For the purposes of luxury yacht charter, the southern Caribbean starts at St. Vincent and continues south through the Grenadines to the independent island of Grenada. The islands follow one after the next, almost in a straight line, creating a region that is ideal for a 10- to 14 day charter.
Start your charter in Kingstown, St. Vincent, within easy driving distance of the regional airport. From there, your charter yacht can cruise south through the many smaller islands of the Grenadines. Bequia and Mustique may be your first stops, offering high end boutiques and pretty beaches amid the private luxury homes where celebrities often hide away for a week or two. Farther south are Mayreau, Palm Island and Carriacou, all offering a look at a true Caribbean complete with rum-punch huts and tropical fruit stands. Basil’s Bar on Mustique is world-renowned, with the island of Petite St. Vincent is a yacht-friendly gem.
Next, your charter yacht will arrive in the Tobago Cays, a protected park and wildlife sanctuary that stretches across some five miles of impossibly blue and green waters. Vibrant coral reefs, large sea turtles and colorful tropical fish promise multiple snorkeling adventures. You’ll also have a chance to mix and mingle with cruising sailors who are living the good life, having cast off and sailed toward the sunset for better part of a few months or a few years.
At the “bottom” of any southern Caribbean charter itinerary is Grenada, which offers top-notch resorts, white-sand beaches, hiking trails and an international airport. Leave time in your charter itinerary for a stop at the Grenada Chocolate Factory, where you can see how locally grown cocoa is processed into a fine organic chocolate. If you’re lucky, you may even get asked to help turn the beans in the sun by walking barefoot across them.