ST. VINCENT

St. Vincent is the commercial and political centre for the multi-island Caribbean state of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The island has an extensive (tropical) mountainous interior that is lush and green, with deep valleys cultivated with mangoes, bananas, coconuts, arrowroot and a number of other tropical fruits including the famous breadfruit.

The island is an excellent place for tropical adventures and a good locale for learning about the traditional black West Indian culture. St. Vincent is famous, among explorers, for its spectacular La Soufriere (active) volcano, which peaks at 4048 feet in the north of the island. There are no major resort hotels on the island and the beaches are not as spectacular as those of the Grenadines.

Kingstown is a colourful, lively and bustling city and the capital and commercial centre of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Visitors will not find a tourist precinct that would provide an arcade of shops and restaurants, however, while most businesses are geared to the local population, travellers will find everything that they need. The city centre consists of 12 small blocks that can be explored in a few hours. There are some appealing old cobblestone streets, brick archways and stone-block colonial buildings scattered around the centre.