St Vincent and the Grenadines are said to be the jewels of the Caribbean. While St Vincent is a beautiful island it is perhaps not so well known as some of the small Grenadine islands which stretch in an arc within sight of its coast. Mustique is probably the most famous off-shore island and can be seen on a clear day from St Vincent. There are many more within reach by yacht: Bequia, Palm Island, Union Island, Mayreau, the Tobago Cays, and Canouan, to name but a few, all worth exploring either by inter-island ferry or by private yacht.

St Vincent itself is uniquely unspoilt by the tourist trade which has somewhat swamped neighbouring islands like Barbados (90 miles to the East), St Lucia and Grenada. This is because the terrain is mountainous and consequently an airport large enough for big jets has not yet been built though one is proposed in the near future. While the local tourist industry has been slow to develop this has not prevented the island being visited by discerning visitors and used as a yachting haven and starting off point for exploring the Grenadine islands. It is English-speaking and the local people are friendly and welcoming to outsiders. The island is now independent from Britain and has a democratically elected Government which is re-elected every five years.