General

Island name: Mayreau.

Country: St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VC). 

Nationality: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s). 

Language: English, French patois.

Capital: Kingstown.

Population: 300. 

Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November). 
 

Geography

Area: 1.5 sq.mile.

Coastline: 84 km (SVG).

Geographic coordinates:  

Highest point: . 

Location: in the middle of the Grenadines, west of the Tobago Cays.

Size: 4 km x 2 km.

Terrain:  dry and hilly, with a mile-long stretch of white sand beach running along the southwest coast at Saline Bay.
 

Tourist Information

Overview: Mayreau is the smalles inhabited island of the Grenadines.  There is only one street, that conects all locations. Mayreau is accessible only by boat. The island is rimmed by magnificent sweeping white sandy beaches perfect for sailing and snorkeling. This is a privately owned island with few residents and only one resort.

Salt Whistle Bay has a sweeping half moon beach. There is a small resort area on Saltwhistle Bay, well hidden in the trees, the Salt Whistle Bay Club, which belongs to a German-Canadian family. The rest of the island, exept Old Wall village, belongs to a French family. Saltwhistle Bay is also a very popular and beautiful spot for anchoring yachts. From the crest of the hill beside the Catholic Church you can see the Tobago Cays, Canouan and Union Island.

Saline Bay has another long and lovely beach. Unfortunately a large electric-generating plant is on the slope overlooking the bay. It has bright lights that shine over the bay at night, but thankfully you really do not hear it from the anchorage. From Saline Bay it is just a short walk up hill to the village and the handful of restaurants that depend on visiting yachts for their existence.

Accommodations: . 

Activities: sailing, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling and other water sports.

Average tourist arrivals: SVG: 65,000.

Crime: very little.

Electricity: The electricity is generally 220/240 volt, 50 cycle, except for Petit St. Vincent which has 110 volt, 60 cycle. Most hotels have 110 volt shaver outlets and/or voltage converters for guests, but it's best to bring long your own personal adapter. 

Entry Requirements: Valid passports must be carried by all persons entering Bequia, except UK, USA and Canadian citizens who possess valid return tickets and ID and who are on a visit not exceeding six months. Visas are not required where the visitor is a citizen of the USA or a Commonwealth country, or where he/she is a national of a country which has an agreement for exemption of the visa requirement.

Telephone: country code - 1-784. 

Time: Time: 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard US Time and 5 hours ahead of Standard European Time. During daylight savings time, from April through October, local time is the same as U.S. Eastern Daylight Time, and four hours behind GMT. During the remainder of the year, the islands are five hours behind GMT and one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.

Wale hunting: Bequia is home of the world's last hand-harpooners and their activities do not affect marine stocks, unlike the mechanized fishing of some fleets. 
 

Money

Cost of living: Saint Vincent is one of the cheaper Caribbean islands, but some of the Grenadine Islands are very expensive.

Credit cards: US and EC dollars are accepted at stores, restaurants and hotels, as are travellers' cheques and most major credit cards.

Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD). East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (fixed rate since 1976). The U.S. dollar is accepted pretty much everywhere on the island. 

Tipping: Usually a 10 % service charge will be added to your restaurant bill. Tipping is expected only for special service. Taxi drivers and tour guides expect 10 %.
 

Transport

Airports: J.F. Mitchell airport. Daily scheduled flights to and from Barbados. Private charters and scheduled flights to and from Grenada (SVG Air), Union Island, Canouan and St. Vincent are also available. Most visitors from outside the Caribbean region, including from the USA, approach Bequia via direct international flights into Barbados. International arrivals into Barbados are in the early afternoon, which (assuming no outbound delays) allows convenient onward connections to Bequia.

Departure Tax: Departure tax EC$ 40.00.

Flight Times: from Barbados 55 minutes (or fly to St. Vincent and take the ferry to bequia. 

Ferry Service: MV Baracuda operates between St. Vincent and Union three times a week with stops at Bequia (1 hour), Canouan, and Mayreau (all trip 5 hours long). In Union Island you can catch a boat to Carriacou, and from there the ferry to Grenada. This trip is one of the best you can do in the Caribbean. There is as well a boat service from St. Vincent to Mustique.

Ports and harbors: Admiralty Bay, the island's natural harbor, is a favorite anchoring spot for yachtsmen from all over the world, and here visitors can watch men building their boats by hand on the shores. The attractive region around Lower Bay offers great opportunities for swimming and other watersports. 

Land Transport: taxis, local busses (a van with many seats) or rental cars. Driving is on the left and a drivers license must be obtained to rent a vehicle.
 

Politics

Ethnic groups: black 66 %, mixed 19%, East Indian 6 %, Carib Amerindian 2 %, other 7 %. 

Government type: constitutional monarchy. 

Legal system: based on English common law. 

Literacy: 96 % (male: 96 %, female: 96 %). 

Religions: Anglican 47 %, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13 %, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%. 
 

Economy

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish. 

GDP per capita: US$ 10,200 (2009 est.). 

Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch. 

Natural resources: hydropower, cropland. 

Unemployment rate: 15 % (2001 est.). 
 

Radio Frequencies
 

BBC World Service MHz 17.72 15.22 6.195 5.975

Voice of America: MHz 13.74 11.70 6.130 5.995