Bequia (pronounced Bek-way) is a seven-square-mile island of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, and part of the Lesser Antilles. After the capital island of St. Vincent, located nine miles to the north, Bequia is the largest of the 32 islands and cays that make up the island-state of St. Vincent and The Grenadines. It is home to about 5,000 residents with a native ancestry of African, French, Scottish, Irish, Indian, and Carib descent. More recent settlers have come from Europe, America, and Canada, making Bequia home to a variety of nationalities with a distinct Creole influence.
We spent several weeks anchored around this idyllic island, on two separate occasions, and have concluded that this is one of our favorite little isles in the Caribbean. We plan to return again soon and make this one of our “homes away from home” during the hurricane season.
Thus far, we have anchored in Admiralty Bay on the west side of the island near the capital city of Port Elizabeth. The bay is a large, beautiful, natural harbor with clean, brilliantly clear turquoise water, an all-sand bottom, two beautiful beaches (Princess Margaret and Lower Bay Beach), and the quaintest waterfront village, just begging us cruisers to relax and stay a while.
The charming waterfront is lined with great restaurants and snack shacks. Mac’s Pizza & Kitchen is one of our favorites. The pizza is some of the best we’ve had outside of the United States. We also enjoyed spending time at Sugar & Spice Cafe, where we not only enjoyed fresh pastries, panini sandwiches, and coffee drinks, but also cold air conditioning and a cushy couch. It was a nice break from the boat.
Mac’s Pizza and Kitchen
Sugar & Spice Cafe
Also along the waterfront are dive shops, a chandlery, a small market, and more. Tourists have their pick of any number of bungalows and resorts in which to stay, and the beaches are among the best with soft white sand.
There is a large walkway along the waterfront made up of the Belmont Walkway and the Princess Margaret Trail. These were restored by a local group called “Action Bequia,” allowing access on foot all the way from Port Elizabeth Beach to Lower Bay Beach. It was an exciting day for the locals when it was completed. But sadly, a good portion of it was wiped out by Hurricane Beryl. I imagine it will be restored again, but I’m sure it will take time.
There is so much to do right on the waterfront, but there is even more to see and do in the town of Port Elizabeth. On the main street are shops, boutiques, local eateries, a church, service industries, a sail shop, an art gallery, several Knight’s grocery stores, and Doris’ Fine Foods where you can find just about any item you need (if you’re willing to pay a premium).
While we were in Bequia the second time around, we hired the friendly and talented crew at Grenada Sails & Canvas Shop to make chaps for our dinghy. Some friends of ours had had chaps made for their dinghy here and said it was a great price for good quality work. Apparently, Hurricane Beryl had caused a large breadfruit tree to fall on their building which put a hole in their roof, destroyed their air conditioning unit, and shut them down for repairs for several weeks. We called the shop before we left Grenada to see if they were open, and they said they would be open and ready for us when we arrived. They were eager to have us as their first customer after the disaster and said they needed the business after having lost revenue for almost a month. We highly recommend this shop. The work took them four days to complete, from fabric and color selection, to measurement, sewing, fitting, and installing. Here are some pics.
This island is isolated enough to remain relatively unspoiled, yet lively enough to be an exciting getaway. It’s not a wealthy island. The people make a modest living, but they seem to work hard and take pride in their families and culture. For the most part, the locals are friendly and welcoming, taking time to smile, wave, greet, and chat with visitors who give them the time. We have been fortunate to hear some of their stories, learn about the land they cherish, and love on these sweet people.
The day before we left Bequia to head back south to Grenada, we were gifted by God with a beautiful double rainbow. The heavens certainly declare His glory, as do His waters, beaches, islands, and people. What an amazing adventure we are blessed to experience!
