February 2024: On this two-week, five-country journey to visit my final five sovereign nations, my nephew, friend Jimmie, and I found ourselves in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines—a place that felt less touristy than the other islands we visited. Our main goal here was to climb La Soufrière, the island’s active volcano, which erupted in 2021 with such force that it nearly led to the complete evacuation of Saint Vincent.
To get around, we rented a car, navigating the winding island roads. For accommodations, we split our time between staying with a local family in Georgetown and a beach hotel in Kingston. Our stay with the family gave us an authentic look at island life, as they warmly welcomed us into their home and shared stories of the island’s resilience, especially during the volcanic eruptions. At the beach hotel, we soaked up some seaside relaxation in preparation for the volcano hike.
Despite its rugged, less polished vibe, Saint Vincent held a quiet charm, and we were eager to take on La Soufrière and experience the island’s natural beauty firsthand.
About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines indeed feels like a hidden gem of the Caribbean—a backwater steeped in resilience and intrigue, shaped by centuries of history and a natural ruggedness that sets it apart. This island was where the Carib Indians made their last stand against colonial forces and where pirates found refuge, using its isolated coves to evade capture. Despite some development in the Grenadines, particularly by wealthy expats, Saint Vincent’s main island has retained its wild, untamed character, with dense rainforests cloaking much of its mountainous, roadless interior.
Dominated by the towering presence of La Soufrière, the 4,000-foot active volcano looming in the north, the island offers an immersive experience in nature far removed from the more tourist-heavy destinations like Barbados. It was one of my favorites from this trip—and possibly in the Caribbean as a whole—precisely because of its unpolished, raw appeal.
The history of Saint Vincent is rich with colonial battles, as the British and French fought fiercely over the West Indies. The British ultimately gained control, and like much of the region, Saint Vincent became part of the British Empire, with African slaves brought in to labor on the plantations. The island remained under British rule until gaining independence in 1979, and today, the majority of its population are descendants of those enslaved Africans. Despite its turbulent past, Saint Vincent stands as a testament to resilience, and its landscapes and culture continue to tell stories of endurance and pride.
Location of the island
Staying with a Family in Georgetown & Eating Pilot Whale
We arrived in Kingston in the morning via InterCaribbean Airlines and immediately rented a car at the airport. After paying a small fee, I received my local driver’s license by simply displaying my US driver’s license, which is standard in most Caribbean countries. From Kingston, we drove a few hours to Georgetown, where I had booked an Airbnb with a local family to get as close to the volcano as possible for an early start to our hike the next morning.
Driving in Saint Vincent was reminiscent of Grenada, with other drivers using excessive speed, but the main road I navigated was wider and felt safer. The eastern side of the island was rugged and volcanic, and most villages we passed seemed to receive few, if any, foreign visitors. Georgetown was no different; the main street was lined with brightly painted buildings from the British colonial era.
We stopped to buy groceries at a local store for our hike in the morning. As we shopped, a group of curious, drunken locals, often referred to as rasta types, immediately gravitated toward us, asking for money. It was quite normal for the Caribbean to see people hanging around, and I chuckled when my nephew handed a small note to one of them, who replied, “Thanks, little gangsta.” We stocked up on some delicious homemade banana bread that was freshly made, which ended up being my favorite item to buy at gas stations and grocery stores during the trip.
Next, we needed to find our host’s house, but the Airbnb provided very vague directions, and our GPS led us down a narrow alley to a dead end. Our host didn’t answer his phone, and there were no other options for accommodation nearby. Armed with only a photo of the host’s home and his name—Prince—I started asking locals for directions. When I showed one man, who was smoking ganja, the photo, he instantly recognized it. His pigeon-like dialect was difficult to understand, but after navigating some rough dirt roads, narrow alleyways, and a steep hill, we finally arrived at our host’s house.
