The Grenadine Islands

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he Grenadines are a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands.� Learn more about these remote and off-the-beaten track Caribbean islands. For travelers seeking something different and unique in the Caribbean - The Grenadine islands offer something quite special.

The Grenadines are a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands. The islands are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

The islands lie between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and are located north of Grenada and �Trinidad and Tobago and south of St. Vincent.

Mayreau beach in the Grenadines
Mayreau beach in the Grenadines - North side of island.

Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)Terrain:��volcanic, mountainous�

The islands and cays offer a traveler white sand beaches edged with deep blue waters lined with palm trees.� Many of these islands are "Gilligans Islands" - remote little or no population with a unqiqe Caribbean flavor.� The Grenadines are a favorite with sailers who can sail right up to a small island and explore the area (note sailors and boaters must first visit a customs office before anchoring).� The Grenadines seem to be well known to wintering yachters, beach loving aristocrats and rock stars, but remains off the beaten path for most other visitors.�

The islands require muti-stop transportaion to get there - Most fly into Barbados, Grenada or St. Vincent and then take a commuter flight to a smaller island.                            

slands of the Grenadines include:

    * Young Island - Read island/resort report here.
    * Bequia - A perfect small Caribbean island Bequia offers amazing sandy beaches (usually never crowded), lush green landscapes, a caribbean village atmosphere with well run hotels and vacation rentals.� Bequia offers travelers that special mix of solitude with access to amenities of comfort.� With fewer than 6000 inhabitants, Bequia feels like home from the moment you arrive; friendliness is the watchword, and the pace is relaxed and easy-going.
    * Petite Nevis - Petite Nevis is a tiny island in the Grenadines, off the coast of Bequia. The island is uninhabited, but has been used by whalers to flense their catches as late as the 1960s.
    * Quatre
    * Bettowia
    * Baliceaux
    * Mustique - Mustique is a private island in the Caribbean Sea, one of the Grenadines. The entire island is owned by the Mustique Company, who rent or lease its 89 private villas, of which 57 are available for weekly rentals. There are also 2 privately owned hotels. Because of its luxury and isolation, Mustique has attracted a number of celebrities.
    * Petite Mustique
    * Savan
    * Petite Canouan
    * Canouan - http://www.canouan.com
    * Mayreau - It is the smallest inhabited Grenadine island�with a population of 300. It's a beautiful, layed back but primitive island of friendly people. A real Caribbean jewel!
    * The Tobago Cays
    * Union Island - Due to its vulcanic silhouette, it is also called the Tahiti of the West Indies. The island is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. Surrounding islands are Tobago Cays, Mayreau, Palm Island, and Petit St. Vincent. The highest peak is Mount Parnassus - 900 feet above sea level.
    * Petit Saint Vincent - Petit St.Vincent lies 40 miles south of St.Vincent. It is an island of rolling hills spread over 113 acres surrounded by two miles of white sand beaches.� The island offers just over 20 vacation rentals and cottages available for rental.
    * Palm Island - http://www.palmislandresorts.com
    * Carriacou (Grenada) 27.5 km�, 7,400, Capital Hillsborough - Carriacou is about 7 miles in length and about 2 miles across. Volcanic activity created a varied topography mainly of wooded hills, rising up dramatically in places creating an irregular coastline.
    * Saline (Grenada) 0.3 km�, Uninhabited
    * Frigate (Grenada) 0.4 km�, Uninhabited
    * Ronde (Grenada) 3.2 km�, Uninhabited
    * Large (Grenada), 0.5 km�, Uninhabited
    * Petite Martinique (Grenada) 3.7 km�, 550, Capital North Village - very small with less than a thousand people and located about 3 miles east of the north end of Carriacou.