St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the southern Caribbean. It is comprised of the main island of St. Vincent and a chain of 31 smaller islands known as the Grenadines but only nine of the islands are inhabitable and accessible for tourists. These nine islands are Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Mustique, Palm Island, Petit St. Vincent, Tobago Cay, Union Island, and Young Island.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is said to have some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the Caribbean and an underwater photographer’s paradise! It is known as the ‘Critter capital of the Caribbean because of the wealth of colorful fish and marine creatures.

St. Vincent’s lush tropical rainforest reaches from the beaches up to the top of the islands massive active volcano. The mountainous rainforest provides opportunities for hiking, bird watching and seeing waterfalls. The Grenadines have idyllic beaches with turquoise lagoons that are popular for sailing and relaxing in seclusion.

My attraction to St. Vincent and the Grenadines was for eco-adventures and for the underwater wildlife.

Must See Attractions

The must see attractions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are typical activities for Caribbean islands. The islands are loaded with nice beaches, beautiful waterfalls and the perfect place for water sports like snorkeling, diving, sailing or just relaxing.

Many visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines come for rest and relaxation but there are plenty of activities that are designed for people that want a more active experience. Some of the activities include hiking trails, the full range of water sport and taking walks on white sand beaches along the turquoise waters.

The list below are the activities that I think are key activities for visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Two activities that are unique to St. Vincent are hiking to the top of La Soufriere Volcano and visiting the Pirates of the Caribbean movie set. These two activities are also two of my most significant experiences in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The top activity on my list for my trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines was to hike to the top of the La Soufriere Volcano. The hike started from the beach and scaled the side of the volcano to the summit at a height of 4,000 feet above sea level. Most of the hike is through the lush tropical rainforest but the top of the volcano is above the tree line and the volcano is covered with beautiful green grass.

This hike was advertised as a three hour hike up to the summit and two hours back to the beach but it is really and all day excursion. Don’t underestimate the effort it takes to make a 4,000 foot elevation hike in the tropical heat and humidity. This hike is known by the locals as the “queen of climbs” for a reason, it takes a lot of endurance, good hiking shoes and a knowledgeable guide from the National Parks Authority to safely reach the top but when you get to the top and look down into the caldera of the volcano the effort fades away and you are literally standing on the top of the world looking at the most breathtaking view that you will probably ever see.

There are some movies that capture my attention and make me want to see the places that were in the movie. One of the movies that I really made me want to see where it was filmed was the Pirates of the Caribbean series. When I found out that St. Vincent has a Pirates of the Caribbean movie set that was open to the public, it was too tempting to pass up.

Spending a couple of hours wandering around the site where part of the movie was filmed was a lot of fun for me. I enjoyed seeing some of the movie props and interacting with them by taking goofy pictures. At the time of our visit there were no other people at the movie set so we could take as long as we wanted without anyone waiting for their turn.

Movie sets area always a little fake looking but when the movie is filmed at a real place then it makes the experience better. In this case, Wallilabo Bay is a beautiful place to visit even if you are not interested in seeing the movie set.

Travel is all about having new experienced and seeing sites that can only be found in one location. Two of those experiences in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are hiking to the La Soufriere Volcano caldera and seeing the Pirates of the Caribbean movie set. Combine that with beautiful beaches and excellent snorkeling/scuba diving and visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines makes for a nice Caribbean vacation.

Places to See

(Click on the photo below for more information on each topic.)