Overview
If the BVI is the world's best beginner charter destination, the Grenadines are the world's best charter destination, full stop. The chain of islands from St Vincent south to Grenada offers everything the Caribbean promises: steady 20-knot trade winds, crystalline water over coral reefs, deserted anchorages, volcanic peaks, and a relaxed island culture that hasn't been entirely overwhelmed by tourism. Passages are longer than the BVI (typically 20–40nm), which keeps the anchorages quieter.
The route
The classic Grenadines itinerary runs south to north — fly into Grenada, charter in St George's, and sail north with the trade winds behind you to St Lucia or Martinique. Alternatively, fly into St Lucia, charter at Rodney Bay, and sail south (more upwind work but the return journey is easier to plan). Allow 10–14 days for the full chain; a week gives you the Tobago Cays and Bequia but not much else.
Tobago Cays
The Tobago Cays Marine Park — four uninhabited islands inside a horseshoe reef — is the most spectacular anchorage in the Eastern Caribbean. The snorkeling on the Horseshoe Reef is world-class: hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, and extraordinary coral. Anchor inside the reef for flat-water calm regardless of the trade winds outside. A park fee ($10/person) is payable on arrival. Arrive before midday to get a good spot; by afternoon the anchorage is crowded.
Bequia
Bequia (pronounced BECK-way) is the most charming island in the Grenadines. Admiralty Bay is the main anchorage — a beautiful horseshoe bay with great holding, a busy dinghy dock, and excellent restaurants ashore. The island has a genuine local sailing culture — Bequian fishermen still build traditional wooden boats and hunt humpback whales under a subsistence quota. The Frangipani Hotel waterfront bar is a Grenadines institution.
Mustique
Mustique is private (owned by the Mustique Company) but accessible to cruising boats. The anchorage in Britannia Bay is open to all; the famous Basil's Bar on the beach is the destination. Celebrity-spotting is the main sport. A mooring fee applies; anchoring restrictions are strictly enforced by the harbor master.
Carriacou & Grenada
Carriacou, Grenada's northern dependency, is a quiet, traditional island with a wooden boat-building tradition. Hillsborough Bay is the main anchorage. Grenada itself — the Spice Isle — is the turnaround point for most Grenadines itineraries. St George's harbour is spectacularly beautiful; Prickly Bay on the south coast has the main marina and chandlery. Stock up on fresh nutmeg, cinnamon, and cocoa before you leave.
Best time to go
December through May is peak season. January through March offers the most reliable trade winds (18–25 knots from the northeast). November is excellent value and uncrowded. Avoid June through October — hurricane season.