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As the flight to Bequia nears its destination, an alarmingquestion occurs to me: where the hell are we going to land? Thetiny Caribbean island, a 45minute hop from Barbados, is apaltry seven miles in length and less in width. The interior is inparts vertiginous, reaching a maximum height of 866ft, andascends sharply from the shore. Not ideal landing territory. As ithappens, the pilot of our 14seater aircraft takes a sharp turn tothe right to reveal one of the shortest runways I've ever seen,slows down almost to a hovering halt, and executes a perfectgrounding. What was I worried about?

When Bengt Morstedt, a Swedish lawyer, first set foot in Bequiain 1991, he came by boat – the airport was still to come. He andhis wife saw in the New Year here (including a traditional 22verse rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" to an accelerating beat) andfell in love with the place. He returned in 2004 and decided thiswas where he would realise his dream of opening a hotel (theairport had been built by then). The result was Bequia BeachHotel, my home for the week.

Bequia: The Caribbean's bestkept secret

This unspoilt island has seduced the likes of Bob Dylan and privacy‑seekingbillionaires. Dan Gledhill can see the appeal

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Thursday 01 January 2015

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Bengt's baby is now a sophisticated but charming miniresortwith restaurant, bar, swimming pool, gym and spa tucked intoone of the island's prettiest stretches of coastline, FriendshipBay. So far, so typically Caribbean. But Bequia is far more thanjust a beautiful island in the sun.

A little history first. Bequia (pronounced bekway) and its fellowGrenadine islands were formerly part of Grenada, which wascolonised by the French in the mid17th century. Bequia wassettled from around 1720 by a handful of French families whojoined the island's small population of Caribs. They producedlime, hunted turtles, grew indigo, cotton and, later, sugar – andfought off marauding British frigates in search of lumber andwater.

The end of the Seven Years' War in 1763 saw Grenada and itsGrenadines ceded by the French to the British, while thepreviously neutral island of St Vincent, home to thousands ofindigenous Caribs, also ended up under British rule. Getting richquick from sugar was still the order of the day, and from 1763onwards, sugar plantations sprang up in St Vincent, Bequia andthe other Grenadine islands, leading to a rapid burst ofsettlement and development; for Bequia and the smaller islandsthough, prosperity was brief, and only for the few.

Today, the British legacy is still palpable. Princess MargaretBeach, perhaps the best on the island, is named after the Queen'slate sister who bathed here after taking a short boat ride fromher villa on neighbouring Mustique. Anthony Eden retired from

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the stresses of the Suez Crisis to a house next door to where theBequia Beach Hotel now stands.

However, it is more specifically the Scots whose influence can befelt, since their descendants are the most numerous on Bequia. Agroup of impecunious settlers, whose prospects had dried upelsewhere in the British West Indies, were granted land inBequia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Scions of these familiesare still clustered on Mount Pleasant, on the east coast.

After the sugar plantations failed, the people of Bequia looked tothe sea for their living. And so, in the late1800s, began athriving whaling industry that sustained the island for the bestpart of a century. It is chronicled now by a maritime museum onthe road west from the capital, Port Elizabeth, to Hamilton,which exhibits boatbuilding tools, fully equipped originalwhaleboats and tales of derringdo from the days when thepopulation would watch from the shore as the whalers, at nolittle personal risk, struck their prey. Happily, tourism has longsince replaced blubber as the dominant industry.

Alongside the Scotsdescended Wallace family on Bequia, theFrenchdescended Ollivierres were probably the most laudedwhalers, and it was a descendant of that family, Garvin, who tookme for a tour of the island. We started at the top of MountPleasant for a spectacular view south to Mustique, the privatelyowned island with a colourful history where Mick Jagger andBryan Adams are among the current homeowners.

On we went north, along potholed roads through former sugarplantations, to the Sugar Reef hotel for a lunch of lobster soupoverlooking magnificent Industry Bay. Crustaceans are cheapand plentiful on Bequia, with a sweeter taste than you'll get inmany other lobster hotspots. Further north at Park Bay, westopped off at the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary – the pet project ofBequian Orton King, a retired deepsea diver who despairs at thereptiles' dwindling numbers. He nurtures them from birth untilthey are strong enough to find their own way in the wild. Expecta heartfelt lecture on the iniquity of local politics too at no extracharge.

