A pool with a view

THE luscious green islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) are off the track usually beaten by mass tourism to Caribbean super-resorts. The islands are a mixture of genuinely authentic Caribbean untainted by tourism at one extreme, to the opulence of the most exclusive destinations in the world at the other.

SVG is part of the Windward Islands, sandwiched between St Lucia to the north and Grenada to the south. The main island of St Vincent, or Vincy to the locals, is a volcanic island of black beaches and relatively few tourists. The capital Kingstown is a small, but bustling port, not particularly attractive but full of life.

Visiting the markets is best on Fridays - there is a lively fruit and veg market on Upper Bay Street and across the road is the New Kingstown Fish Market, built with Japanese aid and improbably christened Little Tokyo by the locals.

Kingstown has plenty of restaurants but for the best eating experience go to Mac's Snacks. Mac sells the Vincy staple - the roti (a spicy chicken and potato pancake) - from the back of his stainless steel customised 1950s American truck.

Customers sit on the deckchairs and wash it down with the other Vincy staple: a rum punch or, if it's still morning, a beer.

Fort Charlotte, to the north of the bay, has the most spectacular views of Kingstown. There are three canons remaining of the original 34, which point inland because during the Black Carib war of the 18th century, the main threat came from the island rather than the sea.

Clint Hazel, of Hazeco Tours, whose family have lived on the islands since the 19th century, is the most knowledgeable guide for a tour of the island.

For the energetic, a hike through rainforest up the 4,048ft La Soufriere volcano is a tough, full-day trip. The view from the top alone is worth the trek. The crater has an island, which reared from the lake in 1970.

Tours of the leeward coast take in the stunning Trinity Falls, and the Vermont nature trail, as well as the chance to visit the set of Pirates of the Caribbean.

For the less energetic, a short walk through rainforest takes you to Trinity Falls - three cascades of waterfalls. And a bathe in the crystal clear pool surrounded by the luscious forest is the perfect way to take the edge off the sticky heat.

Another light trek through the Vermont nature trails provides the opportunity of spotting the endemic, spectacularly coloured St Vincent parrot in the wild.

The windward coast is less developed and, with the collapse of the banana trade, the poverty has bitten harder here. Georgetown was formally a boom town, is now a ghost town, but is being spruced up, in the main because it is the prime minister's constituency.

Accommodation in Vincy is predominantly in good standard small hotels or guesthouses, most of which have swimming pools.

But Vincy is only part of the story. Boat trips, the best of which is with Fantasea Tours, or chartering a yacht to visit the huge variety of islands, is a must. There are also fantastic scuba diving and snorkelling sites.

At the opposite end of black Carib poverty and one of the 32 other islands is the exclusive Mustique. Mick Jagger has a house here, next door to Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, and a few doors from fashion billionaire Tommy Hilfiger's stack.

Of the 90 houses on the paradise retreat, 58 can be rented from between US$4,000 and US$45,000 a week.

Les Jolies Eaux, the former holiday home of the late Princess Margaret, is now available for rent for US$24,000 during the high season of May to November. Guests get five cottages situated on their own peninsula, with a pool with a stunning view of the Caribbean. For your money, five members of staff pamper you.

The island is run by the Mustique Company, which plans to build another 30 properties, but then no more. If you can't afford to stay on the island, day trips from Vincy can be arranged.

A cocktail at the world-famous Basil's Bar, followed by an afternoon on Macaroni Beach, the former venue of Princess Margaret's infamously exotic parties, is the perfect way to spend a day.

Canouan is one step down in opulence from Mustique. The Raffles hotel, complete with golf course, is very popular with Americans and Europeans. But the commercialisation has had an adverse impact on the previously uninhabited island. The resort takes up most of the north of the island, stopping islanders getting to the beaches, which remain public, by road.

Bequia (pronounced Bek-way) is a beautiful island popular with the yachting fraternity and increasingly land-based travellers.Tranquil abodes on the lush island with secluded golden sand beaches make the island the perfect place to relax.

At the western tip of the island is Moonhole, or Little Bedrock as the locals call it. The cliff-side dwellings designed by an ex-US marine are only for the brave - not only is there no electricity or running water, but also no windows. In the capital, Port Elizabeth, there is a large choice of high quality seafood restaurants and bars, which are the ideal spot for a relaxing view of a Caribbean sunset.

Other islands to visit are the small islands of the Tobago Cays, with their palm tree lined beaches.

Cliff Richard's house on the exclusive island of Petit St Vincent, or PSV, hosted the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, this summer. And Union Island is another popular island with yachtsmen, particularly the bar on a man-made island in the harbour.

SVG gained independence from the UK in 1979 and since then has retained much of its laid-back charm. With tourism likely to increase over the next ten years the islands will change, so for a unique Caribbean experience St Vincent is best visited now.

Factfile

Flights from Gatwick with British Airways to Barbados and with Caribbean Star to St Vincent cost around £750, depending on season.

Flights from Manchester are around £830 with the same carriers.

A GNER saver return from Darlington to Gatwick costs just over £90 and takes four hours.

High season is November to April.

Budget double rooms on St Vincent cost around US$60, top end doubles about US$160 per night.