Things to Do in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in February

February's steady easterlies let you island-hop under full sail instead of motoring - Bequia to Mustique in 45 minutes, Mustique to Tobago Cays in another hour, with dolphins riding the bow wave and no diesel fumes in your rum punch. Catamarans anchor closer to the reef than monohulls, so snorkel entry is a two-minute swim, and the wind keeps the deck cool enough to nap between stops.

Local captains still use 7 m (23 ft) traditional whaleboats with hand-sewn sails. They know the whales' rest areas and idle the engine so you can hear the blow. February calves travel close to mum, so sightings often include three generations breaching within 100 m (330 ft) of the boat.

Dry-season trails mean you're not skating on greasy clay above 600 m (1,970 ft). Start at 6 am when cloud cover is still below the crater rim - views stretch south to Grenada on a clear day, and the sulfur vents smell sharper in the cool morning air. Descent before noon avoids the 70% humidity that turns the forest into a sauna after 11 am.

Water clarity peaks at 30 m (100 ft) visibility in February, and the grass beds inside the reef are turtle cafeterias before 9 am. You'll drift over hawksbills feeding while the current does the work - no kicking required, just float and watch.

Saturday morning is the island in miniature: nutmeg scents the air, vendors call prices in Vincentian patois, and the dockside food shacks serve roast breadfruit straight from coal pots. Try fried jackfish with pepper sauce that clears sinuses faster than the Atlantic trade winds.