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General Information |
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The island was called "Hairoun" by its original inhabitants, the Arawak Indians. It was conquered by the Caribs shortly before Columbus discovered the island on Saint Vincent's day in 1498. The dense vegetation and hilly nature of the island provided a natural shelter from which the fought bravely to keep European colonists at bay.
In 1675, a slave ship was wrecked on the island and the few survivors mixed with the Caribs, thus creating the Black Caribs. They were rapidly joined by others fleeing the neighbouring islands, particularly the windward island of Barbados.
The original "Yellow" Caribs accepted limited french settlement in exchange for protection. The French finally took the island in 1779 and kept it until the Versailles Treaty in 1783 when it was handed over to England.
In 1795 the Caribs fought a war against the English, encouraged by the French, and burned down plantations killing the settlers. They were finally beaten by the English forces and 5,000 Black Caribs were deported to Honduras and Belize.
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Nautical information |
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No visas required.
- Ids only for US, Canadian, and United Kingdom citizens (staying no longer than 6 months).
- Passports for all other citizens (staying no longer than 1 month).
- Clearance and customs are compulsary and charged. 5 EC$ per person over 12 and day with a maximum of 35 EC$ = licence for a chartered boat (60 to 140 EC$ depending on size).
Hoist the Q flag. Only the skipper is allowed on shore to clear customs and immigration. He should have the ship's papers and passports of all crew members and will make things easier for himself by having prepared three copies of the crew list.
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Practical information |
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St. Vincent’s main airport is the E. T. Joshua Airport, a short distance from Kingstown, with connexions to North America and Europe, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Bequia, Canouan, Mustique and Union Island.
Several ferrys operate in the islands connecting to Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island.
There are a number of car rental companies operating in St. Vincent. Driving in St. Vincent & the Grenadines is on the left. Visitors are required to purchase a temporary licence for EC$65 (available at the airport) and must be able to produce a domestic driving licence.
Taxis are available on a per-hour, per-trip or per-day basis. They are not metered, but fares are set by the government.
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Comments |
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The island's lush tropical forests provide stunning landscapes and the inside of the island is well worth a visit.
There's a magnificent botanical garden in Kingstown, the oldest in the western hemisphere. The Baleine waterfalls are well worth a visit. Good trecking to the Soufrière mountain or the dry rivers of Rabacca and Wallilabu.
Provisionning on the island is a bit tricky with a possible exception of the warf at Ottley Hall where you can refuel and make water.
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