I’ve visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines twice now, but the second time, I spent a full day on Bequia island. Bequia is definitely my favorite part of visiting St. Vincent. It has that slow, island life with typical Caribbean white sand and blue water beaches everywhere.
I took a ferry from St. Vincent to Bequia and back on the same day. My Ferry departed at 8 am in Kingstown and left Port Elizabeth in Bequia at 4 pm. It costs $15.00 USD round trip per person. I also went everywhere on foot and it was very easy.
This article is about all the things to do in Bequia island. If I am being honest, it’s a small island with not a large array of things going on. The most you’re going to want to stay here is maybe 1 or 2 days depending on how slow and relaxing you want to take it. If you want to spend some time here a good place to start is my guide on where to stay in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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1. Visit Princess Margaret Beach
Princess Margaret Beach is my favorite place in Bequia and spending a few hours here is my favorite thing to do. The walk to get here is an excursion in itself. There is a little bit of hiking and walking along wooden bridges that are fastened to the side of a cliff.
I was shocked by how long this beach was and by the vast stretch of swimmable water the entire way. As soon as you walk down from the wooden bridge you’ll meet crystal clear blue water to your right and a forest of Manchineel trees covering part of the sand to your left. These trees are so toxic, never lay underneath them if it’s raining.
Along the sand you’ll see a line of vendors selling food, drinks, chairs, kayaks and tours. Honestly, you don’t have to get any chairs or tours here, simply sitting on the sand on a beach mat is fine.
Princess Margaret beach is also a really great place to snorkel. I was able to see so many marine life living among the coral there. There are patches of coral and rock going far out enabling you to even stand up in the deep. So, I definitely recommend bringing goggles at least. There are so many large clusters of coral in this one beach. It really brought many fish right up to the beach which made them easy to see.
From Port Elizabeth just walk at the absolute edge of the island and head to the right. You’ll eventually arrive at a sign and some stairs leading up to a short hike. After this, you’ll come across wooden stairs built into the cliff face leading down towards the beach. Just keep going and you’ll arrive at my favorite beach in Bequia. Visiting Princess Margaret beach is definitely one of my favorite things to do in Bequia and one of my favorite things to do in St. Vincent in general.
2. Relax at Lower Bay
When you visit Princess Margaret beach, you’re only about 10 minutes walk to Lower Bay beach. This is another beach immediately after Princess Margaret, if you walk to the absolute end and walk up some stairs. You’ll come to a grassy area with some goats grazing. Just walk further, go through a very narrow alley and you’ll end up in a nice posh neighborhood. Walk down this street and Lower Bay beach will be on your right.
I was surprised by how many people there were here compared to Princess Margaret beach. But, I quickly realized most people here came by car from another part of the island, while Princess Margaret beach is only accessible by walking. I love places like this. Places with a little adventure and that takes a bit of figuring out to discover.
Lower Bay is another one of the best beaches in Bequia. There were a lot of established restaurants and bars on this beach compared to Princess Margaret beach that only have a few tents set up. The vibe here was more local and festive. There were vehicles playing music, people walked with containers of food to eat while spending the entire day relaxing by the beach.
Just a heads up; the food and just about everything else in Bequia is more expensive than the main island of St. Vincent.
3. Explore Port Elizabeth and Belmont Walkway
Port Elizabeth is where you’ll be immediately after exiting the ferry. Walk to your right and there are tons of things to do, places to eat and shop and the beaches. I was really surprised by how developed this area of Bequia is for such a small island.
The Belmont walkway in Bequia is a narrow walkway that runs along the absolute edge of the island. It’s basically a man made concrete platform designed to allow people to easily see the beauty of the island and to easily access beaches and mariners. Along this walkway are many restaurants, cafes and shops you could have lunch and breakfast at.
One of my favorite restaurants here is called The Fig Tree and they basically serve everything. I suggest getting anything else besides the roti. I’m not a big fan of St. Vincent roti. There are places to sit even it you’re soaking wet and covered in sand. There’s also a very popular pizza place next door called Mac’s Pizza & Kitchen. When we were walking back from Princess Margaret beach, about half of everybody was carrying a pizza.
4. Sailing and boat trips
The amount of sailboats and catamarans we saw in Bequia was insane. There were so many people sailing tiny sail skiffs and big ones. There were people riding dinghies from the larger boats to the smaller ones. Many people also come to Bequia Island on their own boat instead of the ferry over from St. Vincent.
You can take a tour on one of these cats to many different islands in the Grenadines. I recommend taking a short ride around the island of Bequia to see how everything. Maybe you’ll see dolphins and stuff.
There are even fishing trips you can do here. I love fishing. It’s probably my favorite thing to do. I recommend doing these long trips if you’re staying more than one day in Bequia.
5. Hike to the top of mount Peggy
One thing I did not have enough time to do in Bequia was hike Mount Peggy, but it is at the top of my list for a return trip. The trail climbs above the southern side of the island and hikers could see wide views across Bequia, Admiralty Bay and some of the surrounding Grenadine islands. After seeing so much of Bequia from the water while swimming and exploring on foot, I would have loved to experience the island from its highest viewpoint as well.
This is a better choice for active travellers who want something beyond beaches and boat trips. Typically most people just go to the beaches. But I love adventurous things and I can’t simply sit on a beach for hours. The route can be approached from around Friendship Bay, although parts of the trail are reportedly poorly marked and not consistently maintained. I would consider going with a local guide rather than trying to find the route alone, especially after rain or if you are unfamiliar with the island. Wear proper shoes, carry plenty of water and start earlier in the day before the Caribbean heat becomes uncomfortable.
I would not squeeze Mount Peggy into a rushed Bequia day trip unless hiking is one of your main priorities instead of the other things to do in Bequia. Port Elizabeth, the Belmont Walkway and Princess Margaret Beach were much easier to combine for me since I was just here for 1 day. However, if you are staying overnight or have a full day available, the hike gives you a completely different view of Bequia and helps balance out a trip otherwise centered around beach vibes.
Final Thoughts
I was really glad I decided to visit Bequia. I intend to visit St. Vincent many other times in the future because one of my best friends is from there and each time I want to visit Bequia. I also want to visit the other Grenadine islands and maybe even do a full stay here and fully experience this small island life. I hope this guide based on my personal experience could help you figure out the things you’d like to do in Bequia when you come here.
Be sure to add Bequia to your St. Vincent itinerary.
