The Tropical Hideaway: Bequia, St Vincent and the Grenadines

Bequia is a jewel of an island nestled in the Grenadines with a famous neighbor; the perennial celebrity favorite, Mustique. In fact, we saw Mick Jagger as soon as we stepped on the dinghy dock to grab our taxi! It boasts pristine and peaceful white sandy beaches and perfectly clear turquoise waters. It has a wonderfully charming atmosphere that harkens back to the Caribbean far before all-inclusive mega-resorts and noisy jet-skis circling swimmers! Bequia offers the ultimate tranquil escape.

Tropical Hideaway is a small boutique hotel tucked up in the hills overlooking Admiralty Bay. The owners (originally from the United Kingdom) sailed across the Atlantic on their yacht and adventured all over the Caribbean. After finding the perfect piece of land, they decided to build their dream home come hotel on the beautiful Bequia. They carefully cleared the land, keeping as much vegetation and mature trees as possible and built everything from the ground up. Once you are there it sinks in how truly remarkable that is since it is high atop a steep hillside and they lived on their boat with their young daughters while they built it.

The moment we arrived, we were greeted with delicious rum punch and then taken on a tour of the grounds. The views were overwhelmingly beautiful, especially from the infinity pool overlooking the harbor. We were shown to our villa and shown how everything worked and also given welcome provisions complete with fresh home baked bread, butter, cheese, milk, coffee, tea, fruit, nuts and even a couple of beers. They operate a small shop on-site that sells home-cooked meals, snacks, wine, liquor and soft drinks, all at the same prices you pay at the shops in town (no crazy hotel mark-ups!). This is a wonderful convenience to have since the nearest shop is about a 20 minute walk away.

Our villa, Palm Cottage, had a large terrace overlooking the harbor and it felt very private. It had a small dining table and chairs and also two big comfy outdoor armchairs that were perfect for sitting and enjoying our morning coffee. There was a hummingbird feeder hanging right outside and I loved watching the birds come and go. There were also little lizards darting around and I even saw a tortoise just below the terrace walking down the hillside.

The villa felt very spacious and it was great having a small kitchen for making breakfast and keeping our wine chilled in the fridge. There is ample storage space and all practical things have been considered, including screens on the windows, which meant not having to worry about insects despite having the windows open to get the breeze blowing through. We used the aircon at night and it worked great and kept us cool and comfortable.

Because the hotel is high up the hillside, we usually walked down to the beaches and town and then caught taxis back up the hill at the end of the day or after dinner. We did walk up the stairs one afternoon and it was quite a workout, but there are little places to stop and sit and catch your breath.

The gardens and the pool are absolutely stunning. Words truly cannot do it justice. It was all breathtaking. There are plenty of sun loungers to relax on and there is a shaded gazebo with a daybed. They also provide floats for the pool and there is a little sunken bar with an ice-maker and a little fridge to keep your drinks cold. The pool temperature was perfect and always felt refreshing without being too cold. It is open 24 hours a day and we loved having an evening swim and watching the sunset from the pool. I saw the green flash our first night!

The staff were all very friendly and our room was kept immaculate. In fact everywhere on the grounds was super clean and tidy and felt well cared for.

We met the other guests and everyone was lovely. We made some great friends! One couple we met had stayed there at least four times before and I can truly understand why. This place is very special.

I actually shed a few tears saying goodbye but I also know we’ll be back there again someday. It seriously stole my heart!

Getting there:

You can fly to St Vincent and catch the ferry across to Bequia. There is also a small airport on the island with flights connections from Barbados and St Lucia.

Getting around:

They drive on the left, like the rest of St Vincent and the Grenadines. You can rent a car but we found walking to be easy and the island is quite small. Taxis are also readily available and we used them each day to get back up the hill!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In need of further inspiration? Check out Cliniece Goodluck’s guide, Adventure Travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines