 St. Vincent & the Grenadines is an island archipelago located
approximately 100 miles due west of Barbados in the Southern Caribbean
and1600 miles southeast of Miami. The closest neighbors are Grenada (75
miles to the south), St. Lucia (24 miles north), and Barbados (100 miles
east.)
St. Vincent is the largest of more than 30 islands that make up this
country. Known for it's natural beauty, St.
Vincent offers a unique blend of volcanic peaks blanketed with
lush, green fertile vegetation; overwhelming stretches of both white
sand and volcanic sand beaches; a history rich in African, Indian and
European legend; and a culturally diverse population comprised of
African, Indian, Asian, and European heritage. Disputed between France and Great
Britain in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in
1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969, and independence in 1979.
Temperatures
average 78 degrees year around, and there is no stormy season because of
the islands' southern Caribbean location. St Vincent & the Grenadines
form a multi-island nation well known to wintering yachties, aristocrats
and rock stars but off the beaten path for most other visitors. St
Vincent is a refreshingly rugged and raw-edged backwater, while the 30
islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines are among the most popular
cruising grounds in the Caribbean.
 The Grenadines reach like stepping stones
between St Vincent and Grenada and are surrounded by coral reefs and
clear blue waters ideal for diving, snorkeling and boating. Fewer than a
dozen are inhabited, and even these are lightly populated and barely
developed. Although some of the Grenadines, like Mustique and Palm
Island, cater to the rich and famous, others, like
Bequia and Union
Island, attract an international crew of sea salts and beachcombers and
offer decent places to stay and eat. It is reached via connecting flights from Barbados, St. Lucia,
Martinique or Grenada. The island of St. Vincent is 18 miles long and 11
miles wide and is a lush volcanic island of steep mountain ridges,
valleys and waterfalls. La Soufriere, the dormant volcano, rises over
4000 feet. The rich volcanic soil produces an abundance of fruits,
vegetables and spices. The interior flatlands and valleys are thickly
planted with coconuts, bananas, breadfruit, nutmeg and arrowroot.
In the South the capital, Kingstown, combines reminders of St. Vincent's
colonial past with a bright and bustling life of a modern Caribbean
market town and commercial center.
A half mile outside of Kingstown, the capital, is the botanic gardens,
founded in 1765. this twenty acre estate was part of a colonial scheme
to exchange exotic plants throughout the British empire. While most of
the exchange occurred via the royal botanic gardens at Kew, in the UK,
the most famous plants are the breadfruit brought in 1793 by Captain
Bligh of the H.M.S. Bounty.
The Grenadines consist of a tail of islands and uninhabited cays
stretching 45 miles southeast of the "mainland". Connections to the
Grenadines are via air from St. Vincent, or by ferry service. These
islands all have lovely soft white coral sand beaches and clear waters,
ideal for snorkeling, scuba diving and sailing.
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