St Vincent & the Grenadines

Getting there & away

Sea

The MV Jasper is a boat service that runs between Union Island and Carriacou, Grenada, (EC$20, one hour). It departs Union every Monday and Thursday at 7:30am for Carriacou, returning at 12:30pm on the same days.

You could also try hopping on one of the various commercial ships that haul goods back and forth between Union Island and Carriacou or Petit Martinique, Grenada, or pay a water taxi (EC$100 to EC$150) for the bumpy 40-minute ride.

^ Back to top

Entering the destination

Entering the islands

All visitors should carry a valid passport with them. A round-trip or onward ticket is ­officially required.

Passengers arriving on Union Island from Carriacou must pay EC$10 to Customs for entry. Passengers departing Carriacou pay EC$1 to Immigration. Arrivals are expected to register at the island’s customs office, located at the ferry dock.

^ Back to top

Air

There are no direct flights to SVG from outside the Caribbean, as the runway is too small to land jet aircraft. International passengers first fly into a neighboring island and then switch to a prop plane for the final leg of their journey. Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union Island all have small airports, and Palm Island has a small private airfield.

The main point of entry for most travelers is ET Joshua Airport (SVD; 458-4011) in Kingstown, St Vincent. The majority of international flights connect through here, where many travelers switch to oceangoing travel. The airport itself is small and offers little for the traveler other than a small information kiosk in the arrivals hall. There is a EC$40 departure tax payable by all departing passengers.

The following airlines fly to and from SVG from within the Caribbean and also offer ­interisland flights in the Grenadines:

American Eagle (800-433-7300; www.aa.com) From Canouan to St Lucia and San Juan

LIAT (457-1821; www.liat.com; Halifax St, Kingstown) From St Vincent to Grenada, Trinidad, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua and Puerto Rico

Mustique Airways (458-4380; www.mustique.com) Connecting St Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union and Barbados

SVG Air (457-5124; www.svgair.com) Private air charters and scheduled flights to St Vincent, Bequia, Canouan, Mustique, Union Island, Palm Island, Petit St Vincent, Carriacou, Grenada, Martinique, Dominica, St Lucia and Barbados

^ Back to top