Lying to the south of Saint Lucia and directly east of Barbados the archipelago that is made up of the 32 islands of the Grenadines has long been considered one of the true boltholes of the Caribbean with exclusive, private island retreats and a distinctly underdeveloped tourist scene, but rather authentic Caribbean experiences where nature is never far from the spotlight. If you are thinking of island hopping then a trip down the archipelago is a worthy alternative to the British Virgin Islands. The sister islands of Bequia, Canouan, and Mustique have long drawn people in search of escape 59 Port Elizabeth ST.VINCENT BEQUIA MUSTIQUE CANOUAN Kingstown Bequia Beautiful Bequia is the quintessential slow-paced Caribbean island that really does have it all. Among its many draw cards are Princess Margaret Beach and Lower Bay, two wonderful stretches of sand backed by lush greenery, just a short hike from the capital Port Elizabeth. Hike to the top of the northern hills for some of the best views across the island to Mustique and and Canouan. Mustique The island came to prominence when Princess Margaret adopted it as her ‘Royal’ hideaway. Home to a wealthy elite in their private villas, this is the classic Millionaires’ haven. Come and rub shoulders with the well to do in this thoroughly relaxed island paradise. Head for Basil’s Bar at the Cotton House, the island’s social club! Canouan If Mustique evokes exclusivity then Canouan takes one step further. Labelled as ‘the place where Billionaires go to avoid Millionaires’ it is the site of spectacular, but low-key international development. The north of the island was originally sold off by the government for a mega resort project, which thankfully evolved into the superlative Mandarin Oriental, Canouan. Q PETIT ST. VINCENT MAYREAU Tobago Cays
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