A giddy climb up through the old Spring sugar estate took us to aperfect lookout with sweeping views across the nine miles of seato Bequia's largest neighbour, the capital island of St Vincent(known in Bequia as "the mainland"), its majestic Soufrièrevolcano dominating the skyline.

Port Elizabeth, our next stop, stands on the magnificent naturalharbour of Admiralty Bay. Fishing vessels jockey for position inthe waters with visiting boats and the occasional superyacht.Roman Abramovich is reported to visit regularly and LarryEllison delights in strolling ashore incognito, which sayssomething of Bequia's offtheradar appeal.

What stands out, you eventually realise, is the absence ofbillboards for CocaCola and the like. Bequia has resisted theAmericanisation that blights much of the Caribbean. PortElizabeth is more bohemian than bling. You can close your eyesand imagine the time Bob Dylan spent here 30 years agowatching his 70ft schooner, Water Pearl, being built by the bestof Bequia's shipwrights. He often sailed it around the island butit eventually sank after hitting a reef off the coast of Panama. (If

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you want to still feel that vibe, visit at the end of January for theannual music festival, and you may even catch Robert Plantjamming in the Bequia Beach Hotel bar.)

Port Elizabeth hasn't changed much since. There are no highrises. No American brands. Minimal traffic. But there is oneinnovation: the Belmont Walkway, which allows you to get toblissful Princess Margaret Beach on foot. It's hard work in theheat – even with the soothing winds that make Bequia's climatemore tolerable to the fairskinned than the rest of the Caribbean– and best not tackled after a drink, but worth the effort.

There's an eclectic mix of places to eat in Port Elizabeth, such asJack's Bar and Mac's Pizzeria, but I tended to dine back at thehotel in the charming Bagatelle restaurant overlooking the sea.The freshly caught lobsters and fish are a treat. The menu isCaribbean with a Swedish twist – the bread is baked to aScandinavian recipe, and the best I've tasted outside France.

My room was a luxurious but not overstated beachside suite,although accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes. The sea– gently shelving and gloriously warm – is never more than aminute's walk away.

It's hard to believe that only 10 years ago, when Bengt began theBequia Beach Hotel, all he had to work with was an old B&B andsurrounding swampland. Even now, when you turn on the taps,you get rainwater channelled via the roofs in the traditionalCaribbean style. Bequia has no piped water system, but thatsimply adds to the appeal of an island where mass tourism hasyet to leave its mark.

Before I leave the island, Bengt explains to me: "Bequia is one ofthe few true oldstyle Caribbean islands left, not commercialisedand sparsely developed. Has it changed since I came here?Maybe there are fewer old sailors in the bars. But not muchbesides."

Getting there

Western & Oriental (020 7666 1234; westernoriental.com) offersa week's B&B in a classic garden view room at Bequia BeachHotel from £1,380pp. The price includes British Airways flightsfrom Gatwick to Barbados and SVG Air flights to Bequia, as wellas airport transfers. There are no direct flights between the UKand Bequia. The main gateways are Barbados and St Lucia.

Staying there

Bequia Beach Hotel (001 784 458 1600; bequiabeach.com).

Sugar Reef Hotel (001 784 458 3400; sugarreefbequia.com).

Visiting there

Bequia Music Fest takes place from 2225 January(bit.ly/BeqMusFest).

Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary (turtles.bequia.net).

More information

bequiatourism.com

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TEEDANS 21 hours ago

I'm not sure where the writer learnt his history, but all theGrenadine Islands with the exception of CARRIACOU ANDPETIT MARTINIQUE belong to St .Vincent, hence St. Vincentand The Grenadines. Great article but facts are facts and thismisinformation is so not cool.

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AJ 10 days ago

Find the main island of St.Vincent.So much more for so muchless. Even less "Americanized" & less "European", truly the waythe Caribbean used to be. Hidden beaches, rainforests,waterfalls, reefs. Rent a flat & again get more while paying less.http://caribbeanbeachtravel.com The reason you travel to theCaribbean is to escape to a time and place that used to exist,awayfrom what you already have in your world. Find St.Vincent.

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NOPROP 10 days ago

They still whale on Bequia with a quota of 4 humpbacks peryear. Boycott the place until they stop this barbaric practice.

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