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Saint Vincent

Introduction

Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. The largest of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, it is located between Saint Lucia and Grenada. 120'000 people reside on the island, the largest town being Kingstown. The island is dominated by La Soufrière, an active volcano reaching 1219 meters, which erupted for the last time in 1979. Free from mass tourism, this destination is a quiet and safe place to visit. Rather than hosting large animals, Saint Vincent has become known as the 'Critter Capital of the Caribbean', since it is one of the best spot for encountering small underwater creatures like sea horses, shrimp, frog fish and jaw fish. Photographers are especially amazed with the variety of rare creatures that can be seen on daily basis. Finally. it is also worth to underline that diving sites are relatively close to the shore, usually reached in less than 20 minutes by boat.

Kingstown offers only limited attractions. However, driving around the island can proof an interesting activity, provided that your driver (and guide) will not - like for us - keep such a slow pace (20 km/h) that we finally were really pissed-off ! Spots with a real added-value are rather limited : Vallilabu, on the west coast, where the movie « Pirates of the Caribbean » was shot, and a small trek to « Soufrière » if you don't mind walking for two hours with a guide you will have to pay for.

Travel facts

Calendar

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best period
acceptable period
not recommend
air temperature

Diving type

Destination
easily accessible
easily accessible
bargain destination
bargain destination
Diving level & type
for beginners
for beginners
for advanced divers
for advanced divers
shore diving
shore diving
liveaboard
liveaboard
Diving Characteristics
pelagics
pelagics
lots of fish
lots of fish
lots of corals
lots of corals
interesting underwater scenery
interesting underwater scenery
Other activities
attractive natural spots
attractive natural spots
gastronomy
gastronomy
night life
night life
beach
beach
snorkeling
snorkeling

Map

map

Infrastructures

  • diving center
    Indigo Dive
    logo
    Indigo Dive (diving center)
    telephone : 1 (784) 493 9494
    address : Suite K067, St. Vincent Yacht Club, Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent
    internet : indigodive.com
    rating : 4 / 4 starsrating : 4 / 4 stars
    comments :
    Kay, the owner, is a very sympatic yet professional person. The boat was picking us up on the beach, and was every day on time. Kay is always concerned about her customers, and was doing everything to please us and make our stay more comfortable. She even organized for us a day trip to "Mustique" island. She can indeed provide any required help for excursion on or around the island, as effectively as any travel agency. This is a diving center we are very glad to recommend!

  • hotel
    Beachcombers Hotel
    Beachcombers Hotel (hotel)
    telephone : 1 (784) 458 4283
    fax : 1 (784) 458 4385
    address : Villa Beach, P.O.Box 126, Kingstown, St. Vincent
    rating : 3 / 4 starsrating : 3 / 4 stars
    comments :
    From Kingstown, Saint-Vincent's airport, it will take about 10 minutes to reach the « Beachcombers » hotel. Very nicely located in a garden, the hotel is made of several 2-stories buildings and a pool overlooking the sea. Access to the public beach is very easy, which is rather unusual on the island. Excellent accommodation quality, while unfortunately, the food was much less appealing. Service at the restaurant was below average, and without any smile! The breakfast was miserable and never served prior to 7h45, which made the first dive, usually starting at 8h15, barely joinable. And the dinner at this restaurant was as bad. Basically, the accommodation was great, but you should look for food somewhere else.

    For that reason, we tested several restaurants around the hotel. The best one, recommended : « Driftwood », with a view on the sea, great food, and an excellent service. Another restaurant offering local food is « Jerk Grilled Chicken », in a nice surrounding, especially good for BBQ. The « Mariner’s » hotel located close to the « Beachcombers » also has a restaurant called « French Veranda » - European food. We were enchanted during the first visit, and disapointed during the second one. Next to the « Indigo » dive shop is also the « Lime » restaurant, overlloking the sea and offering very good food with, unfortunately, a limited choice of dishes.

Diving Sites

  • rating : 4.0
    Anchor Reef
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 30 m
    description :
    It's a forty-minute boat ride from the diving center. We begin from a sandy bottom at around ten meters and then encounter a wall ranging from 15 to 36 meters. The wall is adorned with numerous corals, including barrel corals in various shapes, and black corals are also prevalent. You can explore small caves and occasionally pass under arches. The underwater world is teeming with fish, including a remarkable concentration of trumpetfish. In the crevices of the wall, you can find a plethora of small to medium-sized moray eels and even lobsters take refuge here. Schools of lutjans, butterflies, soldiers, and squirrels can be seen at the top of the wall, and we've even spotted a massive barracuda. This site was recently recognized by readers of Scuba Magazine as one of the hundred most stunning dive sites in the world.

