Venturing to St. Vincent & The Grenadines is a fantastic way to give your vacations the spark you need. With not only one but 32 remote islands and cays to choose from (all boasting spectacular landscapes featuring picturesque harbours, emerald hills, sugary shores, crystal-clear waters, boutique hotels, and profound natural allure), this beautiful Caribbean destination, indeed, feels like a dream fulfillment. To help plan this wonderful escapade you have in mind, we give you some basic details and things to know about the country so you can plan more wisely (and efficiently) and get in St. Vincent & The Grenadines mood a moment sooner!
Language
The official language of St. Vincent & The Grenadines is English. However, as with most Caribbean islands, the locals also speak their creole language. In St. Vincent & The Grenadine’s case, that would be Vincentian Creole, an English-based creole with influences from Portuguese, Spanish, and French languages, while also having elements from the West African and the Garifuna languages that were brought to the Caribbean region by the slave trade.
Money & Tipping
The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD or EC$), whose notes are in denominations of EC$5, 10, 20, 50, and 100, while its coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 cents and EC$2 and EC$1. That being said, the US dollar is also widely accepted on the island. However, take note when paying with USD because you will receive your change in EC$. So, pay attention to the exchange rate, which, in most cases, is not particularly favourable for the traveller. Therefore, you might want to head to an ATM nearby (all the major islands belonging to St. Vincent & The Grenadines complex, except for Mayreau, have 24-hour ATMs and a bank) and dispense EC dollars.
Credit cards and travellers’ cheques are well accepted at the larger restaurants and most hotels in St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Finally, tipping is not obligatory in St. Vincent & The Grenadines because a 10% service charge is automatically added to your restaurant or hotel bill. However, you are always free to leave a tip if you have received services that went above and beyond what you initially expected.
Communications and Internet
St. Vincent & The Grenadines island complex has an excellent telecommunications infrastructure, which means that the overwhelming majority of the 30+ islands forming the country have reliable mobile coverage. As for Wi-Fi and internet coverage and speed, expect plenty of Wi-Fi hotspots around tourist areas and high-speed internet available almost across the country.
Finally, 784 is the telephone code for St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Clothing Etiquette
Being a tropical country in the Caribbean region, things are quite relaxed and chilled in St. Vincent & The Grenadines overall. So, casual cotton clothing is highly recommended. However, if you are planning on having dinner in a formal restaurant at any of St. Vincent & The Grenadines islands, you might want to pack a few more formal pieces, such as a jacket, tie, and shirt (for the men) and a dress or another smart attire (for women).
Kindly note that you cannot be seen wearing camouflage clothes in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Just like many other Caribbean nations, camouflage clothing is forbidden unless you are an army soldier or official. This also includes children’s clothes and even applies to any item made from camouflage materials. If you are wearing or carrying such garments, these will be confiscated by the authorities and never be returned to you.
Food and Local Cuisine
Although St. Vincent & The Grenadines islands are quite small in size, almost in their entirety, they still provide a wealth of options when it comes to eating out. The unofficial symbol of St. Vincent is the breadfruit, a main ingredient in many recipes, including St. Vincent & The Grenadine's national dish, roasted breadfruit, and fried jackfish. The nutrient-packed fruit is so popular in the region that it even has its festival – the Breadfruit Festival held every August.
Other Vincentian mainstays are seafood, vegetables, and fruit, which help create delicious dishes, such as queen conch (called lambi), kingfish, red snapper, callaloo soup, and a dish made from a traditional Amerindian crop called arrowroot, which is powdered and then used pretty much like flour to make puddings and bread.
Curried goat and chicken are also popular, usually accompanied by Hairoun, the local beer, which is also the name the early settlers of the island gave to St. Vincent. Of course, rum flows abundantly across the country and is often mixed into potent punches.
Getting Around
Visitors have a few ways to get around St. Vincent & The Grenadines, including taxis, buses, cars, and ferries. The best way to navigate the inland of most of the 32 islands of St. Vincent & The Grenadines is by taxi. Taxi fares are reasonably priced, and they are plentiful in the majority of the bigger islands. Taking a taxi is also potentially the handiest way to transfer from St. Vincent’s Argyle International Airport (AIA) to your hotel room. However, renting a car is also a nice alternative to getting anywhere. However, it is not available across all islands, rather than just St. Vincent, Mustique, and Bequia. Nevertheless, you might want to think twice before renting a car, as the roads are challenging to drive and the road infrastructure is not that great.
Buses are other popular means of getting around, but their service is limited to the islands of St. Vincent, Bequia, and Union Island. Also, expect them to be cramped and overcrowded most of the time.
Now, when it comes to island hopping ventures, you can head to the central harbour of St. Vincent in Kingstown and take any of the ferries that shuttle passengers to the Grenadines daily. Luckily, there are numerous ferry companies available to choose from.
The country has five major airports, the most popular being Argyle International Airport (AIA). Other smaller airstrips are found on Union Island (UNI), Mustique (MQS), Bequia (BQU), and Canouan (CIW).
