ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

  

Punctual as never before leaves from Grantley Adams Airport (Barbados), located about 20 km south-east of Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados at 09.05 my plane no. 771 of the LIAT Airline Company in the direction of ET Joshua Airport in Arnos Vale (St. Vincent), (ticket price including taxes: USD 82.20).

 

Free drinks and snacks are not served on the plane.

 

I therefore arrive at 09.45, at the ET Joshua Airport in Arnos Vale (St Vincent), located about 2 km south of Kingstown, the capital of St Vincent. There are 5 hours of time zone, compared to Italy.

 

A visa is not required to enter St Vincent and the Grenadines for tourism purposes and for a period not exceeding 90 days. It is sufficient to be in possession of a passport, with at least 6 months of residual validity at the time of entry into the country. Sometimes you will be asked for a return or onward flight ticket and a hotel reservation.

 

It is necessary to fill out a form to be delivered to customs, part of which must be returned when leaving the country.

 

There is no bank to change money at the airport, but you can withdraw cash with an ATM or credit card.

 

The currency of St Vincent and the Grenadines is the East Caribbean Dollar (EC $), but American Dollars (USD) are accepted everywhere (Hotels, Buses, taxis, Shops, Restaurants, Supermarkets, Ferries, etc.), even if using the latter are considered with the following value 1 USD = 2.5 EC $ instead of the official rate which is 1 USD = 2.7 EC $.

 

In St Vincent and the Grenadines, the official language is English.

 

In St Vincent and the Grenadines, driving is on the left and is driven by minivans and even some big buses, which do not have written on the windshield containing the route number and the final destination, from 5.30 to 19.00. You pay the attendant before getting off.

 In St Vincent I slept in the cheapest accommodation on the island, the Buttercup Cottage Apartments, located on Windward Highway Arnos Vale, less than 1km as the crow flies (2km on foot) from ET Joshua Airport, at the cost of 55 USD or 150 EC $ per night for a studio apartment (booking via booking.com website). To reach it, from the airport, by public transport, you need to take any minivan heading south (1 EC $), and get off after a good 1 km, at the Chill Spot Restaurant and walk uphill for about 400 meters.

 

In Kingstown, the Bus terminal is located on Lower Bay Street and consists of 2 sectors, the east one for minivans for the south and east coast, the west sector for westbound minivans.

 

The minivan from Arnos Vale, where my hotel in Kingstown is located, costs 2 EC $.

 

In Kingstown, the Ferry Terminal is located on Upper Bay Street and this is where the Ferry Boats leave for Bequia and this is where the cruise ships arrive.

 

To reach the Beautiful Island of Bequia (Grenadines), you need to take a ferry. There are several companies that carry out the service but the one that makes the most trips a day is the Bequia Express which also transports cars. The cost of the ticket is 25 EC $, one way and 45 EC $ round trip. The same is purchased after boarding the ferry.

The daily departure times (Monday to Friday) of the outward journey from Kingstown: 8.00, 10.30, 13.00, 16.00 and 18.00.

The daily departure times (Monday to Friday) for the return journey from Port Elizabeth (Bequia): 6.30, 8.30, 9.30, 13.00, 16.30.

On Saturday there are only 3 races, while on Sunday 2.

The journey takes approximately 1 hour.

In Port Elizabeth (Bequia), the ferry arrives downtown.

 

In Port Elizabeth (Bequia), as soon as you get off the ferry there are yellow buses and minivans that take you around the island. Each ride always costs 1 EC $.

 

To reach Lower Bay, where there is the most beautiful beach on Bequia Island, the bus leaves you at the crossroads, on the main road, about 1 km from the beach, to be covered downhill.

 

In St Vincent, if you want to visit Owia Salt Pond, located in the northern part of the east coast of the island, you have to take a Minivan from Kingstown to Georgetown, bearing in mind that it also passes through the airport and also through Arnos Vale. (7 EC $ - 1 hour).

 

Then in Georgetown, you have to take a Minivan to Sandy Bay (2 EC $ - 30 ').

 

Finally in Sandy Bay, you have to take a Minivan to Owia (2 EC $ - 20 '). Keep in mind the Minivans to / from Owia are in service only 4 times a day and precisely in the morning around 8, at lunchtime in the early afternoon and late afternoon. To / from Fancy, on the other hand, only twice: early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

 

From the Village of Owia, at the point where the minivan stops, to go to Owia Salt Pond you have to walk for about half a kilometer, pay the entrance and then go down dozens of steps.

 

The Owia Salt Pond park is open every day from 9.00 to 17.00. Admission costs 5 EC $.

 

If you want to visit the west coast of St Vincent instead you need to take a Minivan from the Kingstown bus terminal to Chateaubelair (7 EC $ - 1 hour).

 

From Chateaubelair it is then necessary to walk for over 2 km, on an asphalted road through an environment forgotten by God, in which very few cars pass and it is also difficult to ask for a ride, until you reach the forgotten Village of Richmond, where there is a beautiful volcanic beach.

 

Once you walk back to Chateaubelair, you can take a minivan to the capital and get off at the Village of Wallilabou (5 EC $ - 20 '), where some scenes from the movie "Pirate of the Caribbean" were filmed in the past.

 

To return to Kingstown, with a minivan you need to spend 4 EC $. The journey takes about 40 minutes.

 

Keep in mind that the minivans that run on the west coast (up to Chateaubelair) and on the east coast (up to Sandy Bay) are in service from about 6.00 until about 18.00 with a good frequency of passage.

My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:

http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2017/11/traversata-dei-caraibi-da-nord-sud.html