The Most Beautiful Islands to Visit in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by Boat

From mountain peaks to sandy bays, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have abundant beauty to discover by boat
From mountain peaks to sandy bays, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have abundant beauty to discover by boat | © Image Source / Alamy Stock Photo
Lexi Fisher

The tropical islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sit scattered atop the turquoise Caribbean sea like rough-cut emeralds. With over 30 individual islets, their landscapes represent a vast variety – from the mountainous volcanic peaks of the main island to the shallow sandy atolls of the Tobago Cays. Many are only accessible by boat, which is by far the best way to experience the majesty of this archipelago.

Explore these magnificent islands by booking onto Culture Trip’s eight-day sailing adventure through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, led by a local expert guide.

Saint Vincent

Natural Feature

Coastline view of the port and city of Kingstown, capital of Caribbean island of Saint Vincent
© By Valet / Alamy Stock Photo

Sheer drama characterizes the main island of Saint Vincent. Lush and fertile, a steep volcanic landscape dominates the horizon, while the active La Soufrière volcano in the north spews ash and smoke. From the palm-lined coast to the cloud forests high above, hiking and exploring ashore is a wonderland of bright, tropical flowers and broad green foliage.

Bequia

Natural Feature

Stunning views on the water at Port Elizabeth, Bequia Island at sunset
© John Kellerman / Alamy Stock Photo

The second-largest island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bequia’s beaches are unsurpassed in beauty. The island is surrounded by the calm, shallow waters of the Caribbean sea and wide swaths of white sand beach backed by towering palms. Among bushels of vibrant bougainvillea flowers, quaint Caribbean homes adorned with lace-like gingerbread trim dot the hillsides. The sprawling views of town and the azure coastline below are simply breathtaking.

Mustique

Natural Feature

Palm trees along the beach leading to the water on a tropical island
© Andrew Twort / Alamy Stock Photo

Mustique is an island quite literally fit for royalty. A popular holiday destination for celebrities and members of the royal family, the entire island is beautifully landscaped. While the residential areas are closed to the public, the main town, beaches, spa and restaurants are accessible. Picturesque pastel buildings and local vegetable stalls line the narrow streets, soft white sand paves the way to chic beachfront restaurants, and elegant dining halls are open to the balmy Caribbean breeze.

Tobago Cays

Natural Feature

Aerial view of Tobago Cays, Saint Viincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean
© Helmut Corneli / Alamy Stock Photo

For overall splendour, the Tobago Cays are unrivalled. Almost 3km (1.8mi) from the nearest inhabited island, four low-lying cays cluster around a shallow expanse of impossibly blue water. A sprawling barrier reef fringes the windward side, creating a refuge where sea turtles happily chomp on seagrass and bright tropical fish dart between coral heads. This is the heart of the Grenadine Islands.

Mayreau

Natural Feature

A family walks along an idyllic tropical beach with white sand, palm trees and turquoise Caribbean sea water on Mayreau Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines
© BlueOrangeStudio / Alamy Stock Photo

Stalls of colourful beachwear billow in the tradewinds along the idyllic shoreline of Salt Whistle Bay. Two perfect crescent-shaped beaches come to a point at a narrow spit of sand, almost disappearing before rising up again into a protective headland. On one side, rough Atlantic waves crash over the barrier reef – while on the other, boats sit quietly on the Caribbean sea, the water so clear and calm they cast sharp shadows on the sandy bottom.

Mopion and Pinese

Natural Feature

Aerial drone view of tiny tropical Mopion island sandbar, turquoise Caribbean sea and a family with kids in St Vincent and Grenadines
© BlueOrangeStudio / Alamy Stock Photo

Sandy atolls rather than islands, there is only sand and a single umbrella on these cays, and sometimes not even that. The beauty here is in the simplicity; sun, sand, and sea. The blues of the cloudless Caribbean sky reflected in the crystal waters are punctuated by the white of the fine, powdery sand. The sun warms the water to almost bathtub temperature and the last of the Grenadine Islands sit quietly in the distance.

Petit Tabac

Natural Feature

Aerial drone view of Petit Tabac, with the turquoise Caribbean sea of Tobago Cays and a family with kids in St Vincent and Grenadines
© BlueOrangeStudio / Alamy Stock Photo

This tiny uninhabited island of coconut palms and white sand beach is so idyllic that the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) “Why’s the rum gone?!” scene was filmed here. Sun shining and blue skies overhead, gulls circle carelessly while fish dart between your feet in the shallow warm water. Time almost stands still in this tropical paradise – getting marooned here might even feel like a blessing.

Frigate Island

Natural Feature

Grey and white Egrets on a rock along the shore of Saint Vincent
© Brian Jannsen / Alamy Stock Photo

One of the southernmost Grenadine islands, Frigate Island was once the base of a marine development project that never came to fruition. A single precipitous peak and trailing lowland sit at the edge of a large, shallow lagoon. Suspension bridges connect rocky causeways and, after a successful restoration project, wildlife flourishes in the azure waters. Egrets roost in the dark green foliage of red mangroves, while herons sit perched on the prop roots, awaiting their next meal.

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