Holiday Bequia 2016 Edition

Sightseeing
secluded and all clean and uncrowded.
Bathe in the clear, safe waters, perfect for
swimming, snorkelling, sailing, diving and
other water sports.
Princess Margaret Beach is a lovely
ribbon of golden sand, just down from Port
Elizabeth. The beach was formerly known as
Tony Gibbons Beach; until Princess Margaret
enjoyed a dip there in 1958.
There is a cliff pathway linking Princess
Margaret beach to the popular, expansive
Lower Bay. Fringed by fishing boats and nets,
its casual atmosphere is further enhanced
by a number of very good, and reasonably
priced bars and restaurants – including the
world famous De Reef with its popular
Sunday afternoon music jam and Keegan’s
with its delicious, reasonably-priced homecooking
and Saturday night barbecue –
making Lower Bay a favourite location both
during the day and in the evening.
Friendship Bay, only a short ride from
Homemade Bequia jams for sale!
town on the south side of the island, offers
a long, wide sweep of beach and excellent
conditions for diving, sailing and snorkelling.
Also on Friendship Bay is the Bequia Beach
Hotel’s main restaurant, Blue Tropic, and the
Bagatelle Restaurant & Bar on the beach.
Between the bays of Friendship and Spring
is Hope Bay, with its remote beach. Here
the rather shallow waters and the long lines
of breakers from the Atlantic Ocean make
the spot ideal for first-rate body surfing
and windsurfing. However, the strong
undertow demands that this is for the more
experienced surfers only. With no hotels or
bars in the vicinity, take a friend, something to
drink and maybe a picnic. Look for signposts
or ask for directions.
Along the main road out of the harbour
is the romantic and secluded shallow beach
at Spring Bay, behind which are acres of
tall palm trees and a working Caribbean
plantation which form part of Firefly
Plantation Hotel Bequia. A guided tour of
the plantation and ruined sugar mill lasts
approximately 45 minutes. You can sample
fruit and vegetables in season, crush your
own sugar cane juice and learn about
coconuts, bananas and various herbs and
flowers; bookings suggested and children
welcome.
Just north of Spring is the inaptly named
Industry Bay. But fear not, there is no heavy
industry here or anywhere else on the
island. It’s a glorious palm-fringed beach,
wonderful for snorkelling, and with surf
particularly suitable for surfing beginners. A
word of caution – there can be a quite strong
undercurrent at times. Lastly, a short road
walk from Industry Bay over the headland
will bring you to Park, with its palm shaded,
isolated beach, home to the Old Hegg Turtle
Sanctuary. Not so great for swimming, but a
wonderful point from which to explore on
foot the undeveloped northern reaches of
the island.
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