Young Island
Young Island is home to a private resort that is located a very short boat ride from the ‘mainland’. Once you arrive you are treated to beautiful views from the private beach. A bar floats slightly off shore. Several tables set back from the beach among the gardens are ideal spots to enjoy a buffet lunch with paired with some sort of tropical drink. Passion fruit rum perhaps.
Best activity after lunch – do nothing and enjoy the quiet of this pretty place.
Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden is located in the hills just above Kingstown. This is one of the oldest Botanical Gardens in the world – it dates to 1765. Apparently this is the site of where the first breadfruit tree was brought to the Caribbean from the South Pacific. These days, we have seen breadfruit all over the Caribbean. One of the trees growing on site is a descendant of the original tree brought here in 1793.
La Soufrière
Another worth while activity while on the island is a hike to the top of the volcano, La Soufrière. One can hike up from either the east or west side of the volcano. For reference, I hiked up from the east side – about an hour’s drive from where I was staying near Young Island. The first part of my solo hike was like being in a sauna in Russia – I was dripping with water. It was not raining yet the humidity was so intense one could almost wave a shirt through through the air a few times and end up with a fresh water supply after wringing it out.
Fortunately the rain forest part of the hike soon turned to cloud-forest cooler conditions as I hiked higher with tall fern like Jurassic park plants towering above me – the temperature further decreased and the vegetation became more stunted on the upper volcanic slopes.
The crater walls are nearly vertical cliffs at times towering above a small crater lake and a large bulging dome in the center (still hissing out of at least one of the sides and producing sulphur smells). One can carefully climb on the edge of top of the crater by walking along a thin trail. This volcano has erupted multiple times over recorded history, most recently in 1979 causing the evacuation of many people from one this side of the island.
Definitely put this hike on your must do list if you visit St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Yet another Caribbean island I need to get to one day … thanks for the inspiration!
Yes, I lucked out with the weather. I could have stayed on tiny Young Island for much longer!
Dave, good to know you have a wonderful experience on the Caribbean Island.