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The tiny island of Bequia measures just seven square miles and is home to a mere 5000 full-time residents. It is located nine miles south of St. Vincent and is the largest gem of the 32 islands and cays that create the Grenadines. Isolated and still relatively unspoiled, Bequia is nonetheless stimulating and vibrant.
Native Bequians are a fascinating mix of African, Scottish, Irish, French, Indian and Carib, descendants of the indigenous, the slaves, and settlers who arrived from Europe, America and Canada during the whaling era. Its heritage derives from the sea as an island of sailors, boats and boat building. Even today boats are built on the beach and include small fishing boats to schooners, designed and built by natives using simple hand tools. Bequians are seafarers and many work on cargo ships while others fish the Grenadines in small, open boats as well as newer high-tech vessels. Bequia has an active whaling station although by IWC agreement may only take four whales a year during the February to April whaling season. However, they must use traditional techniques and few islanders are still knowledgeable with the skill of using hand thrown harpoons from an open boat.
Bequia’s main harbor is Admiralty Bay, a huge, well-protected bay and home to Port Elizabeth. The beach is lined with small hotels, bars, restaurants and shops and dinghy docks. One of the more famous and loveliest hotel is The Frangipani, a small, shingle-sided, two-storey hotel, built for a Bequia sea captain a century ago and a graceful reminder of this island’s whaling history. The restaurant offers gourmet West Indian cuisine with fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby St Vincent and lobster and conch harvested from Grenadine waters. Along with tropical dining, the Frangipani has Thursday night “jump ups” with steel bands and beachside barbecues. |
"We loved Bequia, seeing the whaling history, and the Tobago Cays were lovely.
We would go back here again as there is still so much more
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