The island of St.Vincent has so many beautiful things to offer, but strangely, it feels as though tourism isn’t “their thing”. If you’ve ever been, then you know what I mean and if you haven’t, seriously, what are you waiting for?? – go see for yourself!
But despite the very laid-back nature of the island, St.Vincent has a naturally untapped, or rather, an uncommercialized feel about it – and I simply love it. Here are seven exhilarating things that you must do in St.Vincent:
1. Hike an Active Volcano
Don’t let this scare you! Yes, the majestic volcano is indeed an active volcano, but historically speaking, it hasn’t erupted since 1979 and the last eruptions prior to that occurrence date back to 1718, 1812, and 1902. So really and truly, you should be fine *knock on wood* and how exhilarating would it be to say that you’ve hiked a 4049 ft active volcano?!
The site opens from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm and is free of charge unless you use the services of a guide.
Most memorable experience: actually making it to the very top of the volcano and being surrounded by clouds. It’s a surreal experience – it’s cold, visibility wasn’t great most of the time (while at the top) but the journey was worth it!
2. Visit the Oldest Botanical Garden in the Tropical Region
It really wouldn’t be a Bottled Sunshine blog post if we didn’t have some form of garden included wouldn’t it? St.Vincent Botanical Gardens is known to be the oldest botanical garden in the tropical region, as well as the Western Hemisphere! That in itself is exhilarating – need I say more?
The site opens every day from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and the cost is only $5EC per person or $2.50 EC for children age 12 and under.
3. Take A Cold (Freezing) Shower at Dark View Falls
The journey to Dark View Falls from the car park is actually quite short but it requires you to cross a bridge in order to get to the falls. If you aren’t a fan of heights (even though it’s not that high), you may find this particularly nervewracking.
I’m not particularly a fan of cold water nor am I particularly interested in being pummeled by a cascading waterfall (like Steven) so if you are anything like me, fear not, there is indeed a smaller pool that you can wade in. It’s not as exciting as the main attraction but do what makes you feel comfortable!
The site opens from 9.00 am – 5.00 pm and the cost is only $5EC per person.
Most memorable experience: have you ever tried to go underneath a waterfall, and it felt like the closer you get the harder it comes down – amazing right!?
4. Take a Trip Back in Time in the Black Point Tunnel
The Black Point Tunnel is an integral part of the Vincentian history as it was constructed around 1815 using slave labor. It’s a marvel because this 360 feet long tunnel was made to make transportation of sugar from the mills of Grand Sable Estate to the wharf at Byreau much easier.
The site opens from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and the cost is only $5EC per person.
Fun Fact: The Black Point Tunnel was also a film location for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
5. Visit the Movie Set of the Original Pirates of the Caribbean
I’ll be honest with you, I’ve watched all five of the movies from the franchise many many times before but I never realized that some of the major scenes within the first few movies were actually shot at Wallilabou Anchorage, St.Vincent!
‘Port Royal’ was built at Wallilabou Bay for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest as well as the ‘Tortuga’ scene which was also shot in Wallilabou Bay for Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End.
There is no charge to see this site as it isn’t exactly well maintained. But, regardless of if you’re a fan of the franchise or not, it would give you chills – it gave me chills!
Most memorable experience: it prompted us to rewatch all of the movies – for the millionth time and needless to say, we felt pretty darn cool!
There are lots more things to do on the island of St.Vincent, most of which are insanely inexpensive such as the Belmont Lookout, Cumberland Nature Trail, Falls of Baleine, Fort Charlotte, Layou Petroglyph Park, Owia Salt Pond, Rawacou Recreation Park, Trinity Falls, and the Vermont Nature Trail.
We certainly didn’t have the time to go to every point of interest during our time there, but we will be back and we’ll definitely explore more of St.Vincent when we do.
Have you ever been to St.Vincent? What was your favorite thing to do on the island? Let us know!
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