Everyone is familiar with big-hitting Caribbean destinations like Jamaica and Barbados. But the 32-island archipelago of St Vincent and the Grenadines is far less famous. What it lacks in visibility, though, it makes up for in vibrant charisma.
St Vincent is the main volcanic island of the group. Far from the hustle and bustle of better-known destinations in the West Indies, it’s a green and extremely pleasant land with a peaceful beauty.
What to see
The first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” films were shot on St Vincent. The lovely Wallilabou Bay near Barrouallie on the west coast of the island doubled as the films’ central location, Port Royal, and is a rough and ready but highly evocative shrine to the much-loved films. It appeared in the very first scene in which Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sails in his leaky ship past the grim spectacle of three deceased brigands strung up on a rock arch in the bay next to a placard declaring: “Pirates, be ye warned.”
The seafront is packed with props from the movies including Captain Jack’s smashed-up ship, the wreckage of the Black Pearl and a grisly noose, a fearsome line of cannons, a pillbox-shaped dungeon where brigands were locked up and several enormous skeletons wearing ragged corsairs’ outfits.
At the small Pirates of the Caribbean Museum, you can try on battered tricorn hats and dusty coats to conjure up the ghost of Captain Jack. If you really want to summon up the outlaw spirit, you can even buy a bottle of Sparrow’s Premium Rum from the local shop.
It’s also well worth visiting Layou Petroglyph Park. The centrepiece of the archaeological site is a massive rock which is more than 20 feet long and features an intriguing engraving of a powerful being. Occupying a calm spot beside the Rutland River, the petroglyph is thought to have been carved about 1,700 years ago by the Arawak people. At its heart is a figure shaped like a mountain which is believed to be the god Yúcahu. He is apparently surrounded by cascading lava. This deity may reflect the neighbouring La Soufrière volcano, which still erupts with alarming frequency.
But this is merely speculation. The pleasure in this petroglyph lies in the fact that it prompts endless guessing games. We will never truly know what it portrays – making it all the more rewarding.
Where to stay
Situated on Buccament Bay on the southwestern coast of St Vincent, Sandals St Vincent has 301 rooms, but it never feels crowded. Ringed by an imposing chain of mountains, it fans out over a spacious 50 acres.
There is an absurd amount on offer for guests here. You can try everything from swimming in one of the resort’s five pools (including the longest in the Caribbean) to kayaking into a nearby bat cave. Sandals has free bikes to borrow, from the many racks dotted around the property. These enable you to explore the furthest corners of the site, much of which is festooned with gloriously flourishing bougainvillea.
But “liming” – a local word for “relaxing” – is an equally enticing prospect. It is an often-irresistible temptation to spend a whole day in our enviably luxurious beachside villa with a private pool. We are lucky enough to enjoy the services of a butler – I know, I know – who ministers to our every need. His superpower is knowing exactly what we’ll want next. That’s why, when we show up every morning at the gorgeous beach, he has already laid out towels on loungers and left us a cool-box overflowing with our drinks of choice. You could very happily spend two weeks at Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines without ever setting foot outside it.
The selection of food on offer at Sandals – every cuisine under the sun served at 12 restaurants – is just as dazzling. Having sampled the delights at Japanese, Italian, steak and seafood restaurants, we alight on the best of all. Buccan is authentically Vincentian, providing family-style dining. The local food, enlivened by a blend of 22 herbs and spices, is prepared over a firepit and brought to the table in clay pots. Traditional dishes such as callaloo soup, saltfish buljol and roasted breadfruit sing with flavour.
The verdict
St Vincent possesses an unexplored, get-away-from-it-all tranquillity that many more boisterous Caribbean islands would sell their last rum punch for. As Quincy, our very knowledgeable driver, puts it, St Vincent is a place “free from traffic, noise and stress, where you can free your mind.”
James Rampton was a guest of Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines; sandals.co.uk
This alluring, mountainous Caribbean island is far quieter than its neighbours