reason why St. Vincent and the Grenadines are such popular diving destinations; they offer a little something for everyone. Easygoing dives on shallow, coral-covered reefs, exciting drift dives alongside large pelagic fish, wreck diving, and even some cave dives are available. Critters are numerous, and night dives provide the opportunity to see many of them at their best. Photographers will find no end to the inspiring macro life – if you love to dive with your camera, you will not be disappointed.
As many dive sites at St. Vincent and the Grenadines are shallow and calm, even the newest diver will enjoy spending time underwater here. Experienced divers need not fear boredom; not only are some sites challenging, there is also an abundance of large marine life including manta rays, eagle rays, barracuda, and sharks.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines lie close to the equator and offer lovely Caribbean weather year-round. The average sea temperature is 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter. During the summer, the water gets a little warmer, averaging 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit). The average daily temperature is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) year round, though some days are as cool as 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit).
As water temperatures are warm year round, most people choose to dive in shorties or lightweight (0.5mm to 1mm) wetsuits. Hoods, gloves, and other cold-water accessories are unnecessary.
As St. Vincent and the Grenadines encompasses 32 magnificent islands, it’s not surprising that new dive sites are being discovered on a regular basis. There are more than 20 named dive sites and that number is growing. Most dive sites around St. Vincent and the Grenadines are accessed by boat. Many are just a short distance away from shore, though there are a few extremely desirable sites located further out.
Visibility is normally good to excellent throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Average visibility is between 20 and 30 meters, but it is possible to enjoy visibility of 40 meters or better on occasion. Average depth at sites around St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a shallow 10 to 15 meters, and maximum depth is about 25 meters. Many sites are so well-lit from above that distinguishing coral colors is fairly easy, even without lights.
Currents vary greatly throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines; in general, sites located in the sheltered bays lying close to the islands are calm and easy even for beginners to dive, and those situated further offshore are often washed by strong currents and are extremely dependent on the weather. Your dive operator will assess current conditions at such sites to ensure safety before divers get off the boat. If currents are deemed to be too strong, you’ll visit an alternate site.
Surge is strongest at outlying dive sites, particularly those with shallow areas. You will experience some surge at sites nearer shore as well; it is most evident on days when surface conditions are rough. At some sites located close to surf zones, fairly strong surge is almost always present.
Dangerous marine life abounds throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines; stinging jellyfish and hydroids, small venomous fish, and other little critters defend themselves by delivering painful bites and puncture wounds. Stingrays and sharks are encountered with some regularity, but as long as you keep a respectful distance and maintain a no-touch policy, you should find local reef residents don’t mind your presence at all.
Currents can be strong in some areas, which can be problematic for newer divers and for those who are not in good physical condition. Take this into consideration when selecting dive sites.
Anchor Reef is an excellent wall dive with wonderful swim-throughs and is considered to be among the top 100 dive sites in the world. The Bat Cave is popular with the locals and visiting divers alike. On the island of Mayreau in the Grenadines, divers can experience the underwater volcano at Hot Springs. Puruni Wreck which is an 140ft English gun ship, and the Mayreau Gardens, a great drift dive where many flamingo tongues and garden eels congregate. Horseshoe Reef around the five Tobago Cays offers shallow diving with dramatic drop-offs and is an excellent site for spotting pelagics. Sail Rock provides an out-of-this-world diving experience with its pinnacles, caves, and abundant marine life.
All divers must be certified. While there are many sites that are suitable for novices, some sites feature overhead environments and strong currents; dive operators will need to see your C-card and your dive log. You will normally need to do a checkout dive as well.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines offer several dive operators to choose from. Instruction and gear rentals are available, as are tours and package deals, private trips and snorkeling excursions for the non-divers in your group.
While emergency medical care is available in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there is no hyperbaric chamber. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is located in Barbados, at the Barbados Defense Force base located on Needham’s Point.
Protecting and conserving marine life is an ongoing effort throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Marine protected areas are tightly regulated and all divers wishing to enjoy them must be accompanied by local dive operators who are registered with the national marine park system.
While diving in national marine parks, it is important to follow regulations; not just to prevent yourself from being ousted from the park, but to protect the fragile species you will be encountering while underwater. The following regulations apply in St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
Comments
Is DIVING (stupid auto correct) without a certified guide only restricted in Marine Parks? I'm finding it very difficult to find a list or organization that can tell me which sites are ok to dive on our own, and which require a guide. We leave tonight for 2 weeks sailing from st. Vincent to Grenada, so would really appreciate any information you could provide. Thanks! Barney