St Vincent
St Vincent is a lush, volcanic island of steep mountain ridges, valleys and waterfalls. The rugged eastern coast is lined with cliffs and rocky shores, while the western coastline dips sharply down to black-sand beaches. To the north, La Soufrire, St Vincent’s volcano, rises to 1219m (4000ft). St Vincent has frequent rains, and rich volcanic soil which produces an abundance of fruit, vegetables and spices. The interior flatlands and valleys are thickly planted with coconuts, bananas, breadfruit, nutmeg and arrowroot.
The capital of St Vincent is a lively port and market town on the southern coast. The town contains 12 small blocks with a variety of shops and a busy dock area, which is the centre of commerce for the islands. The Saturday morning market, comprising many stalls piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, brings everyone to town. In the centre of Kingstown, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, built of grey stone, is a graceful combination of several European architectural styles displaying Romanesque arches, Gothic spires and Moorish ornamentation. Its architecture has led Kingstown to become known as the City of Arches. The ruins of Fort Charlotte overlook a 180m (590ft) ridge north of town and offer a magnificent southward view of the Grenadines. The oldest Botanical Gardens in the Western hemisphere occupy 8.1 hectares (20 acres) to the north of Kingstown and contain a display of tropical trees, blossoms and plants, including a breadfruit tree descended from the original one brought to the island in 1765 by Captain Bligh.
The Falls of Baleine, at the northern tip of St Vincent, are accessible only by boat. The 18m (59ft) freshwater falls stream from volcanic slopes and form a series of shallow pools at the base. A challenging hike for the more adventurous is the just over 5km (3 miles) journey up La Soufrire, St Vincent’s northern volcano, which affords a wonderful bird’s-eye view of the crater and its islands, and all of St Vincent.
Strung along the western coast are the fishing villages of Questelles, Layou, Barrouallie and Chteaubelair, all of which have charming pastel-coloured cottages and excellent black-sand beaches from which fishermen set out daily in small brightly painted boats.
Only 180m (590ft) off St Vincent, Young Island rises from the sea, a 10.1 hectare (25 acre) mountain blanketed with tropical foliage and blossoms. Young Island provides an excellent view of the procession of yachts sailing into the harbour of St Vincent. The entire island comprises one resort called Young Island Resort, which consists of 29 rustic cottages set on the beaches and hillsides. There is a freshwater pool and tennis courts hidden in the hilltop trees. Adjoining Young Island is the 18th-century Fort Duvernette, sculpted from an enormous rock, towering 60m (200ft) above the sea. A ferry, a smaller version of the African Queen, runs regularly between Young Island and St Vincent.
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