At Saint Vincent's showstopping Dark View Falls we're taking a dip in a glistening pool beneath roaring plumes of water. The beauty is breathtaking – and no one else is about.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a 32-island nation full of dramatic volcanic peaks in the eastern Caribbean, is mainly untouched by tourism.

In 2025 it welcomed a mere 120,000 overnight visitors – a fraction of its Caribbean neighbours Jamaica, Barbados or the Dominican Republic – and that's part of its charm.

Saint Vincent has some splendid beaches, but it's a joy to explore its interior.

To reach Dark View Falls, my husband and I have arranged guides, Quency Lewis and Marlon Joseph, born-and-bred 'Vincies', a charismatic pair full of friendly banter that makes the hour-long rollercoaster ride up and down hills bearable.

One of the highlights of the tour is seeing the island's most formidable landmark, La Soufriere, up close as we near the falls. This active volcano, rising to 4,048ft, last erupted in 2021, forcing 16,000 people to flee their homes.

'Everything was black,' Quency recalls. He spent days driving through thick ash clouds delivering vital supplies, while Marlon volunteered to help in evacuation shelters. It's hard to reconcile those scenes with the lush, vibrant island on display today.

We pass through fishing villages where brightly painted houses line the roads. There's a practical reason for this: formal addresses aren't widely used, so directions are instead given in landmarks. 

'The blue house next to the jam shop,' is given as an example. 'You can't use Google Maps for that,' Quency adds, laughing.

The sense of community is strong. Over two days our guides are constantly stopping to greet friends. It's a reminder that while tourism is growing, this is still very much a small island.

That growth has been accelerated by the arrival of Sandals' first resort here, opened in 2024. Set across 50 acres in Buccament Bay – the island's only white-sand beach (others are volcanic black) – it's brought a new level of luxury to Saint Vincent.

The contrast is striking. Outside the resort, the island feels raw and untouched; once you pass through the gates, though, everything is polished.

There are 301 rooms, ranging from sleek suites to villas with private pools and overwater bungalows.

Everything is all-inclusive, but that doesn't mean buffet dining. Across the resort's dozen restaurants, everything is a la carte – even breakfast.

We get into the swing of things, enjoying the Jerk Shack, which serves Caribbean staples, and making friends with other guests at the Three Jewels rum bar – its punches are made with local Sunset Rum, an eye-watering 84.5 per cent ABV – on a night that quickly turns into karaoke, dancing and a rowdy game of Jenga.

Despite being on honeymoon, we don't spend long sitting still, enjoying snorkelling to see the superb marine life. 

The water is teeming with exotic creatures. We spot flashes of colour beneath the surface – including regal blue tangs, better known as Dory from Finding Nemo.

One evening we join a sunset cruise, glasses of prosecco refilled by attentive staff as the sky turns glorious shades of pink and orange. We pass La Soufriere, before stopping at Wallilabou Bay, where the first two Pirates Of The Caribbean movies were filmed.

It's tempting to stay within the comfort of the Sandals resort, but that would mean missing one of the Grenadines' highlights.

'You can't come to Saint Vincent and not go to Bequia,' says Marlon. So we take the 30-minute ferry to the neighbouring island from Kingstown – immediately seeing what he means. Bequia feels slower, softer. 

In an open-top truck, we circle the island before stopping at the powder-soft sands of Princess Margaret Beach. Yachts bob gently offshore, and the place feels utterly unhurried.

Like Saint Vincent, Bequia offers something increasingly rare in the Caribbean: a sense of being undiscovered. Unsurprisingly, this meant we fell for them both.