Formed by hundreds of small and bigger islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines feels like an earthy haven offering countless opportunities to fill one’s soul with utmost bliss in the way that best corresponds to their true needs and desires. One of its most scenic attractions is the picture-perfect towns and quaint villages that dot lush landscapes and enchant with their lively markets, pastel buildings, narrow streets, and spectacular natural scenery. Below is an attempt to present a few of the hundreds of charming towns that could make it into a Best Towns list, with hopes it becomes an encouraging starting point for your Saint Vincent and the Grenadines explorations.
Kingstown – Bubbling and Animated
Serving as the capital of the country, Kingstown is a vibrant port city bewildering visitors with its impressive background starring Saint Vincent’s most famous attraction, the lush volcanic peaks. Expect streets lined with historic stone buildings and filled with vendors with eye-catching market umbrellas, cobblestone courtyards, back-alley cafes, and drivers honking whenever they please and stopping in the middle of the road to roll down their windows and buy fresh fruit! But, besides all these, Kingstown is also home to the oldest botanical gardens in the entire Western hemisphere dating back to the late 1700s.
Barrouallie – The Definition of Peace
Barrouallie is a serene and tranquil rural town in Saint Vincent that was the first European colony on the island and even the capital of St. Vincent back in the day. Once a bustling whaling village, it is now a place of utmost serenity and composure that many visitors choose to unwind and relax in between their island adventures. Expect a charming fishing village with a strong community of chatty, inviting, and welcoming people that are often seen cooking by a fireside and liming on the beach, accompanied by delicious tastes of roasted breadfruit and blackened fish. Further ashore, chickens trot along the alleys as goats graze in the surrounding fields!
Tip: We strongly recommend taking the winding main road to the top of the hill to the south for the most breathtaking views of the Leeward part of Saint Lucia and fantastic panoramas of the bay and the town.
Britannia Bay – Exquisite Elegance
Britannia Bay is known for its luxury accommodations, specifically its stylish vacation homes. Sitting like a true queen on the lap of Mustique island, it is home to a cute village enveloped by chic boutiques, charming pastel buildings overlooking the brightest azure of a bay human eyes have seen, and perfectly-manicured gardens. Life here seems to have a slower-than- ”slow” rhythm, so sit comfortably at Basil’s Bar – a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike with palm-thatched roofs that sits on stilts like a graceful ballerina offering exceptional 360-degree views of the turquoise waters – and enjoy watching the local fishing boats being pulled up on the scenic sandy beach with the day’s catch, with a refreshing cocktail in hand just before sunset!
Port Elizabeth – Pampering Architectural Landmark Lovers
The only town on Bequia island (it is an Arawak name that translates as the “island of the clouds” – something you will soon understand as soon as you step foot there!) and the second-largest of the Grenadines. It is also the town most northerly situated in the Grenadines.
That aside, visitors come to Port Elizabeth for a taste of its charming old architecture as the small town is adorned with landmarks like the stone-built St. Mary’s Anglican Church constructed in 1829, which replaced a small wooden church that was severely damaged by a hurricane. The chapel is just a block down from the jetty and is a small and unassuming place of worship with beautiful stained glass memorial plaques hanging in the large windows.
Overall, though, Port Elizabeth is delightful as it greets visitors with brightly coloured storefronts framed by palm trees and bougainvilleas, a broad waterfront lined with restaurants, a main road filled with market vendors selling handmade goods, and a lovely, shallow bay with incredibly transparent waters and sailboats bobbing gentle in it, along with busy footpaths that weave between church spires, scenic cafes, cute boutiques, and wooden rum shops!
Lower Bay – A Bequia Pearl
A tiny, tranquil village on Bequia island featuring an incredible stretch of pure white sand that walks you to stunning crystalline waters. The beachside beauty is a picture-perfect destination in St. Vincent & The Grenadines for those seeking private time away from the tourist places and the bustle of the more crowded towns.
Unpretentious guest houses and homely villas are nicely tucked just across waterfront sea grape trees and beach almond trees that enable bathers to enjoy the patches of shade their large leaves cast on the sandy beach.
As you stroll through Lower Bay and its magnetic shore, casual restaurant verandas and painted wood signs telling you where to find the nearest bar and how far you are from New York, Paris, and London will add a pinch of fun to the overall experience!
Clifton – A Laid-Back Union Island Town
Unlike what one would expect from the largest town on Union Island, Clifton is a far cry from the definition of a busy city. Staying loyal to the more laid-back lifestyle of the Grenadines, it will reward your time investment with green pastures surrounded by brightly coloured stalls that fill the air with the intoxicating aromas of the local produce on offer in remarkable abundance, while two-storey buildings with lovely balconies provide sweeping views of the bay and the main road.
Station Hill - A Mayreau Sleeping Beauty
Despite being the smallest of all inhabited islands of The Grenadines, Mayreau will steal your heart with its personality and wit. One of its allures is Station Hill, a scenic village occupying a pristine location atop a hill on the southwest side of Mayreau. Only accessible by boat, this is an isolated yet charming community to which electricity was introduced in 2002!
This lovely local village is spread along a winding road. It consists of a handful of variety stores, a few restaurants, and several rum shops with a particularly colourful character and lively vibe. Besides the old church waving from the very top of the hill that turns heads with its intricate stonework, visitors also feel completely infatuated with Station Hill for its spellbinding views of the barrier reef and Tobago Cays below.
