Fodor's Expert Review Botanical Gardens

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.