Bequia
Bequia villas, hotels, real estate and sailing holidays...."Are you an Art and Music Junkie?"
Bequia, The Grenadines - Villas, Hotels, Property Sales and Sailing holidays.
An island so rich in artistic heritage, as Bequia attracts CREATIVES in their droves. Amble from beach to gallery, visit sculptors, silk screen printers, a pottery studio, wooden boat & scrim shaw knife studios, museums.
Bequia seems to have it all.
The MUSIC SCENE is incredibly VIBRANT with resident rock and blues, steel pan bands, folk, soca & reggae artists
Many an undercover super star retreat to Bequia to write & escape publicity.
Bequia, “one of the World’s best secret islands” – British Airways Highlife
Holidays in Bequia are the epitome of barefoot luxury in an out-of-the-way secluded tropical island. This Grenadine island has an atmosphere so unique one cannot quite pin down what it actually is about Bequia that makes so many fall in love instantly.
The private villa scene is rolling out news worthy property and the mega yacht industry started here in 2010 with the opening of the new Yacht Club next to Grenadine Escape office, at Bequia Marina in Admiralty Bay.
Quiet, relaxed, relatively undeveloped, yet enough to do for weeks on end and small enough to walk everywhere. Bequia is tipped to be the next St Barts. A stunning green paradise, she is the second largest of the Grenadines. Admiralty Bay is a favorite anchorage for yacht owners. The island covers 7 square miles, and approximately 4,500 people live here - an intriguing mix of native Bequians from African, Scottish, Irish, French, Indian and Carib descent and more recent settlers from Europe, America and Canada who have chosen to make Bequia their home. The island is influenced by a strong historic attachment to the sea and today's fishermen, sailors and boat-builders are quietly proud to share their marine traditions with newcomers to the island.
Bequia has no big hotels or golf courses on island, just secluded beaches, lush rainforest and a wide variety of small bars and restaurants. It is friendly, undeveloped, with fresh fish, peaceful beaches and breathtaking scenery. Bequia lives up to all the Caribbean promises of charming architecture, quaint little ports, original rum bars, colonial relics, ancient boat building traditions and really gentle friendly people. The best quality, which rides above the exceptional beauty, is the safety that Bequia's Christian community offers and the independence thus given to travellers visiting here.
Along the southern edge of Admiralty Bay are several wonderful white sand beaches fringed with palm trees. Princess Margaret Beach and Lower Bay can be reached either by sea (hire a water taxi) or by land. Snorkelling is worthwhile at these two spots. Farther down the southern edge of the Bay is Moon Hole, a collection of private homes built into the rocks of the island.
Outdoor eco adventurers will find much to do on the neighboring volcanic island of St. Vincent. Mustique is only 11 miles away. Canouan and even Union Island can be seen from the point on a clear day. Each day, trips depart from Bequia for sailing, snorkelling and cruising the areas around the island and to the Grenadines.
The evenings are lively on the waterfront where a jazz or rock and roll band plays at the Auberge, sports matches are shown at the sports and entertainment bar, teams of young tourists listen to old school reggae at authentic rum bars and music shops while their parents enjoy the sunset green flash at Marias French Terrace or the original Frangipani Hotel.
Bequia attracts a highly educated, sophisticated and more often than not artistic crowd. Many of our clients are designers, photographers, gardeners and film directors. Bequia is no. 1 UK music artist La Roux's favorite island. M.I.A. is also a devoted Bequia lover. The locals, master boat builders, once fashioned a beautiful wooden schooner for Bob Dylan, which mysteriously sank in the Panama Canal. Dustin Hoffman is said to have learnt to water-ski here unrecognised.
"You are among friends"
Bequia Island Hotels
Firefly, Bequia
Featured Villa: Hope Bay
Hope Bay - 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, pool, private, path to beach.
Featured Villa: Sights n Sounds
Sights n Sounds - Luxury Villa, family friendly, with two tiered swimming pool, wonderful ocean views, beautiful gardens and path to beach.
Bequia Villas
Your Grenadine Escape could be an eco style villa with swimming pool and beach vista, a luxury beachfront villa, air conditioned with an adjoining cottage for guests, small intimate guest house or a romantic honeymoon villa. You might chose to take a private yacht, your own floating hotel with a different secluded beach for each days adventures.
View All Bequia Villas
Yachts
With nearly twenty years experience living on/sailing the Grenadines, Antigua and St. Lucia, working in the yachting industry, with teams on both sides of the Atlantic and representation worldwide, Grenadine Escape is the Grenadines leading private yacht brokers. We compete with the top Caribbean wide brokers with our extensive knowledge of the cruising areas and yacht crews in the BVIs, Antigua the Bahamas and beyond.
View All Yachts
Real Estate
Download a Presentation for Hotel and Land Investment in Bequia. (PDF)
or an Investment guide (PDF)
Contact us for:
Land & Property Listings
Business Solutions
Investment opportunities
Grenadine Escape has been operating in the Grenadines for over 10 years. We are offer a selection of prime investment land, beachfront luxury homes, both pre-construction and established projects. We are dedicated to making people's lives easier, more balanced and luxurious. At the same time, we are actively working with local government organisations to create sustainable developments in the islands that work to provide a positive future for the land, marine life and community.
