Getting Around Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Between the Islands

The archipelago stretches roughly from the island of Saint Vincent (in the north) to Union (in the south) before extending into other islands belonging to Grenada. The distances between inhabited islands are never very great—usually 10 to 20 km. In short, inter-island travel times are never very long when connections exist.

Distances (km) between Saint Vincent and the other islands in the archipelago:

	Bequia	Canouan	Mayreau	Mustique	Palm	Petite SV	Union
Saint-Vincent	14	46	56	27	66	71	58

By Air

Mustique, Canouan, Bequia, and Union are the Grenadine islands connected to Saint Vincent by local airlines SVG Air and Mustique Airways. Beyond regular flights, there are also options for on-demand charter flights.

By Boat

In addition to cruises or chartered boats, several ferry transfers are available. All inhabited (non-private) islands are connected to Saint Vincent and to each other. As for private islands, while Mustique—which is more "semi-private"—has regular connections, others (Petit Saint Vincent, Palm, Young) do not.

To/from Bequia: several daily departures to the island of Saint Vincent (Kingstown). Count around $10 for the trip ($16 round-trip) and one hour at sea for the slower crossings, and just under double that for the express ferries, which make the trip in under half an hour.

To/from Mustique: several weekly departures to Saint Vincent. Around two hours and $10 for the trip. No direct connections, however, with the rest of the archipelago.

To/from Canouan, Mayreau, and Union: the route links the three islands before continuing to Saint Vincent. The full journey with stops takes just over three and a half hours and costs roughly $40 one-way if you travel the entire route. Other options also exist from these islands to Bequia.

On the Island of Saint Vincent

There are no trains, flights, or regular maritime services within the island of Saint Vincent itself.

Road Network and Traffic

Car Rental

It is possible to rent a car on Saint Vincent (and Bequia). Even as a tourist, you must first purchase a "local permit" for 65 EC$ ($24).

Taxi

Minibuses

There is a system of shared minibuses that covers the island fairly well. They are much cheaper than taxis, costing between $0.50 and $3 depending on the route. They don’t run on fixed schedules, and aside from a few designated stops, you can flag them down anywhere along the road. Generally, they stop running at nightfall and operate minimally on Sundays.

Two-Wheelers

Hitchhiking

What to Choose for Getting Around?

Distances

Distances (km) between the main locations on the island:

	Barrou.	Byera	Chateau.	Kings.	Layou	N.S.Bay
Barrouallie		45	17	17	8	59
Byera	45		62	28	37	14
Chateaubelair	17	62		34	25	76
Kingstown	17	28	34		9	42
Layou	8	37	25	9		51
New Sandy Bay	59	14	76	42	51

On the Grenadines

Bequia

Other Islands

The other islands in the archipelago are small (less than 10 km²) and can be explored on foot. However, you’ll generally find a few taxis or minibuses, as well as bike or scooter rentals.