This Caribbean Destination Has 32 Different Islands. JetBlue Just Started Flying There.

The island hopping. The sailing. The rainforest. Sought-after little islands like Bequia. Basil’s Bar. Princess Margaret Beach. Mayreau. St Vincent and the Grenadines is a world unto itself, with 32 different islands and cays from the “mainland” of St Vincent to the aforementioned, beloved little spots like Bequia and Mustique (the latter, of course, one of the Caribbean’s top celebrity hotspots). While it’s never been easy to get to, that has been starting to change. First, with the opening of its new airport back in 2017 and then with the new, expanded service on carriers like American Airlines and Air Canada. But perhaps the most important new route to St Vincent began this week, with JetBlue’s first-ever nonstop flights between New York and St Vincent.

The newest Sandals in the Caribbean is on the island of St Vincent. The carrier officially kicked off its new route on Wednesday, with nonstop flights that will be operating two times each week, with service on Wednesdays and Sundays. So what do you need to know about the flight? It takes about five hours, with the flight leaving JFK at 9:29 AM and arriving in St Vincent at 2:19 PM. The return trip leaves St Vincent at 3:54 in the afternoon, and arrives in Queens at 9 PM. What about prices? Right now, a flight in October from New York to St Vincent roundtrip this month starts with prices at $563 round trip. That is in JetBlue’s Blue Basic fare, which comes with restrictions. For a standard blue fare (which includes free seat selection and no change fees, along with a free carry-on, the fare goes up to $623 roundtrip.

A room at the Bequia Beach Hotel, which is reopening on Oct. 16. And if you’re planning a vacation to St Vincent, where do you stay? The biggest question is if you’re staying in St Vincent itself or heading on small carriers like SVG Air to one of the smaller surrounding islands. Since Hurricane Beryl’s passage, a number of these resorts are still shuttered due to damage. That makes choosing your accommodations a little bit harder. If it’s St Vincent, the best place to stay is undoubtedly the new Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines, the island’s top resort and only all-inclusive, which reopened shortly after the storm. If you’re heading out, Canouan is probably your best bet, thanks to a strong recovery from the storm and the reopening this week of the Mandarin Oriental (and the Soho Beach House, which reopens in the middle of November.) https://www.caribjournal.com/author/alexander-britell/