St Vincent and the Grenadines / Special Interests / Historical Sites

There are some visible colonial sites, including the fortresses that were used to defend the islands against the marauding navies of the age of Empire, but besides these perhaps the most interesting thing to visit are the petroglyphs or rock carvings that have been left by the Amerindians. These are mostly found on mainland St Vincent.

St Vincent

Kingstown - The capital of St Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown, which is set on an excellent harbour in the south-west of the island, protected from the Atlantic by the huge spine of the island which runs down to the southern tip. With a quarter of the islands’ total population living in and around Kingstown, it is the only appreciable town in the islands and is known familiarly to the Vincentians as “the city”.

Parts of Kingstown are very attractive and the town still retains some of its old-time Caribbean feel in its cobbled streets and “shirt and skirt” buildings (stone ground storeys and wooden uppers). A particularly good feature of the town is the covered colonnades that line many of the old streets. These walkways, made of stone arches, keep pedestrians out of the sun and the rain, both of which the town sees very regularly of course.

Kingstown is being developed fast and so slightly characterless concrete colossi are appearing among the pretty old buildings, but some features to look out for are the Law Courts (seat of the St Vincent and the Grenadines parliament) and the nearby police station. The central market building has no architectural significance beyond its weird pink and white colour scheme, but it is fun to visit for the exotic fruits and vegetables on display. Behind the gridiron of downtown streets you will find two impressive cathedrals, the Anglican St George’s, and the Gothic pile of Catholic St Mary’s.

Bequia

Port Elizabeth - A quaint harbour town with brightly painted buildings and a lovely charm to it, particularly along the Belmont waterfront. Most of the islands’ shops, restaurants and bars are in the area and there is a long tradition of boat-building here.

Moonhole - Community of private residencies built into the cliff-side on the south-western tip of the island. Weekly organised tour, call ahead to book.

Fort Hamilton - Remains of an 18th Century French fort on the north side of Admiralty Bay. Little of the fort is still standing, but the walk up is nice and there are stunning views across the bay towards Port Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Beach.

Union Island

Fort Hill - On the north-east of the island, this 17th Century fort offers panoramic views across Clifton and towards the Grenadines. Reached by four-wheel drive or a 450 ft hike.