St. Vincent
St. Vincent the largest of these
islands (25 miles x 11 miles) is dominated
by an awe inspiring volcano in the
north. It is a rugged mountainous
island covered in lush tropical foliage
and rainforests.
The fertile soils are ideal for farming
and agriculture is a main stay here.
From tropical flowers for export to
mountainous slopes covered with bananas,
St. Vincent is an agricultural powerhouse.
With rivers, waterfalls, rainforest
hiking trails, a volcano you can climb,
secluded bays and superb diving it
is a premiere eco-travel destination.
It is for those who appreciate unspoiled
natural beauty, pristine coral reefs
and waters teeming with rich and exotic
marine life.
KINGSTOWN
Just a mile or so from E.T. Joshua
Airport is the bright and bustling
capital - Kingstown. Every week, huge
cargo ships dock at the jetty to load
the islands' main export - bananas
- for the long journey to Europe.
Kingstown market - a real Caribbean
market - where you can choose from
many varieties of fruits and vegetables:
mangos, oranges, lemons, tangerines,
pineapples, bananas, breadfruit and
more are on offer.
The Kingstown fish market - recently
built - will also excite you with
its range of kingfish, snapper and
grouper.
Just outside Kingstown, at over 600
feet, is Fort Charlotte, completed
by the British in 1806 during their
struggle with the French and the Caribs
for control of the island. Original
canons still wait for action on the
battlement and the barracks have been
converted into a pictorial museum
illustrating the island's colourful
history. It is easy to transport yourself
back to the last century and to appreciate
then location of the Fort, with a
commanding view over the sea and the
whole south of St. Vincent.
A coastguard lookout post puts this
view to good use to this day. On a
clear day, you can see as far as Grenada,
some 60 miles to the south. Looking
north, enjoy the views of the west
coast and Mount St. Andrews, the southernmost
of the peaks, which form the backbone
of St. Vincent. The duty watchman
will be pleased to let you use his
powerful binoculars to view far off
yachts.
THE BOTANICAL GARDENS
The lovely and extensive Botanical Gardens
was first established in 1765 which
qualifies it as the oldest in the Western
Hemisphere. It features a descendent
of the original breadfruit tree brought
to the island by Captain Bligh in 1793
and has many ancient and impressive
specimens of flowering plants, palms,
cycads, and tropical trees. Your Botanical
garden guide may pluck leaves from various
plants and grasses, and squeeze them
to give you a delightful olfactory tour
of spice scents bay leaf, camphor, cinnamon,
nutmeg, mint, and lemon grass to name
a few. You may find it surprising and
interesting to see the type of plants
from which your kitchen ingredients
come!
LA SOUFRIERE
St. Vincent's La Sofriere shares with
Mount St. Helen (USA) the fame of
being the most studied volcano, and
is the same explosive type. La Soufriere
is a smaller version of Mt. St. Helen.
It rises majestically to over 4000
ft and last erupted in April 1979.
A tour of La Soufriere volcano takes
you along the picturesque windward
coast of St. Vincent, through banana
and coconut plantations to where foot
trail begins, which leads you along
steep volcanic ridges verdant with
bamboo and other tropical trees. This
is a days journey for energetic hikers
, who should leave early in the morning,
as the ascent to the crater is 3 1/4
miles but is well worth it. The expedition
can continue down the west side trail
and terminate 10 or 12 miles later
in Chateaublair on the leeward (west)
side.
MESTOPOTAMIA VALLEY
The panoramic view offered here is
probably unsurpassed in the Caribbean.
The richly fertile valley is thickly
planted with banana, nutmeg, cocoa,
coconut, breadfruit and root crops
- eddoe, tannia and dasheen. Mountain
ridges rise all around, Grand Bonhomme
dominating at 3181 ft. Rivers and
streams come together at Mesopotamia
to tumble down to the sea over the
rocks of the Yambou Gorge.
VERMONT NATURE TRAILS
The trails start near the top of Buccament
Valley and lead through tropical rain
forest where there is a chance of
seeing (or hearing) the St. Vincent
Parrot (Amazona Guildingii) and the
Whistling Warber both unique to St.
Vincent and strictly protected nationally
and internationally. This is the habitat
for the Black Hawk, Cocoa Thrush,
the Crested Humming bird, Red-capped
Green Tanager, Green Heron and several
other interesting species.
FALLS OF BALEINE
The waterfalls of Baleine at the northern
tip of the mainland are a definite
must. Cool waters come cascading from
the mountaintops to reside in a pool
at the base. You can swim in the cool
water of this pool and emerge to the
exhilarating feeling of balmy breezes
caressing your body. Access to the
falls and pool is by boat only.
TRINITY FALLS
Three small waterfalls cascade
into a pool while a larger cataract
empties into another pool below. This
is Trinity falls, a giant natural
Jacuzzi, the water bubbling with air
and the currents swirling around.
It is like bathing in fizzy, warm
mineral water -very exhilarating.
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