The island's hills are much lower than the peaks of St. Vincent, 10 miles (16 km) to the north, so they do not receive as many rain showers.

[2] Princess Margaret Beach is next to Port Elizabeth and is situated inside Admiralty Bay on the west coast.

A few Portuguese and Dutch slave ships en route to Sint Eustatius from West Africa reportedly shipwrecked on the Grenadine reefs.

Bequia was under French control in the 18th century and during the Seven Years' War with England, the island was used by the fleets of their Spanish and Dutch allies to take on supplies, while British ships were banned.

The 1763 Treaty of Paris produced a significant re-alignment in the map of the Caribbean; St. Vincent and the Grenadine islands, including Grenada, were given to the British in exchange for Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia.

At one point in time, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were the single largest producer of arrowroot starch in the world.

The opening shot of the movie Blackbeard, Pirate of the Caribbean, made by the BBC, displays a replica of his first ship off the coast of Bequia in the St. Vincent passage.

According to local legend, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was not only Teach's base, but also the place from which Sir Francis Drake planned his attacks on the Spanish admiralty in Don Blas de Lezo's Cartagena.

Indeed, it is thought that Henry Morgan may also have anchored in Admiralty Bay, as it was then the safest natural harbour in the Eastern Caribbean during hurricane season.

Wooden shipbuilding and ship-repair on Bequia was possible due to the presence of cedar trees on the island and a sufficiently deep and sheltered harbour.

[9] At the 2012 meeting of the IWC, the Whaling Commissioners renewed the annual quota of whales for all three groups who submitted joint bids: Alaskan Inupiat, Russian indigenous people in Chukotka in eastern Siberia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, despite protestations of the delegations from Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Chile, and Costa Rica.

"[5] Other delegates pointed out that St. Vincent and the Grenadines' bid "should not qualify under ASW [Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling] rules because the Bequians, the group that maintains the hunt, are not truly indigenous.

With a runway length of 3,609 feet (1,100 metres), Bequia can be reached by plane with daily connections from Kingstown, Bridgetown (Barbados) and surrounding islands.

The ferry pier is located 45 minutes' drive from Argyle International Airport and is served by two companies, Bequia Express and Admiralty Transport.

Pedestrians such as hitchhikers and backpackers have the option of the Grenadines mail boat which travels to Port Elizabeth at irregular intervals.

The island has a variety of communication systems including standard telephone and fax lines, a mobile network, and internet access.