Venturing to St. Vincent & The Grenadines is a fantastic way to give your vacations the spark you need. With not only one but 32 remote islands and cays to choose from (all boasting spectacular landscapes featuring picturesque harbours, emerald hills, sugary shores, crystal-clear waters, boutique hotels, and profound natural allure), this beautiful Caribbean destination, indeed, feels like a dream fulfillment. To help plan this wonderful escapade you have in mind, we give you some basic details and things to know about the country so you can plan more wisely (and efficiently) and get in St. Vincent & The Grenadines mood a moment sooner!
Language
The official language of St. Vincent & The Grenadines is English. However, as with most Caribbean islands, the locals also speak their creole language. In St. Vincent & The Grenadine’s case, that would be Vincentian Creole, an English-based creole with influences from Portuguese, Spanish, and French languages, while also having elements from the West African and the Garifuna languages that were brought to the Caribbean region by the slave trade.
Money & Tipping
The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD or EC$), whose notes are in denominations of EC$5, 10, 20, 50, and 100, while its coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 cents and EC$2 and EC$1. That being said, the US dollar is also widely accepted on the island. However, take note when paying with USD because you will receive your change in EC$. So, pay attention to the exchange rate, which, in most cases, is not particularly favourable for the traveller. Therefore, you might want to head to an ATM nearby (all the major islands belonging to St. Vincent & The Grenadines complex, except for Mayreau, have 24-hour ATMs and a bank) and dispense EC dollars.
Credit cards and travellers’ cheques are well accepted at the larger restaurants and most hotels in St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Finally, tipping is not obligatory in St. Vincent & The Grenadines because a 10% service charge is automatically added to your restaurant or hotel bill. However, you are always free to leave a tip if you have received services that went above and beyond what you initially expected.
Communications and Internet
St. Vincent & The Grenadines island complex has an excellent telecommunications infrastructure, which means that the overwhelming majority of the 30+ islands forming the country have reliable mobile coverage. As for Wi-Fi and internet coverage and speed, expect plenty of Wi-Fi hotspots around tourist areas and high-speed internet available almost across the country.
Finally, 784 is the telephone code for St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
Clothing Etiquette
Being a tropical country in the Caribbean region, things are quite relaxed and chilled in St. Vincent & The Grenadines overall. So, casual cotton clothing is highly recommended. However, if you are planning on having dinner in a formal restaurant at any of St. Vincent & The Grenadines islands, you might want to pack a few more formal pieces, such as a jacket, tie, and shirt (for the men) and a dress or another smart attire (for women).
Kindly note that you cannot be seen wearing camouflage clothes in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Just like many other Caribbean nations, camouflage clothing is forbidden unless you are an army soldier or official. This also includes children’s clothes and even applies to any item made from camouflage materials. If you are wearing or carrying such garments, these will be confiscated by the authorities and never be returned to you.
Food and Local Cuisine
Although St. Vincent & The Grenadines islands are quite small in size, almost in their entirety, they still provide a wealth of options when it comes to eating out. The unofficial symbol of St. Vincent is the breadfruit, a main ingredient in many recipes, including St. Vincent & The Grenadine's national dish, roasted breadfruit, and fried jackfish. The nutrient-packed fruit is so popular in the region that it even has its festival – the Breadfruit Festival held every August.
Other Vincentian mainstays are seafood, vegetables, and fruit, which help create delicious dishes, such as queen conch (called lambi), kingfish, red snapper, callaloo soup, and a dish made from a traditional Amerindian crop called arrowroot, which is powdered and then used pretty much like flour to make puddings and bread.
Curried goat and chicken are also popular, usually accompanied by Hairoun, the local beer, which is also the name the early settlers of the island gave to St. Vincent. Of course, rum flows abundantly across the country and is often mixed into potent punches.
Getting Around
Visitors have a few ways to get around St. Vincent & The Grenadines, including taxis, buses, cars, and ferries. The best way to navigate the inland of most of the 32 islands of St. Vincent & The Grenadines is by taxi. Taxi fares are reasonably priced, and they are plentiful in the majority of the bigger islands. Taking a taxi is also potentially the handiest way to transfer from St. Vincent’s Argyle International Airport (AIA) to your hotel room. However, renting a car is also a nice alternative to getting anywhere. However, it is not available across all islands, rather than just St. Vincent, Mustique, and Bequia. Nevertheless, you might want to think twice before renting a car, as the roads are challenging to drive and the road infrastructure is not that great.
Buses are other popular means of getting around, but their service is limited to the islands of St. Vincent, Bequia, and Union Island. Also, expect them to be cramped and overcrowded most of the time.
Now, when it comes to island hopping ventures, you can head to the central harbour of St. Vincent in Kingstown and take any of the ferries that shuttle passengers to the Grenadines daily. Luckily, there are numerous ferry companies available to choose from.
The country has five major airports, the most popular being Argyle International Airport (AIA). Other smaller airstrips are found on Union Island (UNI), Mustique (MQS), Bequia (BQU), and Canouan (CIW).