Bequia is one of those places where you tend to linger longer than you thought you would, and this time was no exception. It’s a pretty harbor lined with beaches, gingerbread guest houses and fruit stands. When the ferry comes in or there’s a cruise ship in the harbor, it bustles. Much of the rest of the time, it has a relaxed vibe and the locals are very friendly. There are a few stores to browse, and some nice hikes. Action Bequia is a local organization which promotes habitat protection, environmental awareness, and maintains a nice waterfront trail from the town center to the beaches on the southern side of the bay. We settled in off Princess Margaret Beach.

Street scenes from Port Elizabeth in Bequia

View from the walkway over to Princess Margaret Beach and from our mooring

With Sue and Denny, we explored the town (not much has changed!) and visited a couple of favorite restaurants. One day we hiked Ma Peggy trail, which takes you to the highest point of a scenic ridge with spectacular views. It didn’t look very high but it was a steep scramble in places! We also took our dinghy in to have chaps made for it (these are sunbrella covers that will protect it from the sun). And of course there were regular trips to the beach.

Sadly Sue and Denny had to leave to return to Vermont. We stayed a couple more days in Bequia, with more trips to the beach; sundowners at Jacks, a beachfront bar nearby; and pizza at Mac’s, which my parents remember from 35 years ago as having excellent pizza (it still does!).

Rum punches at Jack’s

Traditional boats on Princess Margaret Beach

Dinner at Jack’s and at Mac’s

As a souvenir, we bought a model boat; Bequia is famous for these and there are several craftsmen who make replicas of boats from the island’s whaling past, such as the Why Ask. Bequia is still allowed to take two whales a year through traditional methods, and has a processing facility on one of its less attractive islands – I imagine it is quite a sight when they hunt them, and quite a stink when they process them!

Model whaling boat, and the whale processing island

With the wind FINALLY dying down it was time to move on. I’m glad we were able to spend so much time in Bequia, and it remains one of my favorite places in the Caribbean.