Saturday, April 25, 2009

St. Vincent & Grenadines : Sample Itinerary Yacht Charter


SAMPLE ITINERARY FOR A YACHT CHARTER IN

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

DAY 1
  • Pick up at Young Island cut (close to the airport), St.Vincent and sail to Bequia and stay overnight Bequia. See traditional boat building and purchase a handmade model of a traditional Caribbean Yawl or perhaps shop at the local markets and try some island flavor. Bequia was once the home of whaling in the Caribbean and has a lot of history. For the divers explore Moon Hole which is a deep dive or swim along Devils Table which is a beautiful wall dive. Enjoy snorkeling and diving in maximum visibility under crystal clear waters off white sandy beaches. Snorkel the reefs off St. Margaret's beach, for hikers there is a beautiful coastal walk to French Bay, pick mango along the walk or papaya which grow wide. For evening entertainment listen to the Bequia String Quartet at the Gingerbread House (island music).
St Vincent & the Grenadines
( Click image to ENLARGE )

DAY 2
  • After breakfast and a swim it's time to set the sails and head for Mustique. Mustique is a huge Botanical garden. Tour by foot, taxi or horse back ride past the homes of the rich and famous. Shopping is very exclusive and charming here. Visit the airport if you dare but be sure and duck when the planes land! Visit the uncrowded beaches of Macaroni Bay and Sandy Bay. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Cotton House and imagine you have stepped back in time, in this graceful haven. For divers there is the wreck of the Jonas a 90 foot dredger which lies in 40 feet or drift dive at the Pillaries a steep slope which drops from 20 feet to 90 feet, large soft corals, reef fish, nurse sharks and barracudas abound. Enjoy sundowners at Basil's Bar, you never know who you might meet! Mystique is home to many famous rock stars who like to jam at Basils. Enjoy a romantic dinner under the stars on board or take in some of the local colour and eat at Basil's Bar.
DAY 3
  • Sail to the Tobago Cays and snorkel till you drop, the horseshoe reef is endless. The Tobago Cays offer excellent diving (mostly drift dives) over the horseshoe reef. The water and reef colors are a kaleidoscope of gold, brown, blue, turquoise and green. Enjoy a quiet evening in the cays feasting on the fresh fish catch of the day or sail to Mayreau for the night.
DAY 4
  • A short sail to Mayreau in the morning offers another island to explore. Climb to the top of Mayeau and enjoy the magnificent views of the Tobago Cays. Snorkel on the reef from Grand Col Point. Enjoy some windsurfing on flat water with constant winds. For hikers a walk from Saline Bay along the salt ponds brings you to some pristine beaches. Be sure to take your camera along as the views are spectular. Spend the night at Salt Whistle Bay and enjoy a majestic sunset with cocktail in hand. After dinner, dance under the stars to some reggae music.
DAY 5
  • After breakfast, sail to Palm Island. Swim ashore on Casuarina beach, a gorgeous expanse of golden sands lapped by turquoise waters, the ultimate picture-perfect Grenadine beach. After a tantalizing lunch, sail to Petit St.Vincent. Take the helm, trim the sails or just lay out on the trampolines and work on that golden tan with music gently playing in the back round. Petit St. Vincent is a gorgeous very small Island with good beach walks and off lying reefs for snorkeling. A comfortable reef dive off Pinese, offers the opportunity to see sting rays, turtles, reef fish and garden eels. After another enjoyable feast of fresh fish and local exotic fruits, have a drink ashore and see if you can get the parrots to talk to you. Petit St.Vincent has a very exclusive and quiet resort ashore with some quaint customs attached to it.
DAY 6
  • Sail to Union Island. If you only have 6 days to charter we would recommend starting in St Vincent and finishing in Union Island where you can hop on to a plane back to St Vincent or on to Grenada. For those who wish to explore more and charter for ten days... The adventure continues.
  • After a breakfast of local breads and tropical fruits enjoy a short sail to Chatham Bay on Union Island. With its dramatically mountainous outline Union Island stands out from afar. After lunch, explore ashore. Chatham Bay offers a lovely deserted beach and beautiful shoreline perfect for those Kodak moments. Watch the local fishermen seine netting and experience Caribbean life. There is good snorkeling here. The fish are particularly rich and attract all kinds of bird life.
DAY 7
  • For those chartering for a week fly out of Union Island to St Vincent, or Grenada.
  • After a hearty breakfast we set sail to Carriacou an Island with rolling hills and exquisite water colors. Snorkeling is endless and the waters are teaming with fish. Glossy Hill is a good dive site for sting rays, sharks and turtles. Great hiking ashore, look out for the donkeys and goats! Windsurfing is good here with calm protected waters and not many other boats around. Enjoy an elegant dinner and maybe a night snorkel to see the lobster and crabs.
DAY 8
  • Day 8 offers a long leisurely sail along the leeward coast of Grenada. Overnight at Prickly Bay, a delightful spot. The land is a tapestry of delight gardens you feel very much in the country here with the sound of birds in the day and tree frogs at night. Grenada offers good diving snorkeling and palm fringed beaches.
DAY 9
  • A short sail to Secret Harbour or Hog Island for a day of water sports or hire a car and tour the island. Drive up to Concord Falls and hike up to the upper falls for a swim. Drive on to Rose Mount for lunch, and take your time as this is a great drive through forest and countryside. Stop at Crater Lake and take a short hike into the rain forest then on to Grand Etang Lake. Shop at the color local markets or take a tour around the nutmeg factory. This should return you back to the yacht for cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres to swap tales on who saw the best waterfalls or who dared to dive from the cliff sides in to the lake!
DAY 10
  • Sail to Pt. Saline for that last minute shopping before joining your homeward flight.

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