”Hi, I’m Ralph,” says a gregarious figure with warm eyes and salt and pepper hair as he crosses the terminal of Argyle International Airport. His presence piques the interest of waiting passengers and soon a small crowd – some seeking selfies – gathers for a glimpse.
The casual opening remark belies the man’s status but, given he has been Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for 24 years, Ralph Gonsalves requires little introduction here in his homeland. South of St Lucia, west of Barbados and north of Grenada, I am in St Vincent (the largest of SVG’s 32 islands) to sample the delights of a destination emerging from the shadow of the Caribbean’s holiday giants.
Tourism in this volcanic former British colony erupted last year, increasing by 25% to 101,471 overnight visitors – a figure similar to the country’s modest population. Mr Gonsalves was instrumental in creating the nation’s first international airport – where our chance encounter takes place – and quips “love is in the air” as he recalls its inaugural flight on Valentine’s Day 2017.
The 78-year-old also cut the ribbon last March at the official opening of Sandals, a luxury all-inclusive resort directly responsible for the recent influx of travellers, which is accessible via direct flights of approximately 11 hours from London Heathrow.
I check in to the sprawling five-star retreat – the first such property on St Vincent and the newest of the chain’s 17 adults-only hotels spread across eight Caribbean islands – the day after its first anniversary. Cradled by lush mountains, there are 301 rooms and suites, including 10 lavish two-storey overwater villas, four swimming pools and a spa set amid a 50-acre site looking out over Buccament Bay.
So, why should sunseekers venture to this lesser-known corner of the Caribbean Sea?
“Let me put it into perspective for you,” says Jamaica-born Tamon Allen, the hotel’s amiable general manager, as we sit down for dinner at Sora, one of 12 on-site restaurants. “St Vincent would be Jamaica back in the 70s, so 50 years behind; Barbados, it would be maybe 30 years behind; St Lucia, about 20 years behind. They’ve not modernised St Vincent and I think that’s what makes it so special.
“If you go to the windward side of the island and drive all the way to La Soufrière mountain, it is just breathtaking: the nature, the pureness, and the simple lifestyle that the locals live – absolutely amazing.”
My home for three nights is a spacious garden suite complete with patio soaking tub. It comes with 24-hour room service and a personal butler, who is on call from 8am to 10pm and can arrange breakfast in bed, dinner reservations and, if necessary, unpack my suitcase.
I tweak Tamon’s suggested itinerary and opt to explore the Leeward Coast on the west side. With local expert Quency Lewis at the wheel, we wind through verdant hills and coastal valleys flanked by quiet fishing villages and secluded coves of volcanic black sand.
“This is basically how St Vincent is, like a rollercoaster,” says the charismatic tour guide as we snake north from the capital city Kingstown.
I discover the archipelago’s principal landmass, which is just 18 miles long and has a maximum width of 11 miles, is fertile ground prime for fruit production and home to waterfalls, rainforest and walking trails. La Soufrière looms large in the north and is a popular spot for hikers. The 4,048ft volcano erupted in 2021, covering the island in ash and forcing nearby residents to evacuate homes.
It was previously active in 1979 – the year SVG, which remains in the Commonwealth and retains King Charles III as head of state – gained full independence, having been under British rule since 1763. I glimpse the volcano during a sunset cruise from Sandals (an exclusive treat for butler-level guests). Clouds linger over the peak as daylight gradually fades.
The brooding weather is in stark contrast to the mood on board where crew members dance to blaring soca (soul of calypso) music while serving rum punch and bottles of Hairoun, St Vincent’s award-winning lager. A pod of bottlenose dolphins dive and weave at the bow of the boat before we approach Wallilabou Bay. The harbour introduced the world to Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow and will be familiar to many as the fictional Port Royal from the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Just around the jagged coastline, the captain points out Old Man’s Trousers, an arch-shaped rock formation where prop skeletons were hanged as a warning to Sparrow and other marauding buccaneers.
Sandals, which was largely unscathed when Hurricane Beryl devastated parts of the region last July, offers numerous opportunities for seafaring. A wobbly paddleboard outing from the resort’s palm-tree lined beach (constructed with imported white sand) provides a gentle introduction before I increase the adrenalin by skimming across the surface on a tubing ring attached to
a speedboat.
Scuba diving (for PADI-certified guests), kayaking and snorkelling are also complimentary, while beach volleyball, croquet and tennis are among the activities on dry land. Visitors eager to island-hop have plenty of options too.
The pristine beaches of Bequia – the closest Grenadian island – are around 10 miles south of Kingstown and just an hour away using daily ferries, while a handful of neighbouring countries can be reached in tantalisingly short flight times.
My Caribbean odyssey begins at the very southern tip of the Windward Islands in Grenada. The Spice Isle, renowned for its production of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon, is an ideal partner to St Vincent for those in search of a twin-centre trip. While there is more of a do-it-yourself feel in up-and-coming SVG, Grenada – accessible by air in just 45 minutes – has a greater tourist infrastructure, but it is still refreshingly uncrowded.
After getting my bearings by taking in the sweeping views from Fort Frederick (built between 1779 and 1783), I travel down into the pretty capital St George’s before heading north into the hills.
Near the shores of Grand Etang, a crater lake that features on the country’s coat of arms, I catch sight of a mona monkey. The primates arrived here aboard 18th-century slave ships and are otherwise found exclusively in west Africa.
Later, I cool off beneath the 30ft Annandale Waterfall before finishing the day at Grand Anse, Grenada’s most famous stretch of sand – a short distance from my luxurious lodgings at Sandals on Pink Gin beach. Back on St Vincent, I sip a final pina colada prior to waving goodbye to Sandals by speedboat (another butler-level perk).
The journey to the departure gate concludes on a short stretch of “rollercoaster” ocean road ahead of my impromptu audience with the PM. “There’s a Sandals effect undoubtedly,” Mr Gonsalves tells me as talk turns to tourism before we board the same flight to the UK.
“It has been phenomenal – an amazing, amazing impact.”
Unassuming, uncluttered and largely untouched, flourishing St Vincent blends natural beauty, adventure and relaxation with undiluted Caribbean charm.
Book the holiday
- Sandals offers an eight-night 2025 twin-centre trip to the Sandals Grenada and Sandals St Vincent resorts from £3,379pp, including flights from Heathrow and inter-island flight. sandals.co.uk.
- discoversvg.com puregrenada.com