Sandy Bay, St. Vincent: The Garifuna North-East
The windward villages under the volcano, and the salt pond and waterfall at Owia.
Why Go
Sandy Bay is on St. Vincent's north-eastern coast, past where most visitors ever drive, and it is the heart of the island's Garifuna community — descendants of the Kalinago and of Africans who resisted British rule here into the nineteenth century, and whose deportation from this coast in 1797 created the Garifuna diaspora now spread across Central America. It is a working village on a rough Atlantic shore, and the country's most interesting stretch of coastline runs north from it to Owia and Fancy.
The Experience
This coast is exposed, dramatic and largely undeveloped, with black sand, heavy surf and the bulk of La Soufrière rising inland. The villages are small and agricultural, and there is essentially no tourism infrastructure — no hotels, few restaurants, and a road that deteriorates the further north you go. What there is instead is history that is still living: this is the Carib and Garifuna side of St. Vincent, and the events of the 1790s are not distant here. At Owia, a few minutes north, volcanic rock forms natural pools that hold back the Atlantic and make one of the few safe places to get into the water on this coast, with a waterfall inland behind the village. Beyond Owia the road runs out at Fancy, the island's northernmost settlement. The history here is not presented anywhere, which is part of what makes the drive worth making. There is no museum and no interpretation board; the significance of this coast is carried by the people who live on it, and understanding it is a matter of reading beforehand rather than arriving and expecting to be told.
What to Try
Drive north to the Owia Salt Pond, which is the reason most people make this journey — natural rock pools sheltering swimmable water from a coast that is otherwise dangerous, with the Atlantic breaking a few metres away. The Owia waterfall inland is the other stop. Along the way the villages give a view of St. Vincent that the leeward coast does not. In Sandy Bay itself the options are limited to the Sky Lounge Bar, the G-Spot Bar and Waynes Rum Shop, which is an accurate list rather than a short one. Take food and water with you. This coast is also the approach for the windward route up La Soufrière, which is the longer and less used of the two ascents. Fancy, at the island northern tip, is where the road finally gives out altogether.
Insider Tip
Do not swim on the open coast here — only in the Owia Salt Pond. The Atlantic on this shore is heavy, the current is strong and there is no supervision of any kind, and the rock pools at Owia exist precisely because they are the exception. Beyond that, take the drive seriously: it is a long way on a road that gets progressively rougher, there is very little fuel or food north of Georgetown, and doing it as a day trip from Kingstown means starting early.
The Practical Stuff
Sandy Bay is about an hour and a half north-east of Kingstown on the windward road, and roughly an hour and a quarter from Argyle International. Driving is on the LEFT and a temporary local permit is required; the road deteriorates north of Georgetown and is rough in the final stretches. Minibuses run this route but infrequently. There are village shops and bars but no supermarket, no fuel for a considerable distance and no accommodation to speak of. Swimming is only advisable in the Owia Salt Pond, not on the open coast. The 2021 eruption of La Soufrière affected this side heavily. St. Vincent is in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November.
Common Questions
What is the Garifuna connection to Sandy Bay?
This coast is the heart of St. Vincent's Garifuna community, descended from Kalinago and Africans who resisted British rule here. Their deportation in 1797 created the Garifuna diaspora across Central America.
What is the Owia Salt Pond?
Natural pools formed by volcanic rock a few minutes north, which hold back the Atlantic and create the only genuinely safe swimming on this coast. There is also a waterfall inland behind the village.
Can you swim at Sandy Bay?
Not on the open coast — the Atlantic here is heavy, the current strong and there is no supervision. The Owia Salt Pond exists as the exception and is where people swim.
How far is it from Kingstown?
About an hour and a half north-east on the windward road, which deteriorates past Georgetown. Start early if you are doing it as a day trip.
Are there facilities?
Village shops and bars, no supermarket, no accommodation and no fuel for a considerable distance. Take food and water, and fill the tank before heading north.
Can you climb La Soufrière from this side?
Yes — the windward route starts from this coast and is the longer, less used of the two ascents. Take a guide and check current volcano advisories before setting out.
Pair It With
- Owia Waterfall — The fall behind the village north of here.
- SKY LOUNGE BAR — One of the few stops on a long drive.
- Waynes Rum Shop — The village bar, and local company.
