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PORT
ELIZABETH
The heart of Bequia, along the
shores of the harbour in Admiralty Bay, is its capital Port Elizabeth
- the main location for shops of all types, mostly clustered along "Front
Street".
Here in "de Harbour" you will
find grocery stores and delicatessens, fishing supplies, hardware, marine
chandleries, model boat builders, pharmacy, travel agent, banks, vegetable
market, t-shirt market, bars, restaurants, boutiques, and gift shops,
as well as Post Office, Customs & Immigration, Police Station and
Hospital. (Port Elizabeth map)
Accommodation is available at very
reasonable rates.
The main dock in the centre
of the town bustles with activity when the ferries arrive and unload their
passengers and daily supplies. Everything, from building supplies to groceries,
arrives by boat. The Bequia Tourism Association
office is located at the end of the main jetty.
The town gets sleepy in the
hot afternoon sunshine, and a few stores close at lunchtime. More chandleries,
sail lofts, canvas makers, model boat builders and marine and fishing
supplies are located in Ocar Reform, just north of the town centre towards
the small village of Hamilton, and are served by their own convenient
dinghy dock.
BELMONT
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The Belmont Walkway, which runs from Port Elizabeth right along the
southern side of the bay, takes you to several delightful small hotels,
apartments, gift shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and dive shops, all
situated right by the water's edge.
A popular and convenient
location to stay, within easy reach of the main beaches, and the
centre of activity in the evenings.
The location of Belmont itself
runs from the water's edge up inland, and is mainly residential.
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PRINCESS
MARGARET BEACH
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Just beyond the Belmont
Walkway and its bustle of shops and restaurants is the beautiful,
secluded and as yet totally unspoilt Princess Margaret beach - so
named because Princess Margaret once swam there! The only access
at present is by water taxi or down a steep road/track off the main
road.
Current construction
just above the bay has meant that the popular but tricky cliff path
from the Plantation House Hotel over the headland and down to Princess
Margaret beach, has become partially obstructed.
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Princess Margaret Beach |
LOWER
BAY
Situated on the leeward
side, within the protection of Admiralty Bay. A broad sweep of glorious
golden sand and a sleepy fishing village at the bay's southern end are
just part of what makes Lower Bay the only place to stay for many visitors.
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guest houses, a friendly hotel, rental villas and lots of apartments
provide a wide range of accommodation. A selection of bars and restaurants,
local grocery shop, a bakery, and a fresh produce outlet provide for
all daily needs - ask a fisherman if he has some fish for you! Many
times there's music and a lively social scene at the beach bar, but
always enough wide beach for you to find your own quiet spot.
Just beware of the clearly
marked manchineel trees - their shade may look tempting but their
fruit is poisonous, and the sap can cause a very severe skin reaction.
Never shelter under one when it is raining!
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Lower Bay looking towards
the harbour |
SPRING
AND INDUSTRY
North east of Port Elizabeth are the lush green meadows and hills
of Spring - formerly a sugar plantation, now with a small hotel and
working fruit plantation, and home to groups of cows and sheep grazing
amidst swaying coconut palms.
A number of long stay visitors and residents have built
homes high up in the hills overlooking Spring Bay, and a selection
of these villas are also available for rent.
East facing for
spectacular sunrises and cooled by Atlantic breezes, Spring is the
ideal location for visitors seeking peace, tranquility and spectacular
natural beauty.
Industry Bay and beach
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Spring Bay
The next bay north from Spring is Industry, site of
another former plantation, with hidden ruins and verdant meadows
to prove it.
A small stone-built inn
nestles right by the beach, and set above the road looking down
on the bay, are one or two more villas to rent - and nothing else
but the sound of the sea and the birds.
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MOUNT
PLEASANT
Another get-away-from-it
all spot, this highland area of Bequia is a patchwork of tropical forest
on the steep sheltered leeward approach from Belmont, densely wooded valleys,
and open moorland at the summit.
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The slopes contain a mixture of smaller older houses and larger, newer
homes with sweeping views. A small selection of villas and apartments
to rent, and a fascinating and romantic stone built inn, recreating
an old plantation house, provide a welcome oasis from the bustle in
the harbour.
There is a small general
store with restaurant and bar which serves the whole community,
and entertains with occasional local string band music in season.
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Photo courtesy Lynn McKamey |
FRIENDSHIP
BAY
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A sheltered south-facing
bay on the island's windward side, with a broad golden sweep of
sand beach. The area is dotted with small houses, rental apartments
and villas, two hotels with restaurants and bars right on the beach,
and a dive shop.
The western end of Friendship
beach reaches the village of La Pompe above; fishing boats are drawn
up on the beach, and life proceeds here at a leisurely pace. "Gumboat"
building and racing is serious sport along these shores and most
Sunday's you'll see these large model boats on a course from the
airport to Friendship Bay.
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MOONHOLE
On
the westernmost tip of the island, far beyond the airport and reached
by a dusty track behind the beach, lies the unique community of Moonhole
- a private development of over twenty homes and rental villas, literally
built in, and out of, the rocks.
This singular location, with its beautiful private white
sand beach is the ultimate
in simple escapism and seclusion. |
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denotes
BTA Member
