Grenada Vs St Vincent (Which Is Better To Visit)

Both Grenada and St Vincent are beautiful Caribbean islands with warm weather and friendly people which will make your vacation unforgettable.

As a general rule, St Vincent is better for travelers who are on a budget and who want to experience diverse cultures and history by touring its many Grenadine islands. Alternatively, Grenada is perfect for the visitor who is looking for a safer destination, who loves chocolate and is interested in diving.

Read on for further details how these destinations compare in eight different categories. These tips are summarized by expats who lived in both islands.

Grenada Vs St Vincent: How Does Their Landscape Differ

St Vincent and the Grenadines is bigger than Grenada by 9 square miles. Grenada, which lies to the south of St Vincent is 133 square miles.

St Vincent has a chain of 32 smaller islands which are called The Grenadines. Some of the Grenadines are inhabited such as Bequia, Union Island and Canouan. Alternatively, islands such as Petit Nevis and Tobago Cays are uninhabited.

On the other hand, the state of Grenada compromises of the largest island being also called Grenada and two other smaller islands bearing the names Carriacou and Petite Martinique respectively.  

Grenada Vs St Vincent: What Is The Distance Apart

The flight time between St Vincent and Grenada is about 45-50 minutes on small aircrafts. This time may reduce if you are travelling on a slightly larger aircraft.

Currently, there is no ferry service between the islands but cargo ships do transport goods between the countries as Grenada imports some of its vegetables and livestock from St Vincent.

If your budget permits, it is easy to travel to the other destination during your stay as there are flights between the islands several times each week.

Grenada Vs St Vincent : Which Has Better Infrastructure

Both countries are hilly and mountainous in topography but Grenada is less mountainous that St Vincent.

The road network in Grenada is better with more alternative roads as well as the ability to drive around the entire island. In St Vincent there isn’t a road network that connects as a ring around the island.

There is reliable transportation with private buses plying many of the routes around both islands. However, the bus drivers in St Vincent tends to drive more aggressively than Grenada coupled with the hills which made the experience slightly worrying for me as a fellow driver.

Grenada is more commercialized than St Vincent with bigger malls and shopping facilities on the island.

Grenada Vs St Vincent: Which Island Is More Expensive

As a general rule, St Vincent is a cheaper place to visit than Grenada as prices of goods and services are lower. Individuals who live in St Vincent pay higher rates of income tax than Grenada. Alternatively, the import duties and taxes are higher than that of St Vincent thus making products at the point of retail more expensive.

The official currency of both St Vincent and The Grenadines and Grenada is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which has been pegged to the US (United States) dollar since July 7^th, 1976 at a rate of USD $1 to XCD $2.70.

This currency is also shared by seven other Eastern Caribbean islands and is managed through a regional central bank which is based in St Kitts.

Several persons from each of the Caribbean island work at the central bank. The US dollar is generally accepted at most business places on the island. As with other countries, businesses at times may be skeptical accepting higher denominations.

Grenada Vs St Vincent: Which Has Better Beaches

As a whole, when it comes to the mainland Grenada has better beaches than St Vincent. Grenada has world renowned Grand Anse beach which is a long strip of white sand beach along its southern coast. This beach is well loved by visitors to the island.

Alternatively, St Vincent and the Grenadines have two popular white sand beaches on the mainland being villa beach and Indian Bay.

The majority of the other beaches on the island are mainly black sand due to St Vincent’s volcanic composition. However, if you consider Grenada and its dependencies along with St Vincent and the Grenadines, in my opinion, the Grenadines will beat all the other islands.

While there isn’t a beach with a long white strip as Grand Anse the water is clear, clean and just beautiful. Honestly, after visiting several beaches in the Caribbean, the Grenadines waters will be my top pick in terms of beaches in the region.

Grenada Vs St Vincent : Which Island Is Safer

Grenada has a lower crime rate than St Vincent. According to the US Department State, Overseas Advisory Council based on a 2018 crime report per 100,000 citizens, Grenada had the lowest murder and kidnapping rates when compared to six other regional counterparts being 15 murders and 0 kidnapping respectively.

