A quick tour of mainland St Vincent

During our travels throughout the islands of the Grenadines, we had heard very mixed reviews about mainland St Vincent. These included several reports of thefts and also a recent, quite violent, boarding. Therefore, we had made the decision not to go there with Escapade.

However, we were still keen to see the mainland. So, an intrepid party of 8 of us took the 6:30am ferry from Bequia to Kingstown (mainland St Vincent) and set off on an island tour with Fraser (from Fraser Taxis and Tours: www.frasertaxitours.com). We were so glad that we did – it was such a great day!

Fraser was an excellent guide, proud of his island and keen to share his knowledge of St Vincent past and present with us. He met us at the ferry terminal and we were escorted to a comfortable air-conditioned mini bus.

The tour started (at our request) with a food stop: roti and coffee for breakfast hit the spot. We all passed on the shot of rum though – it was too early even for us!

Moving inland from Kingstown, we took in the view from Belmont Lookout. Here we had views back to Kingstown and across to the islands of the Grenadines and also into the crater of an ancient volcano and the Mesopotamia Valley. Fraser explained that the volcanic soil makes this area extremely fertile. It is known as the ‘breadbasket of St Vincent’ as it is the main source of fruit, vegetables and spices for the whole island. Farmers opt for traditional styles and you can see the terraces cut by hand. Bananas, breadfruit, nutmeg, sugar cane, cacao and coconut are just a few of the crops grown in this area.

Next stop was Black Point Tunnel. Constructed around 1815 using slave labour, it was, for its time, a marvel of engineering. The 360 feet long tunnel enabled easier transportation of sugar from the mills of Grand Sable Estate to the wharf at Byrea.

While at the recreation park, we also got a demonstration of how to cut a coconut.

Passing through Georgetown, we headed north along the coast into the ‘red zone’. This was the area worst hit by the volcanic eruption in April 2021. The residents of this area were evacuated and many returned to destroyed homes. The community spirit has been tremendous and the residents have worked together to clear up and repair the damage. However, it is a mammoth job and, even now, everywhere you look there is evidence of the devastation it caused. Huge piles of ash still lay along the roadsides and broken buildings litter the villages.

Our furthest point north on our trip was the Owia Salt Pond, an ocean fed bathing pool. Volcanic rock formations surrounding the pool made the clear, calm  waters a refreshing place to swim before the long drive back to Kingstown.

To keep us fed and watered throughout the day, Fraser had bought fresh melon and mango (from his own tree) along with water, local beer and, of course, rum punch. He even sent us on our way with a bag full of mangoes and a box of bananas.

It was an amazing day and St Vincent is definitely a place worth visiting. Thank you, Fraser.