Practical Information for visiting St Vincent and the Grenadines

The currency is the East Caribbean dollar (XCD), shared with several neighbouring states and pegged to the US dollar at a fixed 2.70, which makes conversion simple.

US dollars are widely accepted, though change will usually come in EC dollars and often at a rounded rate — paying in EC is generally better value.

Cards work at hotels, resorts, dive shops and larger restaurants. Cash matters on the smaller islands, at the market, for minibuses, taxis and boat operators, and on Mayreau and the Tobago Cays there is nowhere to pay by card at all.

ATMs are in Kingstown, on Bequia and on Union Island; draw before heading down the chain.

Tipping: 10 to 15 per cent where no service charge is added; many hotels and restaurants add 10 per cent plus VAT automatically, so check the bill.

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the inhabited islands from Flow and Digicel, with 4G on St Vincent and the larger Grenadines. Signal reaches most anchorages and drops out in the Tobago Cays and around the less populated cays.

Local SIMs and tourist data packages are cheap and easy to buy in Kingstown or on Bequia with a passport, and are far better value than roaming, which is expensive here.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, guesthouses and many restaurants and bars, and is generally adequate.

Power is 230 volts, usually with UK-style three-pin sockets, and is reliable on the main island; the smaller islands run on generators in places and outages follow storms.

If sailing, download charts and forecasts before leaving; do not rely on signal offshore.

The country is generally safe and visitors are rarely troubled, though petty crime exists and the natural hazards are real.

• Hurricanes from June to November. Hurricane Beryl devastated Union Island and Mayreau in July 2024, and recovery in the southern Grenadines is ongoing — check the current state of facilities before booking there.
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• La Soufriere is an active volcano that erupted explosively in 2021. It is monitored; follow the alert level and take a guide if climbing.
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• The Atlantic coast of St Vincent has powerful surf and currents and is not for swimming. Drownings occur.
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• Petty theft from beaches, yachts at anchor and unattended bags. Yacht theft in some anchorages is a known issue; lock dinghies and outboards.
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• Kingstown after dark: take a taxi rather than walking.
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• Manchineel trees grow on some beaches and are toxic; they are usually marked.
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• Sea urchins and fire coral on the reefs; wear reef shoes.

Medical facilities are limited. The Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown is the main one, with small clinics on Bequia and Union Island, and serious cases are evacuated to Barbados, Trinidad or the United States. Insurance with medical evacuation cover is essential, particularly if diving or sailing.

Vaccinations: routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid. There is no malaria.

Dengue, chikungunya and Zika circulate with periodic outbreaks, carried by a day-biting mosquito; use repellent through the day.

Diving: there is no recompression chamber in the country; the nearest is in Barbados or Trinidad. Dive conservatively and observe flying intervals strictly.

Water: tap water on St Vincent is treated and generally safe; on the Grenadines it is usually rain catchment and bottled is wiser. Ask where you are staying.

Sun and dehydration: the trade winds disguise a very high UV index.

Greet people before asking anything. A good morning or good afternoon on entering a shop or approaching someone is expected, and skipping it is genuinely rude.

Dress: swimwear is for the beach and the boat only. Covering up in Kingstown, in villages and in shops matters, and men wearing no shirt in town is not acceptable.

Camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians, as in several eastern Caribbean states, and it will be confiscated at the airport. Do not pack any, including children’s.

Sunday is widely observed; many businesses close and ferry schedules thin.

In the Tobago Cays: use the moorings, pay the park fee, and do not touch or swim after the turtles. Rangers enforce this.

Ask before photographing people.

Drug offences carry serious penalties despite a decriminalised medical cannabis framework, which does not extend to visitors.

Emergency numbers: 999 or 911 for police, ambulance and fire. Response on the smaller islands is limited and your guesthouse or boat operator is often the faster route to help.

Medical. Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown is the main facility; clinics operate on Bequia, Canouan and Union Island. Serious cases are flown to Barbados or Trinidad — confirm your insurance covers evacuation before travelling.

At sea, the coastguard monitors VHF channel 16, and this is the practical emergency channel for anyone sailing the chain.

Hurricane warnings are issued through the national emergency management organisation and broadcast on radio; shelters are designated in advance. Follow instructions rather than improvising, and note that ferries and flights stop well before a storm.

La Soufriere is monitored by the seismic research centre, which publishes alert levels; evacuation of the north is ordered when warranted, as in 2021.

Few foreign embassies are resident; most cover the country from Barbados.