and the French, until, in 1763, the la
er
swapped the Grenadines for Saint Lucia,
Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The real beauty of Bequia lies in its
ramshackleness. Absolutely picture perfect
beaches such as Lower Bay are backed with
a few trees by which locals will braid hair
or dig around in an old fridge to sell you a
beer. Commercialism hasn’t anchored here
too much yet, and the island is all the more
glorious for it. Superyachts tend to moor
offshore and tender their VIP guests in for
an aernoon of low-key sunbathing on the
beach. This is where Jerry Hall and Rupert
Murdoch got engaged a couple of years ago,
and no-one on Bequia would have ba
ed an
eyelid. Even Prince Edward, who popped by
a few years ago, got a nonplussed reception.Hi ing the heights
It’s tempting to do nothing but lie on the
beach and lazily snorkel the crystal clear
bays dreaming of pirates (or Johnny Depp),
but it’s worth making the trip up to Mount
Pegy - the highest point of the island. Here,
you'll find a lovely picnic area which locals
head up to to catch the sunset, barbecue,
and while away a warm evening.
Down on the east side, a li
le up from
Bequia Beach Hotel, sits a turtle sanctuary,
while a li
le further down from that still is
La Pompe - a village that sits at the heart ofthe island’s fishing and whaling industries.
Aside from tourism, fishing is what keeps
Bequia going, and the day’s catch is still
announced by the blowing of a conch horn
at the Port Hamilton market. A boardwalk
do
ed with bayside cafés and bars hugs the
leeward coast from Princess Margaret Bay
to Port Hamilton, although nothing seems to
stay open super-late on Bequia. This version
of the good life doesn’t need 3am clubs and
over-privileged teenagers to make ends meet.
A holiday here is a lesson in the art of
doing nothing. It’s tempting to book in
catamaran trips to the Tobago Cays or hikes
to waterfalls and volcanoes on St. Vincent,
but the beauty of Bequia is in the slow pace
which allows you to soak up the island vibe
and sink into the sand, rum punch in hand.
It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it.Make it real
Prices from £1,839 per person based
on two adults sharing a Classic Pool
and Seaview Room at Bequia Beach
Hotel for 7 nights, including daily
breakfast, return economy class
flights with British Airways from
London Gatwick, inter-island flights
and transfers. bequiabeach.comLUXURY ESCAPESThe real beauty of Bequia lies in its ramshacklesness.
Commercialism hasn’t anchored here too much yet,
and the island is all the more glorious for it.Images: Getty images, ShutterstockBequia_MATTCATHY ZP_WITH_MATT.indd 119 05/04/2017 10:41