Strung out for some sixty miles between St Vincent and Grenada, the Grenadines are what many sailors picture when they think of the Caribbean: small green islands, reefs the colour of a swimming pool, turtles in the shallows and boat boys selling fresh bread and lobster from their skiffs. There are no big resorts and no cruise-ship crowds, just a gentle trade-wind sail from one anchorage to the next.

Why charter in the Grenadines

The water. The Tobago Cays, at the heart of the islands, are among the most beautiful anchorages in the world: a ring of tiny islands inside a horseshoe of reef, with turtles feeding on the seagrass beside your yacht.

Real island life. Bequia keeps its boat-building and whaling heritage, Union Island and Carriacou are friendly and unhurried, and even glamorous Mustique feels more like a village than a resort.

Sailing for everyone. Passages are short, the wind is steady and the islands are close together. It’s an easy cruising ground for families, and a rewarding one for keen sailors.

The islands

Bequia

The first island south of St Vincent, and for many the favourite. Admiralty Bay is a large, sheltered harbour with the small town of Port Elizabeth at its head: bars, restaurants, model-boat workshops and a waterfront walkway to Princess Margaret Beach and Lower Bay. It’s a good place to start or end a charter, with ferries to St Vincent and a small airport.

Mustique

A private island, famously a retreat for royalty and rock stars. Visiting yachts pick up a mooring in Britannia Bay, and guests can go ashore for lunch at Basil’s Bar, swim at Macaroni Beach and explore the island’s quiet roads by mule (a small open car) or on foot.

Canouan

Canouan combines one of the island chain’s most exclusive resorts with long, empty beaches and a reef along its windward side. It’s an increasingly popular alternative to Union Island as a place to clear customs.

The Tobago Cays

A marine park of five small, uninhabited islands sheltered by Horseshoe Reef. Yachts anchor or take moorings between the islands; the park’s rangers collect a modest fee. Snorkel with the green turtles around Baradal, walk to the top of Jamesby for the view, and in the evening have the boat boys cook lobster on the beach. Come early in the season and you’ll understand why this is the photograph everyone takes home.

Mayreau

A tiny island with one village on the hill. Salt Whistle Bay, on its northern tip, is a crescent of sand backed by palms, with the Atlantic just a few steps away on the other side. Saltwhistle and the village were damaged by Hurricane Beryl in 2024 but have largely recovered.

Union Island and Palm Island

Union Island is the southern port of entry, with the small town of Clifton, a kitesurfing lagoon and Happy Island, a bar built on a reef. Union was the island hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, and recovery is still under way; many businesses have reopened, and visiting yachts bring welcome trade. Nearby Palm Island and Petit St Vincent are private island resorts that welcome guests for lunch or dinner by arrangement.

Admiralty Bay and Port Elizabeth on Bequia from the hillside, with yachts at anchor Admiralty Bay, Bequia. Photo: Sam Hallett on Unsplash.

A sample week

  1. Day 1: Join the yacht in Bequia (or at Blue Lagoon on St Vincent) and settle into Admiralty Bay.
  2. Day 2: Beach morning at Princess Margaret Beach, then a short sail to Mustique and lunch at Basil’s Bar.
  3. Day 3: South to Canouan for a quiet beach day.
  4. Day 4: Into the Tobago Cays: turtles, reef snorkelling and a lobster barbecue on the beach.
  5. Day 5: A second day in the Cays, or a short hop to Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau.
  6. Day 6: Union Island for kitesurfing or a drink on Happy Island; dinner at Palm Island or Petit St Vincent.
  7. Day 7: Sail back north towards Bequia, or finish in Grenada after clearing out at Union.

When to go

The Grenadines enjoy the same December to April season as the rest of the Caribbean, with steady trade winds and little rain. Because they lie further south, they’re often a little less exposed to hurricanes than the islands to the north, but the official season still runs from 1 June to 30 November, and July 2024’s Hurricane Beryl was a reminder that no island is immune. May and June are often lovely and quieter.

Good to know

  • Currency: the Eastern Caribbean dollar; US dollars are widely accepted.
  • Getting there: most UK guests fly to Barbados or St Lucia and take a short connecting flight to St Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan or Union Island. We’ll help you find the simplest connection for your dates.
  • Marine park: the Tobago Cays charge a small daily fee per person. Follow the rangers’ guidance on where to anchor and don’t touch the turtles.
  • Boat boys: local vendors who come alongside selling fish, fruit, bread and ice. Agree a price first; your crew will know the regulars.
  • Two countries: the northern Grenadines belong to St Vincent, the southern ones (Carriacou and Petite Martinique) to Grenada. Crossing between them means clearing customs.

Planning a Grenadines charter

The Grenadines suit crewed catamarans perfectly, and the best ones are in demand over the winter. Tell us your dates and your party and we’ll come back with a shortlist. Keen to snorkel? See our guide to snorkelling and diving from a yacht.

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