  • rating : 4.0
    Japanese Garden
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 20 m
    description :
    This site truly lives up to its name as an underwater forest. It features shrub-like corals whose trunks and branches sway to the rhythm of the ocean's waves. Among these, giant gorgonians coexist with impressive barrel corals, and there's a diverse range of hard corals as well. This vibrant environment supports a particularly rich marine fauna. During our dive, we encountered three stonefish, one of them being quite large. Additionally, we spotted numerous nudibranchs nestled in the soft corals. Squid, diodon, and porcupine fish, both juvenile and adult, also made appearances. This dive is especially suitable for beginners.

  • rating : 3.5
    Layou Wall
    rating : 3.5
    depth : 40 m
    description :
    A forty-minute boat ride takes you to a 45-meter wall with a gently sloping sandy bottom. The plateau, situated between eight and fifteen meters, hosts a thriving population of typical marine life. On the wall, at a depth of 32 meters, we encountered an impressive lobster waving its antennae. Nearby, two exposed octopuses were trying, in vain, to blend into the pebbles. The barrel corals serve as a habitat for a large stonefish and diodon.

  • rating : 3.0
    Bamberaux Wall
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 20 m
    description :
    This site features a small, gently sloping wall, ideal for swimming between depths of ten and twenty meters. Barrel corals of all sizes, along with other magnificent coral varieties, adorn the wall. The marine life here is diverse and abundant, with lobsters finding shelter in small caves and crevices.

  • rating : 3.0
    Bambereaux Drop Off
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 20 m
    description :
    An enormous underwater rock, surrounded by smaller rocks ranging in depth from three to thirty meters, offers a unique dive experience. Despite a very strong current that impeded our progress three-quarters of the way around, what we did see was well worth the effort. The site is teeming with several large diodons, a multitude of moray eels, trumpet eels, and schools of soldierfish, creating a captivating underwater scene.

  • rating : 2.5
    Over There
    rating : 2.5
    depth : 15 m
    description :
    The initial part of the dive involves searching for seahorses on the sandy, grassy seabed, where we were fortunate to find two sizable ones, measuring between 12 and 15 cm. They were truly fascinating to observe through a magnifying glass. The subsequent part of the dive takes you through an amalgamation of small rocks and corals, placed relatively close together. Virtually every type of reef fish can be found in this area, and while corals are scattered, they remain in good condition.

  • rating : 2.5
    The Meadow*
    rating : 2.5
    depth : 30 m
    description :
    Our journey leads us to a 36-meter vertical wall, along which we swam for 20 minutes before returning. As we ascended towards the surface, we encountered a stony mass where the typical reef fauna thrives, though it's important to note the absence of parrots, a common feature across all sites in Saint Vincent. Regrettably, this dive was marred by the sight of numerous discarded tires, seemingly discarded from the top of the cliff.

  • rating : 2.0
    Kingston Wrecks
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 30 m
    description :
    This site boasts three wrecks, including an 18th-century French frigate, all resting side by side approximately 30 meters from the capital's harbor in Kingston. The other two wrecks are cargo ships that sank in the 1970s.

  • rating : 2.0
    Petit Byahaut
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 15 m
    description :
    A 30-minute boat ride brings you to this shallow site, around 20 meters deep, making it an ideal choice for a first dive after a long journey. Swimming against the current for thirty minutes reveals an almost flat seabed, rich in coral and reef fish, before returning to the starting point.

  • rating : 2.0
    Pinnacle
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 20 m
    description :
    The pinnacle rises to a depth of 8 meters before descending to around 30 meters. We circumnavigate the pinnacle several times at different depths, enjoying good visibility. While the marine life includes plenty of fish, most of the fauna is on the smaller side, with a few exceptions like trunkfish and a moray eel. We encountered several schools of butterflyfish and fusiliers, as well as numerous trumpetfish, squirrelfish, and lutjans. The corals are diverse, plentiful, and generally in good health, although some "finger corals" have been damaged, likely due to the effects of El Niño, leaving remnants scattered over large areas.

  • rating : 2.0
    Sub Rock
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 20 m
    description :
    We anchor on a sandy seabed. After about ten minutes with not much to see, we reach a wall ranging from 8 to 23 meters in depth. This wall is adorned with a diverse array of corals. The marine life here is both abundant and varied. Due to the strong and persistent current, this dive is best suited for experienced divers.

  • rating : 2.0
    Sunset Point*
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 30 m
    description :
    The wall takes on a steep slope, with the lowest point at 38 meters. We traverse through a large area of dead corals (commonly referred to as "finger corals"). However, other corals appear to be generally healthy. There are fewer fish in this area, but we did spot two lobsters, a stonefish, and, as with other sites, moray eels and trumpetfish.

  • rating : 1.0
    Critter Corner
    rating : 1.0
    depth : 10 m
    description :
    Of little interest except for its proximity to the diving center. On a sandy, grassy seabed, we spent most of the time crawling and didn't come across anything noteworthy. Even with a magnifying glass, our exploration yielded limited results. The strong current added to the challenge, but we did manage to spot a sole buried in the sand.

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