JOHNNY DEPP FINDS A PIRATE'S PARADISE IN THE CARIBBEAN The swashbuckling stunts in Johnny Depp's new film Pirates Of The Caribbean are matched only by the movie's spectacular settings. And as the box office loot rolls in, holidaymakers are discovering the hidden treasures of where it was filmed – on St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Comprising a chain of 32 southern Caribbean islands, the lush volcanic area boasts some of the most beautiful beaches a holidaymaker – or indeed a scurrilous seafarer – could hope for.
Visitors' first port of call is generally the main island of St Vincent, which was home to the cast and crew during filming. Despite being just 18 miles long and 11 miles wide, it offers a great variety of landscapes, with spectacular cliffs on the Atlantic side and tranquil beaches lapped by the Caribbean, on the other. On the northwest coast, meanwhile, you'll find the breathtaking Baleine Falls, accessible only by boat.
The movie's "Port Royal" can be found at Walillabout Bay, where it is possible to inspect the set.
But if your main objective is to laze around a tropical paradise, doing as little as possible, you'll probably want to head for Young Island, with it's palm-fringed beaches and azure blue sea. Individual cottages can be hired along the beachfront, and a scheduled ferry offers the opportunity to explore the rest of the islands.
Even Blackbeard would be enchanted by the beaches of Bequia and Mayreau, where the white sands of Saltwhistle Bay and Petite Tabac have made them a favourite with the world's most discerning holidaymakers – as well as a few sword-wielding hunks.
For further information about St Vincent and the Grenadines, visit www.svgtourism.com.
