Things To Do in Bequia

Obviously, the secluded beaches are at the top of everyone's list of Bequia's attractions. As you walk along the beaches, especially near Port Elizabeth, you'll see craftspeople building boats by hand, a method passed on by their ancestors. Whalers sometimes still set out from here in wooden boats with harpoons. Some beaches require a taxi ride. You might check out the uncrowded, pristine white sands at Friendship Bay, where you can rent watersports equipment or order a drink from the bar at the hotel. Industry Bay and Lower Bay are both gorgeous beaches shaded by palm trees, offering good swimming and snorkeling.

Dive Bequia, Gingerbread House, Admiralty Bay (P.O. Box 326), Bequia (tel. 784/458-3504; www.divebequia.com), specializes in diving and snorkeling on the lush reefs of Bequia, where you might spot manta rays. Scuba dives cost $70 for one dive or $106 for two dives in the same day; a 10-dive package goes for $525. A four-dive open-water certification course is $525. Snorkeling trips are $30 per person, and these prices include all the necessary equipment.

The main harbor village, Port Elizabeth, is known for its safe anchorage, Admiralty Bay. The bay was a haven in the 17th century for the British, French, and Spanish navies, as well as for pirates. Descendants of Captain Kydd (or Kidd) still live on the island. Today the yachting set anchors here.

Anyone on the island can show you the way to the workshops of Sargeant's Model Boatshop Bequia, Front Street, Port Elizabeth (tel. 784/458- 3344), west of the pier past the oil-storage facility. Sought out by yacht owners looking for a scale-model reproduction of their favorite vessel, Lawson Sargeant is the self-taught woodcarver who established this business. The models are carved from white pine and mahogany, and then painted brilliant colors. When a scale model of the royal family's yacht, Britannia, was commissioned in 1985, it required 5 weeks of work. You can pick up a model of a Bequia whaling boat for much less.