Bequia by yacht — Admiralty Bay, ashore, and the best time to visit
Bequia is the first proper stop on almost every Grenadines charter and, for many guests, the one they end up loving most. It is nine nautical miles south of St Vincent, small enough to walk end-to-end, and still very much a working island — boatbuilders in Friendship Bay, fishermen selling the morning's catch on the beach, and a boat-boy culture in Admiralty Bay that has not lost its charm.
The anchorage is Admiralty Bay, wide and well protected from the easterly trades. Holding is good sand in 4–8m in the northern half off Princess Margaret Beach, and there are Daffodil mooring balls throughout for around US $30 per night if you would rather not anchor. Avoid the shallows off Belmont Walkway and the reef markers on the south side. Fuel, water and provisioning are all available at the fuel dock at the north end.
Ashore, walk the Belmont Walkway from Port Elizabeth south along the water. Jack's Beach Bar for lunch on Princess Margaret Beach, Mac's Pizzeria for the classic sunset dinner, Sugar Reef or the Fig Tree for something more special. The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary at Park is worth a taxi ride for anyone travelling with kids. Provisioning is easy — Doris' Fresh Food and Knights Trading between them cover almost anything a chef will need.
Best time to visit is any of it. December to April brings the strongest trades and the busiest anchorage; February and March are our pick for weather and space. Bequia Easter Regatta is the one week the bay is properly full — brilliant if you want the party, worth avoiding if you do not.
In a one-week itinerary Bequia is night one or two out of St Vincent, and often night six on the way back north. In ten days most guests spend two nights here — one to arrive and settle, another on the return to catch a dinner ashore that they missed the first time.
For our full destination page see /destinations/bequia, and for the boats we charter most often into Admiralty Bay see /charter-yachts/grenadines-crewed-catamarans-svg.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do you anchor in Admiralty Bay?
- In the northern half off Princess Margaret Beach in 4–8m of good sand, or on a Daffodil mooring for around US $30 per night. Avoid the shallows off Belmont Walkway.
- How long does it take to sail from St Vincent to Bequia?
- About two hours from Blue Lagoon in a typical trade wind — a beam reach south for nine nautical miles.
- Is Bequia good for provisioning?
- Yes. Doris' Fresh Food and Knights Trading between them cover almost anything a chef needs; Doris will also pre-pack an order and meet the yacht at the fuel dock.
- When is Bequia Easter Regatta?
- The four days over Easter weekend each year. The anchorage fills — brilliant if you want the party, worth avoiding otherwise.