Where Should You Start a Grenadines Yacht Charter? St Vincent, Grenada or St Lucia?

Choosing where to start your Grenadines yacht charter can significantly change the itinerary.

The island chain sits between St Lucia to the north and Grenada to the south, with St Vincent forming the natural northern gateway to Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island and the Tobago Cays.

For most guests planning a dedicated one-week Grenadines charter, St Vincent is the best starting point. You begin immediately beside the northern Grenadines and can cruise naturally south through the island chain without spending valuable charter time reaching the region.

Grenada is an excellent alternative if you want to begin from the south, while St Lucia works best for longer charters combining several of the Windward Islands.

If your main objective is to explore the Grenadines, St Vincent is the most logical starting point.

Argyle International Airport provides access to the main island, and Blue Lagoon Marina is approximately 20 to 25 minutes away by road. Some yachts can also arrange embarkation around Bequia, placing you even closer to the heart of the cruising ground.

From St Vincent, the itinerary flows naturally south.

You can cruise first to Bequia, continue to Mustique, then move through Canouan toward the Tobago Cays, Mayreau and Union Island. The distances between many of these islands are relatively short, so you can visit a new destination almost every day without turning the charter into a series of long passages.

A classic one-way itinerary might look like:

St Vincent → Bequia → Mustique → Canouan → Tobago Cays → Mayreau → Union Island → Grenada

This is arguably the most complete way to experience the region because you travel through the Grenadines in one continuous direction rather than doubling back.

Sailing yachts and catamarans are particularly well suited to this route. The prevailing trade winds make southbound sailing from St Vincent through the Grenadines especially attractive, while motor yachts can cover the same route quickly and leave more time for swimming, snorkeling and exploring ashore.

Best for: First-time Grenadines visitors, seven-day charters and guests who want to see as much of the island chain as possible.

Starting in Grenada gives you essentially the opposite experience.

Instead of beginning above the Grenadines and working south, you start below them and cruise north through the chain.

Grenada has excellent yacht infrastructure, with Port Louis Marina in St George's serving as one of the principal superyacht facilities in the region. Maurice Bishop International Airport is approximately 15 to 20 minutes from the marina, making the transfer from aircraft to yacht particularly straightforward.

From Grenada, you can first explore the island itself before moving through Carriacou and Petite Martinique toward Union Island and the southern Grenadines.

A route could look like:

Grenada → Carriacou → Union Island → Mayreau → Tobago Cays → Canouan → Mustique → Bequia

This works particularly well if you want Grenada to be part of the holiday rather than simply an airport.

You can spend time around St George's, Grand Anse Beach or Grenada's famous underwater sculpture park before beginning the journey north. From there, Carriacou acts as a natural stepping stone toward the Grenadines. Port Louis Marina is also a well-established base for yachts cruising between Grenada and the Grenadines.

For a seven-day charter, I would generally make this a one-way itinerary, finishing around Bequia or St Vincent if the yacht allows it. A round trip back to Grenada is possible, but it inevitably requires retracing some of the route.

Best for: Guests with convenient flights into Grenada, southern Grenadines itineraries and one-way charters heading north.

St Lucia is the most dramatic starting point of the three, but it is not usually the most efficient if you only have seven days and your priority is the Grenadines.

Yachts can embark around Rodney Bay or Marigot Bay, while Hewanorra International Airport provides the island's main international gateway. St Lucia itself is a superb yacht charter destination, with the Pitons, Soufrière, Marigot Bay and a mountainous coastline that looks completely different from the smaller Grenadine islands farther south.

The disadvantage is geography.

You still need to cruise south toward St Vincent before reaching the core Grenadines cruising ground. The passage between the Grenadines and St Lucia adds roughly 40 nautical miles beyond the main island chain, making St Lucia more appropriate when you have additional time.

For a longer charter, however, it becomes very attractive.

A 10 to 14-day itinerary could look like:

St Lucia → St Vincent → Bequia → Mustique → Canouan → Tobago Cays → Mayreau → Union Island → Carriacou → Grenada

That gives you three very different sides of the Windward Islands.

St Lucia provides the volcanic scenery and Pitons. St Vincent and the Grenadines deliver small-island cruising, reefs and secluded anchorages. Grenada finishes the journey with beaches, rainforest, diving and the culture of the Spice Island.

For a seven-day Grenadines charter, I would start farther south.

For a 10 to 14-day Windward Islands adventure, St Lucia may actually be the most exciting starting point.

Best for: Longer charters, guests who want to see the Pitons and anyone combining St Lucia, the Grenadines and Grenada in a single itinerary.

For most guests, the answer is straightforward.

Choose St Vincent if the Grenadines themselves are the priority. You are already at the northern edge of the island chain, and Bequia, Mustique and the rest of the Grenadines begin almost immediately after departure.

Choose Grenada if flight access works better for you or you want to include Grenada, Carriacou and the southern Grenadines before cruising north.

Choose St Lucia if you have more time and want a broader Windward Islands yacht charter rather than a Grenadines-only itinerary.

Our preference for a typical seven-day Grenadines yacht charter is St Vincent to Grenada, ideally as a one-way route.

It gives you a beautifully logical progression through the islands:

St Vincent → Bequia → Mustique → Canouan → Tobago Cays → Mayreau → Union Island → Grenada

You keep moving forward, experience both the northern and southern Grenadines and avoid wasting days retracing the same waters.

For ten days or longer, St Lucia becomes much more compelling.

But if you are flying to the Caribbean specifically to charter the Grenadines, start in St Vincent.