The ferry from St. Vincent cuts through morning swells for 45 minutes. Admiralty Bay appears around the headland. White sailboats dot turquoise water. Pastel cottages rise behind palm groves along the shore.
Bequia spans 7 square miles with 5,000 residents. This is the Caribbean before resorts arrived. Wooden fishing boats unload at dawn. Locals still build vessels by hand. The Easter Regatta matters more than Instagram.
The harbor where sailing never stopped
Port Elizabeth wakes early. Fishermen tie up at Toyapakeh pier by 6am with yellowfin and mahi. The catch sells within an hour. Trade winds fill sails across the bay.
Admiralty Bay anchors island life. Over 200 boats gather here each April for the Easter Regatta. Local crews race traditional Double Ender dinghies alongside visiting yachts. The boats are hand-built from mahogany using techniques unchanged since the 1960s.
Model boat carvers work outside waterfront shops. They shape single blocks of wood into 19th-century whaling replicas. Each piece takes weeks to complete. Tourists buy them. Locals keep the craft alive.
Where royal visits froze development
Princess Margaret Beach stays quiet
Princess Margaret swam here in 1958 during a royal yacht stop. The beach took her name. Today it remains a white crescent backed by palms. One small beach bar. A wooden jetty. No high-rises anywhere in sight.
Her influence kept resort chains away. Bequia has no cruise terminal. No international airport. The ferry from St. Vincent costs $10-20 and runs daily. This access barrier preserves the island’s pace.
Guesthouses charge $80-120 per night. Small hotels run $150-250. Compare that to St. Barth’s where rooms start at $500. The difference shows in everything. Quiet streets. Empty beaches at dawn. Locals who greet you by name after two days.
Easter Regatta keeps traditions alive
The 2026 Bequia Easter Regatta runs April 2-5. Multi Yacht races. Traditional Double Ender competitions. Coconut Boat races for kids. The entire island participates.
Winners celebrate at waterfront bars with Hairoun beer. No ceremony stages. No trophy presentations at fancy hotels. Just sailors talking about wind conditions and next year’s boats. Minister Kaschaka Cupid calls it “a proud expression of Bequia’s history and culture.”
Reef life beyond the sails
Lower Bay snorkeling starts at shore
The reef sits 100 yards offshore. Depths run 10-30 feet. Visibility exceeds 80 feet on calm days. Bequia sits outside the hurricane belt so conditions stay clear year-round.
Swim from the beach. No boat fees. Parrotfish graze on coral. Rays glide over sand patches. The colors show from the surface. Turquoise water turns deeper blue where the reef drops off.
Water temperature holds at 75-82°F through winter. January through April brings the driest weather. Eight hours of sunshine daily. Perfect for snorkeling without crowds.
Authentic island details matter
Conch curry costs $12 at local spots. Callaloo soup uses greens foraged from hillsides. Arrowroot biscuits come from the world’s oldest industry here. Factories still process the root on island hills.
These aren’t tourist experiences. They’re how locals eat. The fish market sells what boats brought in that morning. Restaurants cook what’s fresh. Nothing gets flown in from Miami.
The slow escape
Evening settles over Port Elizabeth. Sailboats sway at anchor. No traffic sounds. Warm breeze carries frangipani scent from gardens. Water laps against hulls in the darkness.
This is what Caribbean meant before all-inclusives. Small enough that everyone greets you. Authentic enough that traditions survive. Quiet enough to hear morning birds before the ferry arrives. Compare it to other islands where isolation preserved culture.
Your questions about Bequia answered
How do I get there?
Fly Miami to St. Vincent’s Argyle International Airport. Flight time runs 1 hour. Round-trip tickets cost $300-500 in 2025. The ferry to Bequia takes 30-45 minutes and costs $10-20 one-way. No direct international flights land on Bequia. This keeps crowds manageable.
When’s the best time to visit?
January through April offers dry season conditions. Calm seas. Steady trade winds for sailing. The Easter Regatta happens late April. Hurricane season runs June through November but Bequia sits outside the main belt. Summers bring heavier showers and lush green hillsides.
Why not just visit St. Barth’s for luxury sailing?
St. Barth’s charges $500 plus per night. Celebrity crowds fill the marinas. French glamour dominates the vibe. Bequia offers $80-120 guesthouses and local fishing villages. Same sailing quality. Opposite atmosphere. Prices run 70% lower. The choice depends on whether you want to see or to be seen. Similar quiet can be found at coastal communities that preserved their maritime heritage.
Morning light touches the harbor. Fishermen check their nets. Sailboats prepare for another day on turquoise water. The ferry back to St. Vincent leaves at 4:30pm. Most visitors make it with time to spare.