Some of the island's 6,000 residents had opposed the airport, fearing that the small planes would cause noise pollution. I can't say that I disagreed with them. But seven years later, I couldn't wait to fly into Bequia. The airport, built on land reclaimed from the sea, was clean, and going through customs was a breeze. The prime minister and airport employees told me that the facility has been good for the local economy.
Every vista is incredible.
The postcard view of the deep blue Caribbean Sea as the pickup climbed one steep hill after another was intoxicating. More than a dozen yachts and a cruise ship were anchored off Admiralty Bay, the short strip where most activity on the island is centered. One of the two ferries that ply between St. Vincent and Bequia slowly saddled up to the dock at the edge of the bay. I hopped off the pickup at the Frangipani Hotel, located in the center of Admiralty Bay in Port Elizabeth, Bequia's commercial center. Stores, restaurants and dive shops are a short walk away.