Georgetown
The house we stayed in was comfortable and cozy, but it was an ordinary local home for the area. It was blazing hot inside, and the feeble fans in the rooms did little to cool us down. Our host also apologized because the water was out, leaving us without running water. However, none of this mattered; staying with our hosts gave us a glimpse into how locals lived away from the tourism-driven areas, and they went out of their way to show us around and keep us entertained.
When Prince returned from his fields, he took us out to eat some traditional food and sample some local rum. We enjoyed black fish with cassava and french fries, which turned out to be extremely oily and overcooked, leaving me with a strong fishy odor after the oil spilled onto my lap. I later learned that the “black fish” was actually pilot whale, a unique dish to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The island is the only one in the Caribbean that still practices whaling, as the Carib Indians living there are allowed to continue this traditional practice. They harvest both pilot whales and some humpback whales.
After our meal, we visited a local bar with a pool, where we drank beer with some of the local guys before returning to Prince’s home. Jimmie stayed up late drinking more rum with Prince in the front yard, while I inflated my camping mattress and opted to sleep on the front porch next to the carcass of an enormous spider, which was much cooler than the hot room where I would have had to share a bed with my nephew.
The next morning, I arranged for a young local boy to guide us to the top of the volcano. Although we didn’t necessarily need a guide, I had read that the trail could be confusing after the recent eruption, and it was best to have one. For a small fee, the local boy agreed to lead us up the volcano the next day.
My nephew playing pool with a local guy with the mural of the lion of Judah in the background, a prominent image in the Rasta religion
Climbing the Active Volcano of Soufries
Prince let us keep our backpacks at his house while we climbed the volcano. Early the next morning, just as the sun was rising, we began our drive up a narrow dirt jungle road that wound uphill for about 30 minutes before arriving at the parking lot near the trailhead. Normally, local guides would be hanging around at this time, but we were too early to see any. We also discovered that walking sticks were available for rent at the trailhead, but we missed that opportunity.
I wanted to get an early start because I had read mixed reports about how long the hike would take, and it was best to beat the hot sun. Rain and clouds are common in the early afternoon, and fog could obscure the trail on our return hike.
The beginning of the hike through the rainforest was challenging; the trail was steep with enormous steps, and I was pouring with sweat. However, the scenery was spectacular, with lush ferns and vibrant rainforest surrounding us. As we climbed, the trees gave way to volcanic rock, revealing incredible vistas of the surrounding mountains.
The trail was well marked all the way to the edge of the crater, where there was no fence or warning—just a sheer 1,000-foot drop into the crater below. From the ridge, we enjoyed breathtaking views of the island and the expansive crater, where we could see fumaroles releasing steam and an acidic lake formed by the recent eruption. The unmistakable smell of sulfur filled the air. We took an hour to have lunch and soak in the views.
Our guide recounted the eruption’s devastation, explaining how Georgetown had been evacuated and that many residents were being relocated from the island. He shared that the volcano had rained ash across the entire island, making the eruption particularly terrifying for the locals, especially when compounded by the pandemic. Although the volcano was heavily monitored, the scientists had been caught off guard by the eruption, as many of the solar panels used to power the monitoring equipment had been stolen by Rastas for their ganja fields.
Dylan on the rainforest hike
Scenery as we climbed above the rainforest
Scenery as we climbed above the rainforest
Scenery as we climbed above the rainforest
Scenery as we climbed above the rainforest
Climbing to the crater ridge
Acid lake in the crater
Me at the crater ridge
Dylan looking into the crater
The volcano was still active, and according to our guide, it could erupt again at any time. We decided not to hike into the crater and instead made our way back to Kingston to relax for the rest of the day at our beachside hotel.
On the return trip, we were delayed by about 20 minutes when a thick layer of fog enveloped us, blinding our way. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the fog disappeared, allowing us to continue down the trail. We completed the round trip in less than three hours, and the only other hikers we encountered were near the end of the trail on our return.
For the rest of the day, we unwound at our hotel in Kingston, enjoying rum punches by the beach. Relaxation was a luxury we had rarely indulged in during this trip, so it felt great to finally have the chance before our early morning departure to Saint Lucia the next day.