During the same period, St Vincent and the Grenadines had 31 murders and 5 kidnappings respectively.

In both countries however visitors can walk and take public transportation safely during the day.

Nevertheless, due care must be taken as in any other country. Visitors should avoid walking in secluded areas at nights and take only taxis authorized by the relevant taxi associations.

Grenada Vs St Vincent: Which Has Better Attractions & Things To Do

Unique Things To Do In Grenada

Visit The Underwater Sculpture Park– if you are an avid diver, this one of a kind sculpture park was constructed in 2006 and is located in Molinere in Grenada.  The British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor is the creator of the park. It is about 5-8 metres deep and is accessible by scuba diving, snorkeling and glass bottom boats.

Enjoy Chocolate- If you love chocolate, then Grenada is the destination for you. Home to six producers of fine local chocolate, these factories in some instances grow their own cocoa and process it into chocolate bars.

Some of these bars are infused with various flavours such as nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon, mace, bee pollen, sea salt and ginger.

In addition, there is a lovely shop nestled in the heart of St George, the capital city called House of Chocolate where you can buy a wide range of chocolate and chocolate flavoured products such as tea, cakes and icecream.

These café is a perfect stop to rest for both kids and adults in the city. The island is also the proud host of the local Grenada Chocolate Festival where chocolate lovers both local and visiting enjoy various activities all centered around chocolate.

Unique Things To Do In St Vincent & The Grenadines

Visit The Botanical Gardens– the gardens in St Vincent is located in New Montrose which is about 10 minutes drive from the city of Kingstown.

It is the oldest of its kind in the Western hemisphere and was first established in 1765. It is extremely easy to get there by taking a bus in the city centre.

This is what I did and asked the conductor to drop me at the entrance of the garden. This beautiful located is a popular venue for weddings and other events.

 In addition to being the home of parrots, peacocks and a large variety of flowers, this garden has a breadfruit tree from the sucker of the original breadfruit tree that arrived in 1793 from Captain Bligh.

Wallilabou Bay–  this is located along the north western coast of the island and is home to where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

To date, there are several memorabilias there from the movie and in addition vendors selling trinkets at this beautiful location.  It is a nice casual must visit while on the island.

Grenada Vs St Vincent: Which Has Better Access To International Cities

Both countries have various international airlines provide direct service from major cities.

Prior to Covid 19, Grenada enjoyed direct and non-stop flights from the USA, United Kingdom (UK) and Germany. A valid passport as well a return ticket is required for all visitors traveling to Grenada.

A visa is not required from citizens from the USA, Canada, and most European countries, the British Commonwealth, South Korea, China, Japan and most Caribbean countries.

Alternatively, St Vincent and the Grenadines commenced operations in 2017 of its first international airport in St Vincent.  Currently, St Vincent is served by the following international carriers.

• American Airlines
• Air Canada
• Sunwing
• Virgin Atlantic
• British Airways

Table 1 below shows the international airlines and their ports of embarkation for Maurice Bishop International Airport Grenada.

Table 1: Direct and Non Stop Flights to Grenada

Final Thoughts

On a whole, St Vincent and the Grenadines is an ideal choice for a traveler who is looking for budget friendly vacation who loves incredible mountain and valley views. On the other hand, Grenada is suited to a traveler who is seeking a safe environment and loves diving and chocolate.

If you are contemplating traveling to Grenada, St Vincent & Grenadines or the rest of the Caribbean, cruising is an affordable option to consider. I have recently completed an informative course by cruise specialist, Emma Cruises which you should check out titled How To Cruise For Less.

This course provides detail tips and techniques on how to save money while cruising onboard, onshore as well as the importance of insurance. So if you if you are considering a cruise for your next Caribbean vacation, check out How To Cruise For Less.

Need More Information?

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