Formed by hundreds of small and bigger islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines feels like an earthy haven offering countless opportunities to fill one’s soul with utmost bliss in the way that best corresponds to their true needs and desires. One of its most scenic attractions is the picture-perfect towns and quaint villages that dot lush landscapes and enchant with their lively markets, pastel buildings, narrow streets, and spectacular natural scenery. Below is an attempt to present a few of the hundreds of charming towns that could make it into a Best Towns list, with hopes it becomes an encouraging starting point for your Saint Vincent and the Grenadines explorations.
Kingstown – Bubbling and Animated
Serving as the capital of the country, Kingstown is a vibrant port city bewildering visitors with its impressive background starring Saint Vincent’s most famous attraction, the lush volcanic peaks. Expect streets lined with historic stone buildings and filled with vendors with eye-catching market umbrellas, cobblestone courtyards, back-alley cafes, and drivers honking whenever they please and stopping in the middle of the road to roll down their windows and buy fresh fruit! But, besides all these, Kingstown is also home to the oldest botanical gardens in the entire Western hemisphere dating back to the late 1700s.
Barrouallie – The Definition of Peace
Barrouallie is a serene and tranquil rural town in Saint Vincent that was the first European colony on the island and even the capital of St. Vincent back in the day. Once a bustling whaling village, it is now a place of utmost serenity and composure that many visitors choose to unwind and relax in between their island adventures. Expect a charming fishing village with a strong community of chatty, inviting, and welcoming people that are often seen cooking by a fireside and liming on the beach, accompanied by delicious tastes of roasted breadfruit and blackened fish. Further ashore, chickens trot along the alleys as goats graze in the surrounding fields!
Tip: We strongly recommend taking the winding main road to the top of the hill to the south for the most breathtaking views of the Leeward part of Saint Lucia and fantastic panoramas of the bay and the town.
Britannia Bay – Exquisite Elegance
Britannia Bay is known for its luxury accommodations, specifically its stylish vacation homes. Sitting like a true queen on the lap of Mustique island, it is home to a cute village enveloped by chic boutiques, charming pastel buildings overlooking the brightest azure of a bay human eyes have seen, and perfectly-manicured gardens. Life here seems to have a slower-than- ”slow” rhythm, so sit comfortably at Basil’s Bar – a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike with palm-thatched roofs that sits on stilts like a graceful ballerina offering exceptional 360-degree views of the turquoise waters – and enjoy watching the local fishing boats being pulled up on the scenic sandy beach with the day’s catch, with a refreshing cocktail in hand just before sunset!
Port Elizabeth – Pampering Architectural Landmark Lovers
The only town on Bequia island (it is an Arawak name that translates as the “island of the clouds” – something you will soon understand as soon as you step foot there!) and the second-largest of the Grenadines. It is also the town most northerly situated in the Grenadines.
That aside, visitors come to Port Elizabeth for a taste of its charming old architecture as the small town is adorned with landmarks like the stone-built St. Mary’s Anglican Church constructed in 1829, which replaced a small wooden church that was severely damaged by a hurricane. The chapel is just a block down from the jetty and is a small and unassuming place of worship with beautiful stained glass memorial plaques hanging in the large windows.
Overall, though, Port Elizabeth is delightful as it greets visitors with brightly coloured storefronts framed by palm trees and bougainvilleas, a broad waterfront lined with restaurants, a main road filled with market vendors selling handmade goods, and a lovely, shallow bay with incredibly transparent waters and sailboats bobbing gentle in it, along with busy footpaths that weave between church spires, scenic cafes, cute boutiques, and wooden rum shops!
Lower Bay – A Bequia Pearl
A tiny, tranquil village on Bequia island featuring an incredible stretch of pure white sand that walks you to stunning crystalline waters. The beachside beauty is a picture-perfect destination in St. Vincent & The Grenadines for those seeking private time away from the tourist places and the bustle of the more crowded towns.
Unpretentious guest houses and homely villas are nicely tucked just across waterfront sea grape trees and beach almond trees that enable bathers to enjoy the patches of shade their large leaves cast on the sandy beach.
As you stroll through Lower Bay and its magnetic shore, casual restaurant verandas and painted wood signs telling you where to find the nearest bar and how far you are from New York, Paris, and London will add a pinch of fun to the overall experience!
Clifton – A Laid-Back Union Island Town
Unlike what one would expect from the largest town on Union Island, Clifton is a far cry from the definition of a busy city. Staying loyal to the more laid-back lifestyle of the Grenadines, it will reward your time investment with green pastures surrounded by brightly coloured stalls that fill the air with the intoxicating aromas of the local produce on offer in remarkable abundance, while two-storey buildings with lovely balconies provide sweeping views of the bay and the main road.
Station Hill - A Mayreau Sleeping Beauty
Despite being the smallest of all inhabited islands of The Grenadines, Mayreau will steal your heart with its personality and wit. One of its allures is Station Hill, a scenic village occupying a pristine location atop a hill on the southwest side of Mayreau. Only accessible by boat, this is an isolated yet charming community to which electricity was introduced in 2002!
This lovely local village is spread along a winding road. It consists of a handful of variety stores, a few restaurants, and several rum shops with a particularly colourful character and lively vibe. Besides the old church waving from the very top of the hill that turns heads with its intricate stonework, visitors also feel completely infatuated with Station Hill for its spellbinding views of the barrier reef and Tobago Cays below.