The archipelago of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is part of the Lesser
Antilles in the eastern Caribbean. It consists of St. Vincent and the 32
islands of the Grenadines. Grenada is in the south and Saint Lucia is in
the north.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are a group of
islands in the southern Caribbean. They are located a little off the
beaten track between Saint Lucia and Grenada. Saint Vincent is the main
island and also the largest island in this group. Only the southern
quarter of the island is developed, the middle and the north are
dominated by the Morne Garu Mountains and the La Soufriere volcano.
There is no road that goes around the north coast.
The Grenadines
islands are all small, some tiny and often little more than a rock, most
are uninhabited. The southernmost island in this group is only a few
hundred meters from Petite Martinique, a small island that already
belongs to Grenada.
Saint Vincent - the largest island, has the largest
area.
Grenadines - an archipelago of 32 islands south of Saint
Vincent.
Arawak and Carib Indians were the first inhabitants of
the islands. They called the Grenadines "Begos". In 1664, France first
laid claim to the islands. However, the naval powers of the time made
few attempts to colonize the islands. On the one hand, the Indians were
very strong there, and on the other, they were too busy cultivating the
larger islands. In 1762, the archipelago was divided: CARRIACOU, PETIT
MARTINIQUE and the southern islands were governed from GRENADA, while
the northern islands fell to Saint Vincent. In 1763, Saint Vincent came
to England in the Treaty of Paris. In 1779, France fought to regain the
islands, but had to hand them back to England in the Treaty of
Versailles in 1783.
The archipelago is one of the most popular
sailing areas in the world and boasts some of the most exclusive tourist
accommodation. The islands are mostly peaks of ancient volcanoes
protruding from the sea, but some are also coral reefs that have built
up on submarine volcanoes. Only about ten islands are inhabited all year
round.
Almost all travelers can enter without a visa, only Chinese, Afghans
and citizens of some countries in the Middle East need a visa. Three
months are usually granted, for citizens of the Schengen area 90 days
per 180 applies reciprocal.
By plane
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines can only be reached by regional airlines. There is still no
airport there that meets international standards.
The airport in
Saint Vincent only has one runway with a length of 1,500 m. However, a
new airport is being built eight kilometers northeast of it. This is due
to be opened for international air traffic in 2012.
On the
Grenadines islands there are small airfields with runways ranging from
760m to 1,200m in length on the islands of Bequia, Canouan, Mustique and
Union Island.
By boat
There is a regular ferry service with
several ships between the capital Kingstown on Saint Vincent and almost
all of the inhabited Grenadines islands.
Kingstown is regularly
visited by cruise ships during the season. The handling facilities there
are quite new and of a good standard.
The island group is a
popular sailing paradise. On the south coast of Saint Vincent you will
find a marina as well as modern repair shops for large yachts.
Rental cars can only be found on the two largest islands, Saint Vincent, and on Bequia. On two or three other islands you can find minibuses, taxis and water taxis.
There are 35 designated diving areas around the island. The diving schools offer an extensive diving program. Wreck diving is also possible. The wreck of the 21m long "Gladdie" was set aground in 1978 for divers in 30m water depth. The 35m long freighter M/S "Lireco" was set aground in 1986 especially for divers in 28m water depth.
The official language is English, but a large part of the population also speaks an English patois.
Accommodation on the island of Saint Vincent has so far been limited
to small hotels with an average of 30 rooms. But the first 5-star hotel
with over 300 rooms is now being built on the west coast.
On the
Grenadines, on the other hand, you have had a choice of several
exclusive hotels and villa complexes for several years, of course with a
wellness center and golf course and not affordable for the average
citizen.
Daytime temperatures (28 to 33 degrees) and nighttime temperatures
(17 to 22 degrees) are fairly consistent throughout the year. February
and March are the dry months, and July and August have the most rain.
Humidity is consistently around 80%.
Later in 1980, hurricane
Allen destroyed banana and coconut plantations. In 1987, hurricane Emily
destroyed 70% of the banana plantations. Further tropical storms
followed in 1994 and 1995. In 1999, hurricane Lenny severely damaged the
plantations on the west coast of the island.