Though I’m grateful for the snow and frozen rain we received this past weekend in Colorado, I’m dreaming of islands in the Caribbean. So, I thought I’d revisit a trip a few years ago to visit gorgeous, eco-friendly places in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The black-sand beach and lush forest of Petit Byahaut solar-powered eco-resort. (photo courtesy Petit Byahaut)
Caribbean beaches that aren’t crowded with hotels and condos are rare. Fortunately, the little-known island chain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is—at least for now—laid back, conservation minded, and lightly developed. (And if you’ve seen the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, you’ve gotten an eyeful because St. Vincent and some of the Grenadines were the film location.)
PETIT BYAHAUT ECO-RESORT, ST. VINCENT
No roads, no phones, no TVs, no walls: What does solar-powered Petit Byahaut have? A gorgeous black-sand beach, friendly folks, outdoorsy tropical atmosphere, and gourmet meals.
Swiss Family Robinson: This getaway for nature lovers has just five accommodations: roofed, open-air wooden platforms with screened bedrooms (no bugs, tree-frog lullabies) tucked into forest gardens.
Responsible tourism: Petit Byahaut offers low-impact operations, solar electricity and solar hot water, employment for local staff, rainwater storage and an artesian well.
Fun in the sun: There’s no lack of outdoor activities here: Sea kayak to bat caves; snorkel or dive just off the beach; hike the rainforest or La Soufriere volcano; or grab your binoculars to spot bananaquits, doves, sandpipers, and the endangered St. Vincent parrot. In addition, you can accompany the chef to the local market for fresh produce and seafood.
Info: Pronounce it “Puh-tee Bye-ah-hah.”
BEQUIA ISLAND
The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary raises hawksbill hatchlings and release them into the wild when they’re grown.
The beaches are beautiful on Bequia (pronounced “Beck-way”), the most colorful and artsy of the Grenadines with its pastel, gingerbread-trimmed buildings and model boat-making cottage industry.
Don’t miss the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary run by Orton “Brother” King, an old salt who raises hawksbill hatchlings on Park Beach and releases them as three year olds when they have a better chance of surviving to adulthood.
SALTWHISTLE BAY CLUB, MAYREAU
Hidden among the palms on a semicircle of powdery white sand, Saltwhistle Bay Club is a charming collection of double-suite cottages and thatched structures hand-built of local “bluebitch” stone on tiny Mayreau (pronounced “My-roe”).
There are no TVs, phones, or air conditioning to distract from the cool tradewinds and turquoise waters.
The restaurant here is fantastic—a cluster of outdoor, Caribbean-style round stone tables and benches where you can sit back in your swimsuit and watch the water while dining on the superb seafood specialties. Visitors from around the world tend to congregate each evening around the beachside bar.
Saltwhistle Bay Club is a small-scale resort that boasts water catchment, employs twenty locals, and supports local fishers.
The Tobago Cays (photo courtesy Tobago Cays)
TOBAGO CAYS
This breathtaking, uninhabited cluster of islets is a national marine park that attracts visitors to its coral reefs and white-sand beaches. Fishing, jet skis, and dinghy anchoring aren’t allowed, yet the Tobago Cays‘ fragile ecosystems have suffered from tourism and neglect. Visitors are encouraged to urge the government to protect, not develop, this area.
PETIT ST. VINCENT ISLAND
If only all exclusive, pricey hotels were as sustainable as Petit St. Vincent Resort. Secluded stone cottages (made of local bluebitch rock) with fantastic Caribbean views are scattered around this privately owned island, where the staff literally waits on you hand and foot.
All the cottages at Petit St. Vincent overlook the ocean. (photo courtesy PSV)
An organic farm provides fresh produce, and the resort recycles, composts, and collects rainwater—important because water is more precious than rum on this dry island.
—Laurel Kallenbach, writer and editor
What beautiful places and cottages! I confess I feel conflicted about travel these days. What is the green thing to do given that jet travel is a big emitter of carbon dioxide? I even feel conflicted about traveling for work. It’s not that humans shouldn’t travel in principle–we and the rest of the animals have been traveling for millennia. But until the last hundred years or so, we did it under our own steam. What research is going on, if any, to develop jet fuels that do not leave such huge carbon footprints? So far I too continue to travel–and to feel conflicted.
Yes, air travel is a huge contributor to global warming due to its huge carbon emissions. I’ll look into how flights are lowering their carbon footprint, but in the meantime, purchasing a carbon offset is one way to mitigate eco-guilt from flying. Another thing you can do is avoid red-eye or night flights. I spoke to a scientist who said that flying at night is worse for atmospheric warming than flying by day!