I say it wrong, every time, to this day: “Beck-wee-aee.” No, no, no! It’s “Beck-WAY.” Got it! 🙂
Tucked away in the Grenadines, the tiny island of Bequia is an authentic island escape that many never get to see. After all, it’s not easy to get to: you have to take a flight from Barbados to St. Vincent and then a one-hour ferry ride to get there. In fairness, there is a small airport on the island (J. F. Mitchell Airport), but most people don’t opt for this method due to the cost and tiny planes involved.
Because it’s so off the beaten track, it means the island has retained its authentic charm and is devoid of the trappings of mass tourism. Love that!
Port Elizabeth
Luckily for us, we live on a boat and were able to moor (with the help of Daffodil Yacht Services) right outside Port Elizabeth, the island’s main town. We got to spend three days on this lovely little island.
After checking in with Customs and Immigration, which was located in the heart of town, we strolled along the main street and perused the various fruit and vegetable stands.
On our second day there, we ventured into the town a bit deeper. It’s mostly residential, but it was fun getting a closer view of life on the island.
Port Elizabeth is not large, by any stretch of the imagination. Here you can see its bus terminal:
All joking aside, most people don’t need much in the way of transportation because the island is so small (seven square miles). But there are a few transportation options.
Getting Around on Bequia
There are five main ways to navigate around Bequia.
- Taxi: The most popular choice if you need to get across the island. Most are price-negotiable.
- Dollar vans: Shared minibuses, a cheaper option, but routes may be limited and not always convenient.
- Water taxis: Perfect for getting to beaches around Admiralty Bay.
- Car rental: Available but not essential due to the island’s small size and taxi accessibility.
- Walking: Ideal for exploring the waterfront area along the Belmont Walkway, connecting to restaurants and shops. This is what we did.
Beaching It
Bequia has some beautiful beaches. We chose to walk along Belmont Walkway and then on Princess Margaret Trail to—you guessed it—Princess Margaret Beach.
Named after the British princess who once swam here, this postcard-perfect beach features soft golden sand and calm, clear waters. It’s ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing. It also has some fun beachside bars.
We ventured into a pretty little cove at the end.
Some other popular beaches on Bequia include:
Lower Bay Beach
Friendship Bay
Industry Bay & Crescent Beach
Restaurants
We ate at three restaurants on Bequia: Mac’s, Laura’s, and Maria’s. (All names! That’s funny.)
Mac’s Pizza and Kitchen
OK, c’mon. Mac’s? We just had to try it. We ate pizza, but their menu offered other choices, too.
Laura’s Restaurant
Our favorite! We came back a few times because we loved it so much. The food was delicious, and the views were great.
Maria’s Cafe
Right in the center of Port Elizabeth, with an upstairs view. The food was average, but the ambiance was pleasant.
When we went to pay Daffodil Yacht Services for our mooring, we noticed how charming their Open Deck restaurant was. We will definitely try it if we get to return someday.
We were able to handle basic provisioning at a few small mini-markets in Port Elizabeth.
Other Things to Do on Bequia
These are the things on our list we didn’t get to. We hope you do!
Bequia Maritime Museum
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary
Hike to Mount Pleasant
Fort Hamilton
Belmont Walkway Saturday Market
Where to Stay on Bequia
We stayed on our sailboat, but we were quite intrigued by the Bequia Plantation Hotel, mainly because of its idyllic location.
Moonhole Bequia
We passed by this as we sailed toward Mustique. I was so intrigued!
Apparently, this was a 19-home ecologically oriented development founded by New Yorkers Thomas and Gladys Johnston in the 1960s. Made from whalebones, native hardwoods, and objects recovered from the sea, the houses featured open rooms with sea views. The concept reminded us a lot of Dolphin House in Bimini, Bahamas.
Without wells or electricity, the Johnstons collected rainwater from the roofs and stored it in cisterns for bathing and washing. And the master bath had a large tree that grew up through a hole in the roof. At one point, some of the houses were available as short-term rentals. You can read more about it here.
Moonhole is now a private nature preserve.
Final Thoughts
Bequia is a beautiful, authentic little island. It’s especially perfect if you are looking to relax and unwind. Like the sign at Fay’s on Princess Margaret Beach says, “Live slow today.”
We really loved it there.
You can see a map of Port Elizabeth, Bequia here.
Leave a Reply