Kingstown: what to see and whether to move there

What the city lives on and who it suits

Kingstown is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with about 13,000 people in the town and about 100,000 in the whole country. It stands on the south coast of the volcanic island of Saint Vincent: a port, a market, government buildings, the oldest botanical garden in the Western Hemisphere and a hilltop fort. The economy rests on tourism, yachting in the Grenadines, agriculture, especially bananas, and diaspora remittances.

Saint Vincent is chosen by yachting enthusiasts and lovers of quiet island life, owners of villas in the Grenadines and specialists on regional projects. For a career, business or life with school-age children, the island is small.

History

The island long remained one of the last strongholds of the indigenous Caribs and Garifuna, who resisted colonisation until the end of the 18th century, when the British deported them to the coast of Central America. Saint Vincent then became a British colony of sugar and banana plantations. The country gained independence in 1979 and remained in the Commonwealth.

The island and the Grenadines

• Kingstown - the business centre, port and ferries to the Grenadines, the market and government offices.
• Villa and Indian Bay - a resort area south of the capital with hotels, restaurants and beaches, popular with foreigners.
• Bequia - the largest Grenadine island an hour away by ferry, with a yacht harbour and cosy guesthouses.
• Mustique and Canouan - exclusive resorts and villas for the very wealthy.
• Union and Mayreau - southern islands badly hit by the 2024 hurricane.

Recent events

In April 2021 La Soufrière volcano in the north of Saint Vincent erupted: residents of the northern part of the island were evacuated and ash covered almost the entire island. On 1 July 2024 Category 4 Hurricane Beryl swept through the southern Grenadines and damaged almost every building on Union Island, Canouan and Mayreau. The main ports and the international airport are operating, and reconstruction of the southern islands continues.

Money and prices

The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, firmly pegged to the US dollar at 2.70. Most goods are imported, so groceries, electronics, building materials and electricity cost more than in the US. Local fruit, vegetables and fish at Kingstown market are inexpensive. Unlike Saint Kitts, there is personal income tax here, and VAT is 16%.

Practicalities

• Getting there. Argyle International Airport opened in 2017, with flights to the US, Canada, the UK and around the Caribbean; many people connect via Barbados or Saint Lucia.
• Transport. Minibuses and cars on the island, ferries and small planes between islands.
• Language. English.
• Climate. Tropical, about 25-31 degrees all year, with a hurricane season from June to November.
• Healthcare. Basic care locally; for complex treatment people fly to Barbados, Trinidad or the US, so insurance with evacuation is needed.

Moving and legal status

Unlike its neighbours, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has no citizenship by investment programme. For long-term living foreigners obtain a residence permit based on work, business, marriage or financial independence, and land purchases by foreigners require a separate licence. Those who need a Caribbean passport usually choose neighbouring countries with citizenship programmes.

Nature and leisure

Saint Vincent is a green, mountainous island with waterfalls, rainforest and a hike to the crater of La Soufrière. The Grenadines are one of the world's best yachting areas: the Tobago Cays reefs, the bays of Bequia and Mustique, crystal-clear water and almost no mass tourism. Scenes of the Caribbean pirate films were shot in Wallilabou Bay.

Is Kingstown worth considering for life

Pros: beautiful nature, the Grenadines and yachting, English, a currency pegged to the dollar and a calm pace. Cons: a small island, expensive imported goods, hurricanes and the volcano, limited healthcare and schools, and no citizenship programme. Saint Vincent suits holidays and living part of the year rather than moving for a career. Write in the chat and we will choose a Caribbean programme for your passport.