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St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent nation located in the southeastern Caribbean between the islands of St. Lucia and Grenada. The Grenadines are more than a dozen small islands, a number of them uninhabited, that are our favorite cruising location of the Lesser Antilles.
The cruise starts and ends at Young Island Cut, St. Vincent or the island of Canouan. DreamWeaver is just a short taxi ride from either island's airport. We sail to a number of the following islands, depending on the length of the cruise and the guests' preference.
The island of Mustique is an island of the rich and famous, where stunning villas are spread throughout the island with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. We anchor in Britannia Bay, where we can snorkel right off the boat. Most will not want to miss the short taxi ride to Macaroni beach, a beautiful secluded windward beach that is perfect for body surfing. In the morning, take a leisurely stroll along the Britannia Bay coast path that leads to a wildlife lagoon preserve. Dining options include the Firefly on top of the hill or Basil's Bar on stilts over the bay. Quaint boutiques and the French Bakery are favorites here.
Salt Whistle Bay is on the island of Mayreau (pron: ‘My-row’). The tranquil setting here is one that shows up on a lot of Caribbean postcards. We can often anchor a few yards from the beach, which is also great for walking, swimming, sand castle building and beach volley ball. The stone tables, shaded by palm leaf canopies, are right on the beach where the Salt Whistle Bay Club serves up a several course English breakfast as well as dinner.
The Tobago Cays (pron. ‘keys’) are several uninhabited islands protected by a large horseshoe shaped reef. Here we anchor behind the reef in less than 10 feet of water with the island of Baradal astern. The snorkeling here is spectacular. You can float along the surface of the water with the reef 2-6 feet below teeming with sea life. Diving in this area is also popular. We'll be dining aboard, perhaps on fresh grilled lobster caught by local divers earlier in the day. For many guests, the time in the Tobago Cays is the highlight of the trip.
Petite Tabac is another uninhabited island where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. It is now known locally as Pirate Island. A nice beach and exploration of the small island awaits us here. It lies just outside the inner reef of the Tobago Cays and is a good lunch stop.
Mopion is a solitary sand spit that has a single thatch umbrella. This is a great place to walk, swim, and play in the water. There is also a coral shelf that makes for good snorkeling. Nearby is Petite St. Vincent (PSV), a private island resort that also serves visiting yachtsmen gourmet fare in a beautiful setting. They also provide short resort tours.
Sandy Island is another uninhabited island that makes a good lunch stop and great
snorkeling spot, where its possible to spot small squid and schools of larger
fish.
At Chatham Bay on the leeward side of Union Island, we are surrounded by hilly vegetation. This is a secluded and quiet anchorage with almost no civilization around us and is the perfect place for a dazzling sunset, a cockpit party and an evening of stargazing and storytelling on the deck.
On Bequia (pron. ‘Beckway’) we usually anchor off beautiful Princess Margaret Beach in Admiralty Bay. In addition to great swimming and beach walking, there are local boutiques and a good selection of restaurants in Port Elizabeth. Taxi drivers provide customized tours of Bequia. You may wish to visit the turtle refuge or the pottery created from the ruins of a colonial sugar mill.
Trips longer than a week may take in Palm Island, another private resort island, Clifton Harbor on Union Island, with a growing number of shops and restaurants, or Tyrell Bay on Carriacou, where French wines are delivered to the boat for a cockpit wine tasting. Many guests like to return to the Tobago Cays for an additional night or two. And for returning guests who may want to see something new, an early or late season circumnavigation of the beautiful nature island of Tobago is an option.
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