Active Pursuits

Beaches

All beaches on mainland St. Vincent are public, and many of the best border hotels, where you can order drinks or lunch. Most of the resorts are in the south, where the beaches have golden-yellow sand. The only real white-sand beach is on Young Island, which is private. Many of the beaches in the north have sands of a lava-ash color. The safest swimming is on the leeward beaches; the surf on the windward or eastern beaches is often rough and can be quite dangerous.

The island's most popular strip is narrow Villa Beach, only a 10-minute drive from Kingstown. Its tranquil waters make swimming safe, and there are numerous simple cafes and watersports stands. Unfortunately this beach can barely accommodate the crowds who flock here; weekends can be particularly bad.

Nearby Indian Bay Beach is similar to Villa Beach and also attracts lots of Vincentians on weekends. Monday to Thursday, however, you'll probably have plenty of room on this narrow strip. The sand is slightly golden, but tends to be rocky. The reef-protected tranquil waters are ideal for both swimming and snorkeling. You'll find both bars and restaurants here.

Heading north from Kingstown, you'll reach Buccament Bay Beach, where the waters are clean, clear, and tranquil enough for swimming. This beach is very tiny, however, and it has black volcanic sand. In the same area, Questelle's Bay Beach (pronounced Keet-ells) is also on the leeward, tranquil Caribbean side of the island. This black-sand beach, next to Camden Park, is very similar to Buccament Bay.

Only die-hards head for the beaches on the east coast, or windward side, where the big breakers roll in from the Atlantic. Don't plan to go swimming in these rough waters; you might just enjoy a beach picnic instead. The best beaches, all with black volcanic sand, are found at Kearton's Bay, Richmond Beach, and Peter's Hope, all reached along the leeward highway running up the west coast of St. Vincent.

Fishing

It's best to go to a local fisherman for advice, but your hotel can also arrange a trip for you. It's sometimes possible to accompany a fisherman on a trip, perhaps 6 or 8km (4 or 5 miles) from shore. A modest fee should suffice. The fishing fleet leaves from the leeward coast at Barrouallie. People have been known to return to shore with everything from a 6-inch redfish to a 6m (20-ft.) pilot whale. Visitors don't need a fishing license.

Hiking

Exploring St. Vincent's hot volcano, La Soufrière, is an intriguing adventure. As you travel the island, you can't miss its cloud-capped splendor. The most recent eruption was back in 1979, when it spewed ashes, lava, and hot mud that covered the vegetation on its slopes. Belching rocks and black curling smoke filled the blue Caribbean sky. About 17,000 people were evacuated from a 15km (10-mile) ring around the volcano.

At the rim of the crater, you'll be rewarded with one of the most panoramic views in the Caribbean -- that is, if the wind doesn't blow too hard and make you topple over into the crater itself! Warning: Use extreme caution. Looking inside, you can see the steam rising from the crater.

Even if you're an experienced hiker, don't attempt to explore the volcano without a guide. Wear suitable hiking clothes and be sure that you're in the best of health before making the arduous journey. The easiest route is the 5km-long (3-mile) eastern approach from Rabacca. The more arduous trail, longer by 2km (1 1/4 miles), is the western trail from Chateaubelair. The round-trip to the crater takes about 5 hours.

St. Vincent Forestry Headquarters, in the village of Campden Park, about 5km (3 miles) from Kingstown along the west coast (tel. 784/457-8594), offers a pamphlet on hiking to La Soufrière. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to noon and 1 to 4pm. HazEco Tours (tel. 784/457-8634) offers guided hikes up to La Soufrière, costing US$140 per couple, including drinks and lunch.

If you don't want to face Soufrière, the best hikes are the Vermont Nature Trails. These marked trails (get a map at the tourist office) take you through a rainforest and pass long-ago plantations reclaimed by nature. If it's your lucky day, you might even see the rare St. Vincent parrot with its flamboyant plumage. Wear good hiking shoes and lots of mosquito repellent.

Sailing & Yachting

St. Vincent and the Grenadines are one of the great sailing centers of the Caribbean. If you want to go bareboating, you can obtain a fully provisioned yacht. If you're a well-heeled novice, you can hire a captain and a crew. Rentals are available for a half-day, a full day, overnight, or even longer.

The longest established yacht-chartering company in St. Vincent, Barefoot Yacht Charters, Blue Lagoon (tel. 784/456-9526; www.barefootyachts.com), is better than ever, and is now granting substantial discounts for last-minute or walk-in bookings. The outfitter has a fleet of 25 yachts run by the American Sailing Association and offers charters with or without a crew. Its operation is at its own custom-built marina with docks and moorings, along with a restaurant opening onto a panoramic vista of Bequia. There's even an Internet cafe. In winter, and depending on the vessel rented, rates range from US$350 to US$855 (£182-£445), with off-season prices going from US$210 to US$640 (£110-£333). We'd also suggest Nicholson Yacht Charters (tel. 800/662-6066 in the U.S.). Prices at Nicholson are roughly comparable to those at Barefoot Yacht Charters.

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

St. Vincent's 30 or so dive sites are sprinkled along its leeward shore, where you might spot seahorses and frogfish. The best area for snorkeling and scuba diving is the Villa/Young Island section on the southern end of the island.

Dive St. Vincent, on the Young Island Cut (tel. 784/457-4928; www.divestvincent.com), has been owned and operated by a transplanted Texan, Bill Tewes, for more than a decade. St. Vincent's oldest and best dive company, it now has an additional shop, Grenadines Dive, at the Sunny Grenadines Hotel on Union Island (tel. 784/458-8138). Also try Dive Canouan, at the Tamarind Beach Hotel on Canouan Island (tel. 784/482-0820). The shops have a total of one instructor and four dive masters, as well as three dive boats. They offer dive/snorkel trips as well as sightseeing day-trips and dive instruction. Single-tank dives cost US$60 (£31) and two-tank dives go for US$95 (£49), including all equipment and instructors and/or dive-master guides. Dive packages are also available.