TROPICAL GARDENS

Occupying 20 acres, the Gardens were created in the 1765 by General Robert Melville, governor of the British Caribbean islands, as a plant breeding centre and 'to provide medicinal plants for the military and improve the life and economy of the colony'. They are one of the oldest of their kind in the western hemisphere, and celebrated their 240th anniversary in 2005.

They are famous for being the destination of Captain Bligh’s second visit to the Caribbean in 1798 (his first ended in the infamous mutiny on the Bounty) when he introduced breadfruit to the island. A descendant of one of his original breadfruit trees thrives in today’s gardens.

Promoting the conservation of rare species, the Botanical Gardens aviaries are where visitors can see the beautiful St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona guilingii), our national bird.

Entrance is free, but a friendly guide will take you on an informative tour for a small fee. The Gardens are open from 6am to 6pm daily.

Follow a narrow road through the valley from the village of Mesopotamia right up to the Montreal Gardens, a beautifully vibrant oasis of tropical flowers. Clearly marked and paved pathways take you through a maze of colourful flora including row upon row of anthuriums, flourishes of ginger, hibiscus and bougainvillea as well as palms and giant tree ferns.

En route to Mesopotamia you will pass through the small elevated village of Belmont where there is a look-out platform offering great views and photo opportunities of the Mesopotamia Valley.

Level: Medium

Duration: 2 hours

Details: Located in St. Vincent’s southern interior, the Vermont Nature Trail offers great hiking for all ages and abilities. In this 10,870 acre reserve, you can enjoy 2 miles of clearly marked hiking trails through a variety of forest habitats including rainforest and plantation forest. Informative signs describe the fauna and flora you may encounter as you make your way through lush woodlands to the St. Vincent Parrot Look-Out on the far side of the reserve.

Sightings of the rare St. Vincent Parrot are practically guaranteed. Listen for their unmistakable calls and then look out from the view point as they fly above the forest canopy in front of you.

This is also the habitat for the Whistling Warbler, Black Hawk, Cocoa Thrush, the Crested Hummingbird, Redcapped Green Tanager, Green Heron and several other interesting species.

Trekking the Vermont Nature Trail is a fun and educational hiking experience as well as a wonderful destination for bird watching.

Located just 9 miles from Kingstown, driving time is approximately half an hour.