15 Best Sights in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

One of the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere is just north of downtown Kingstown—a few minutes by taxi. The garden was created in 1765 by General Robert Melville, governor of the British Caribbean islands, after Captain Bligh—of Bounty fame—brought the first breadfruit tree to this island for landowners to propagate. The prolific bounty of the breadfruit trees was used to feed the slaves. You can see a direct descendant of the original tree among the specimen mahogany, rubber, teak, and other tropical trees and shrubs in the 20 acres of gardens. Two dozen rare St. Vincent parrots (Amazona guildingii), confiscated from illegal collections, live in the small aviary. Guides explain all the medicinal and ornamental trees and shrubs; they also appreciate a tip (about $5 per person) at the end of the tour. A gift shop, open Monday through Friday, has local crafts, artwork, books, confections, and a traditional creole lunch menu.

One of the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere is just north of downtown Kingstown, a few minutes by taxi. The garden was created in 1765 by General Robert Melville, governor of the British Caribbean islands, after Captain Bligh—of HMS Bounty fame—brought the first breadfruit tree to this island for landowners to propagate. The prolific bounty of the breadfruit trees was used to feed the enslaved workers. You can see a direct descendant of the original tree among the specimens of mahogany, rubber, teak, and other tropical trees and shrubs across 20 acres of gardens. Two dozen rare St. Vincent parrots (Amazona guildingii), confiscated from illegal collections, live in the small aviary. Guides explain all the medicinal and ornamental trees and shrubs. A gift shop (open weekdays) has local crafts, artwork, books, confections, and a traditional creole lunch menu.

This spectacular horseshoe-shape, mile-long (1½-km-long) beach on Bequia's mid-southern coast can be reached by land taxi or by boat. Refreshments are available at Bequia Beach Hotel's Bagatelle grill. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Started by the French in 1786 and completed by the British in 1806, the fort was ultimately named for Britain's Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. It sits on Berkshire Hill, a dramatic promontory 2 miles (3 km) north of Kingstown and 636 feet above sea level, affording a stunning view of the capital city and the Grenadines. Interestingly, its cannons face inland, as the fear of attack—by the French and their Carib allies—from the ridges above Kingstown was far greater than any threat approaching from the sea. In any case, the fort saw no action. Nowadays, it serves as a signal station for ships; the ancient cells house historical paintings of the island by Lindsay Prescott.

This broad, palm-fringed beach on the southern shore of Admiralty Bay, south of Port Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Beach, is reachable by land or water taxi or a healthy hike from town. It's an excellent beach for swimming and snorkeling. Refreshments are available at La Plage or De Reef Bar & Restaurant, both right on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

On the eastern coast, Mustique's most famous stretch of fine white sand offers swimming (no lifeguards) in moderate surf that's several shades of blue, along with a few palm huts and picnic tables in a shady grove of trees. Amenities: parking. Best for: swimming.

Quiet and wide with a natural stone arch at one end, the beach is not far from Port Elizabeth's Belmont Walkway—but you still need to take a water or land taxi to get here. When you tire of the water, snoozing under the palm and seagrapes is always an option. Plan to have lunch at Jack's Beach Bar. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

At Rawacou Bay, close to Argyle International Airport, two stunning black-sand, high-surf beaches are separated by a rocky headland with a trail down to a man-made lagoon—a swimming pool created by placing huge boulders in the sea to prevent the high surf from smashing against the shore. The water by the beaches isn't safe for swimming, but the lagoon pool is; however, be cautious when the surrounding water is particularly rough. The beautiful grounds of Rawacou Recreation Park, shaded by coconut and sea grape trees, include a performance venue, a volleyball court, and vendor huts. The park is a popular site for picnics, weekend parties, and special events. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Union has relatively few good beaches, but this one on Richmond Bay—on the island's northern shore and a five-minute drive from Clifton—is a pretty crescent of powdery white sand, protected by reefs, with distant views of Mayreau and the Tobago Cays. David's Beach Hotel faces the beach, as does Sparrow's Beach Club, where you can get refreshments and use the sun loungers. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.

Union has relatively few good beaches, but this one on Richmond Bay—on the island's northern shore and a five-minute drive from Clifton—is a pretty crescent of powdery white sand, protected by reefs, with lovely views of Mayreau and the Tobago Cays. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.

In 1815, under the supervision of British Colonel Thomas Browne, Carib and African slaves drilled a 360-foot tunnel through solid volcanic rock—an engineering marvel at the time—to facilitate the transportation of sugar from estates in the north to the port in Kingstown. Today, Black Point Tunnel (also known as Jasper Rock Tunnel) is the centerpiece of Black Point Historic and Recreation Park, which also has an interpretation center, children's playground, and bathrooms. The tunnel, just off beautiful (black-sand) Black Point Beach between Georgetown and Colonarie (pronounced con-a-ree), links Grand Sable with Byrea Bay. The park—a film location for the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl—is about an hour's drive from Kingstown and is open daily, 7 am to 5:30 pm.

Swimming at Black Point Beach is unsafe due to high surf and strong ocean currents.

South of Kingstown and separated from Villa Beach by a rocky promontory, Indian Bay has golden sand but is slightly rocky in some places; it's very good for snorkeling. La Vue Hotel & Beach Club, high on a cliff overlooking Indian Bay Beach, operates a beach bar and grill. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

In the far northeast of the island, Orton "Brother" King, a retired skin-diving fisherman, tends to more than 200 endangered hawksbill turtles until they can be released back into the sea. Call ahead, and he'll be glad to show you around and tell you how his project has increased the turtle population in the waters surrounding Bequia.

The long stretch of sand in front of the row of hotels facing the Young Island Channel (Mariners, Paradise Beach, Sunset Shores, and Beachcombers on the "mainland" and Young Island Resort across the channel) varies from 20 to 25 feet wide to practically nonexistent. The broadest, sandiest part is in front of Beachcombers Hotel, which is also the perfect spot for sunbathers to get lunch and liquid refreshments. Villa Beach is a popular beach destination for cruise-ship passengers when a ship is in port. Amenities: food and drink; water sports; toilets; showers. Best for: swimming.

The Wallilabou Estate, halfway up the island's leeward coast, once produced cocoa, cotton, and arrowroot. Today, it is Wallilabou Heritage Park, a recreational site with a river and a small waterfall, which creates a small pool where you can take a freshwater plunge. You can also sunbathe, swim, picnic, or buy your lunch at Wallilabou Anchorage—a favorite stop for boaters staying overnight. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies left their mark on Wallilabou (pronounced wally-la-BOO), a location used for filming the opening scenes of The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Many of the buildings and docks built as stage sets remain, giving Wallilabou Bay (a port of entry for visiting yachts) an intriguingly historical (if ersatz) appearance that's especially fun for kids.