Sugar Reef Bequia

Sugar Reef Bequia

, Crescent Beach, Bequia.

This is no popped-out-of-the-mould resort but a totally individual experience where you are engulfed by the sights, sounds and smells of the Grenadines. The estate has been here since the 18th century. Up on the hillside, the French House is designed with British Caribbean antique furniture that recalls the early European colonists. In contrast, the more modern Beach House has been designed and decorated with inspiration from the European jet-setters who discovered the Caribbean in 50s and 60s.

The French House boasts commanding views of Crescent Beach, Industry Bay and nearby Baliceaux and Battowia islands. There’s a refreshing saline plunge pool, wrap-around veranda, a self-service honesty-bar, and an open-air great room complete with books and games (all exclusively for the French House guests). The guest rooms are adorned with an eclectic selection of antique, vintage, and contemporary Caribbean-style furniture. Each room has mahogany four-poster beds, draped with nets and covered with sumptuous all-cotton percale linens.

The Beach House is open from Christmas to Easter. It contains the Sugar Reef Café, a full bar, and a calm lounge area. The three beachfront rooms share a private garden and are only steps away from the ocean.

Facing east, the beach is protected from the Atlantic surf by the coral reef and and the headland that separates Crescent Beach from the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. It’s an ideal swimming spot from December to February. There are other beaches about 15-20 minutes away which are swimmable in all seasons. The benefit of the east coast is the trade winds which waft in from the sea and make air-conditioning unnecessary (ceiling fans are provided in all rooms).

The Sugar Reef Café is open to the public as well as guests and serves national and international food all day. There are many other good restaurants on Bequia within a couple of miles of Sugar Reef and taxis are readily available at modest cost for guests who choose not to hire a car.