Events on the Island
BEQUIA EASTER REGATTA
Bequia's Easter Regatta is a famous four-day affair that draws visitors from around the Caribbean. Yacht races and local boat races content with shore activities and socializing for the visitors' attention.
CARNIVAL
Bequia Carnival is usually scheduled for the end of June. Email us for more information. St Vincent's carnival, called Vincy Mas, features a 12-day run of calypso and steel band music, colourful costume parades and lots of dancing.
BEQUIA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Held in February sharing the Mustique Jazz Festival vibes and bringing in high profile jazz and blues performers. During Bequia's music festival in February this year Rosemary Philips and Two Guitars recently returned from the 1st edition of the Bequia Music Festival where they performed and created a real storm.
BEQUIA MOUNT GAY MUSIC FEST 2011
Jan 27th - Jan 30th (in Bequia - Fri, Jan 28th 2011)
including Mustique Blues Festival
Access to the Islands
Just a short flight away, stunning anchorages everywhere. Find out more about access to the islands here...
Fast Facts
Banks-- Most banks are open Monday to Thursday from 8am to either 1 or 3pm, and Friday from either 8am to 5pm or 8am to 1pm and 3 to 5pm. Credit cards are widely accepted in the Grenadines but US/EC cash is useful in case you like souvenirs or rum shops! There are two ATM machines in the harbour. RBTT is the largest bank in town easy to find opposite the main jetty. Banks close early and are not open weekends
Currency-- The official currency of Bequia is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), pegged at about $2.70 per U.S. dollar (EC$1 = US37¢). Unless otherwise specified, rates in this chapter are quoted in U.S. dollars. Most restaurants, shops, and hotels will accept payment in U.S. dollars or traveler's checks.
Documents-- British, Canadian, and U.S. citizens should have a passport and a return or ongoing airplane ticket. A birth certificate with a raised seal is often accepted with a photo ID, but we always recommend traveling with your passport overseas. The customs offices for air arrivals in Bequia airport will check for your passports and tickets home and they usually have a look through your luggage to check you are not bringing in any new electrical goods (hindering profits of local business.) Sea port customs offices are in Port Elizabeth in an air conditioned yellow building directly opposite the ferry port.
Electricity-- Electricity is 220-volt AC (50 cycles), so if you're traveling with U.S. appliances, you'll need an adapter and a transformer. Some hotels have transformers, but it's best to bring your own.
Emergencies-- In an emergency, dial tel. 999 or 911.
Hospitals-- There is one small hospital on Bequia and one on St. Vincent in Kingstown: Milton Cato Memorial General Hospital (tel. 784/456-1185)
Language-- English is the official language.
Liquor Laws-- Liquor can be sold on any day of the week. It's legal to have an open container on the beach as long as you don't get rowdy or litter.
Pharmacies-- On St. Vincent, try The People's Pharmacy, Greenville Street, Kingstown (tel. 784/456-1170), open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm. There are a few other drugstores in Kingstown as well.
Post Office-- The General Post Office, on Halifax Street in Kingstown (tel. 784/456-1111), is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4:15pm and Saturday from 8 to 11:30am. There are smaller post offices in 56 districts throughout the country, including offices on the Grenadine islands of Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island.
Safety-- St. Vincent and its neighboring islands of The Grenadines are quite safe. Even in Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent, chances are you'll encounter little serious crime. However, take the usual precautions and never leave valuables unguarded.
Taxes & Service Charges-- The government imposes an airport departure tax of EC$41 (US$15) per person. A 10% government occupancy tax is charged for all hotel accommodations. Hotels and restaurants almost always add a 10% to 15% service charge. Ask whether or not it's included in the initial hotel rates you're quoted. If it's not already added at a restaurant, tip at that rate.
Telephone-- To call Bequia from the United States, dial 1, then 784 (the area code for St. Vincent) and the local seven-digit number. Once on St. Vincent, you can access AT&T Direct at tel. 800/225-5288. To reach MCI, dial tel. 800/888-8000. Tri-ban mobile phones work on Bequia so you can easily keep contact by cell phone.
Internet-- There are several internet cafes on the island. Almost all are in the harbour, Port Elizabeth. Wireless internet connection is available at the Surf and Send internet office next to the Gingerbread Hotel offices. They have’Junior’ onsite for technical problems, 7 connected computers, printer, fax and a desk for those with airport capabilities on their laptops. Cake and tea next door at the favourite Gingerbread bakery!
Time-- Bequia operates on Atlantic Standard Time year-round: When it's 6am on St. Vincent, it's 5am in New York. During daylight saving time in the United States, St. Vincent keeps the same time as the U.S. East Coast.
Water-- In Bequia stick to bottled water. There is no government water supply on Bequia. Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in tanks on which the house is built. During the dry season (January to June), there is little rain, and water must be used carefully and sparingly.
Weather-- The climate of St. Vincent and The Grenadines is pleasantly cooled by the trade winds year-round. The tropical temperature is in the 78°F to 82°F (26°C-28°C) range. The rainy season is July to October.
