No matter which glorious destination you choose for your holiday to St Vincent and the Grenadines, you’ll be pampered, indulged, and generally spoilt rotten from the moment you arrive. You’re always just a few steps away from the beach, and even closer to a rum daiquiri that’ll blow you sideways!

• Palm Island Resort and Spa – Fancy holidaying on your own private island? This is it, this is the real thing! Go all Robinson Crusoe on Palm Island, a resort that has taken care to ensure there’s minimal impact on the natural beauty of this charming little island. It’s eco-friendly, where you dine on the beach and dive into a vivid blue ocean that’s just metres from your room.
• Cotton House – Another private island retreat, at Cotton House you’re surrounded by 13 acres of tropical gardens scented with perfumed flowers and home to brightly coloured birds. The resort captures the spirit of the Caribbean with authentic décor and private plunge pools. Dine on lobster, washed down with signature cocktails.
• Young Island – just when you thought it couldn’t get any more idyllic, it does. Young Island is yet another private island getaway where the palm trees give way to almond and mango plantations, sun loungers are replaced by hammocks, and motorised water sports are banned to ensure complete tranquillity (as well as protecting the fragile ecosystem of the island). It’s sheer laid-back luxury.

St Vincent holidays give you the chance to discover not one but two paradises – one on dry land and the other underwater. This is a diver’s hotspot, with reefs of black coral (yes, black coral, some of the rarest in the world) and shipwrecks to explore. There may still be a few gold doubloons down there, as this was Pirate Central for centuries. If you’ve never dived before then ask your accommodation provider for details on PADI-approved lessons, which should get you your open-water certificate and a great introduction to the joys of flipper-flapping!

If you can manage to tear yourself away from that hammock, put down your rum punch and slip on a pair of flip-flops, there’s actually plenty to see and do in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

• The Botanic Gardens – sit quietly among the orchids and freesias, and eventually you’ll be rewarded with a glimpse of the rare St Vincent parrot. This particular Polly isn’t very talkative, but it is a stunning little bird with a big personality! The Gardens are the oldest in the western hemisphere. If you think the Eden Project’s cool, you’ll love this place.
• Forts galore – the Caribbean was a hotly-disputed spot for centuries, so even tiny islands like Young Island had their very own forts. Check out the 18th century Fort Duvernette on Young Island, or the imposing Fort Charlotte in St Vincent’s capital Kingstown.
• The island’s first inhabitants – if you think the Grenadines have only recently been discovered, think again. The Arawak Rock Carvings are all that’s left of the island’s indigenous people, a moving memento of a civilisation long since gone.

• To the Bat Cave, Robin – Yes, there are bats, and boy, are they noisy! The Byahaut Bat Cave is a coastal cave and one of the more challenging dive spots in the Grenadines. It’s well worth the trip, although you’re more likely to hear the bats, rather than see them.
• Giddy-up – horse riding in Mustique – hop on a ferry over to Mustique and you can do the whole ‘galloping along the sands’ experience on a deserted tropical beach. Well, not completely deserted, obviously, because there’ll be a drink and a delicious meal waiting for you once you dismount.

St Vincent all-inclusive holidays naturally include all your meals. And with these fabulous locations, you don’t have to sit indoors to have that romantic dinner for two – why not grab a table on the beach and watch the dolphins play as you sip on a cocktail? Try the private dining options at the Palm Island Resort, where they really know how to pamper you.

Mustique has its own special spots, such as the Veranda restaurant. This fusion favourite specialises in Caribbean style sushi (yes, that’s a thing).

Fancy some street food? Keep a look out for the roadside BBQs during the weekend for some authentic Caribbean flavours.

• Carnival - July -The big event in St Vincent and the Grenadines is Carnival. Held in early July, ‘Vincy Mas’ is a knees-up like no other. Expect to be awake for a long, long time because the music and drinking simply doesn’t stop!
• St Vincent Breadfruit festival – August – Breadfruit is a staple part of Caribbean cuisine, and in St Vincent they celebrate this with a festival in August all over the islands. Tuck in, the food is delicious!
• St Vincent Dance Festival – September – get your dancing shoes on, as venues across the island embrace the dances and music of a myriad of influences that all come together to create that eclectic, unstoppable, and totally irresistible Caribbean beat!

• By car – if you stay put in the resorts then you won’t need to hire a car. But if you want to explore all that St Vincent and the islands have to offer, then hire a car and go on a road trip along the main coast. Don’t expect to get anywhere too fast, though, the roads are narrow and the driving attitude is laid-back, so take your foot off the gas pedal and check out the scenery as you go.
• By boat – climb on board any of the charter boats that hop between the islands. You’ll find ferries, catamarans and water taxis plying their trade all around the Grenadines.

Holidays to St Vincent and the Grenadines are possible all year round, so if you’re desperate for some winter sun you’ve come to the right place. This tropical paradise has consistently warm, sunny, gorgeous weather from January to December, with very little variation. The summer months are from May to October, with September the hottest month of the year. Temperatures hover around the 30°C mark, and rarely dip below that all year round.

Sea temperatures are a balmy 24-26°C, so you won’t need a wetsuit, just your board shorts or a bikini.