Things to Do in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in September
September weather, activities, events & insider tips
September Weather in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Is September Right for You?
Advantages
- Lowest accommodation prices of the year - guesthouses and villas typically drop rates 25-40% compared to winter high season, with last-minute deals becoming common as properties try to fill rooms during the quieter hurricane season window
- Genuinely uncrowded anchorages and beaches - you'll often have entire coves to yourself in the Tobago Cays, and popular spots like Mayreau's Salt Whistle Bay see maybe a dozen visitors on busy days versus the 100+ that show up December through April
- Prime lobster season runs through September - local fishermen bring in Caribbean spiny lobster daily, and you'll find it fresh at waterfront restaurants for EC$45-65 per plate rather than the EC$80-100 charged during peak tourist months
- Serious sailors love September conditions - steady trade winds at 15-20 knots (28-37 km/h) without the December-March crowds means you can actually sail between islands without navigating around charter fleets, though you need to watch weather windows carefully
Considerations
- Hurricane season peaks in September - statistically this is the most active month in the Atlantic basin, and while direct hits on SVG are relatively rare due to its southern position at 13 degrees north, you need travel insurance with hurricane coverage and should monitor forecasts daily from early September onward
- Some businesses close entirely or operate reduced schedules - perhaps 20-25% of restaurants and tour operators in Bequia and Mustique shut down for the month, and even open places might close randomly for a day or two, so calling ahead becomes essential rather than optional
- Inter-island ferry schedules get unreliable - the Bequia Express and Jaden Sun services occasionally cancel sailings with minimal notice when seas kick up or demand drops, which can mess up tight itineraries if you're island-hopping on a fixed schedule
Best Activities in September
Tobago Cays snorkeling and marine park exploration
September offers the most solitary experience you'll ever get at this famous marine park - typically only 2-3 catamarans anchored versus the 30-40 boats that crowd the area in winter. Water visibility stays good at 15-20 m (49-66 ft) between rain systems, and the sea turtles are actively feeding on seagrass beds. The lack of crowds means turtles are noticeably less skittish. Water temperature holds at a comfortable 28°C (82°F), so you can snorkel for hours without a wetsuit. That said, tours depend heavily on weather windows - operators watch forecasts and might reschedule with 24-48 hours notice if swells build.
La Soufriere volcano hiking
The 1,234 m (4,049 ft) active volcano actually becomes more approachable in September once you understand the weather pattern - mornings tend to be clearer with the summit socked in by clouds after 11am or noon. Start your hike by 6:30am and you'll likely get views from the crater rim before mist rolls in. The trail stays muddy from regular rainfall, which keeps dust down but makes the steep sections properly slippery. Temperatures at the trailhead in Rabacca start around 24°C (75°F) but drop to 16-18°C (61-64°F) at the summit with wind chill. The forest section is incredibly lush this time of year, and you'll have the trail mostly to yourself - might see 3-4 other groups total versus the 20-30 people daily in high season.
Bequia boat building and maritime heritage experiences
September coincides with boat maintenance season when local craftsmen work on traditional whalers and fishing boats at the slipways in Paget Farm and Friendship Bay. You can actually watch boat builders at work using techniques passed down for generations - they're more relaxed and willing to chat in September since they're not rushing to prepare boats for charter season. The small Bequia Maritime Museum in Port Elizabeth keeps irregular hours but is worth checking - admission is EC$10 and the curator often gives personal tours if you catch him there. The annual Bequia Regatta happens in late March or April, but September lets you see the behind-the-scenes preparation work.
Dark Bay and windward coast exploration
The wild Atlantic-facing windward coast of St Vincent sees almost no tourists any time of year, and September's lower visitor numbers mean you might not encounter another soul at dramatic black sand beaches like Dark Bay near Overland. The coastal road from Georgetown north offers stunning views of crashing waves against volcanic cliffs, with small fishing villages where life continues completely unchanged by tourism. Seas are typically too rough for swimming on this coast, but the landscape photography opportunities are exceptional, especially when storm systems create dramatic cloud formations. The drive from Kingstown to the windward coast takes about 45 minutes (28 km/17 miles) through the interior.
Kingstown market and local food immersion
The Kingstown Market on Bay Street operates year-round but September brings specific seasonal produce - breadfruit is at peak harvest, and you'll find provisions like dasheen, eddoes, and sweet cassava piled high. The fish market adjacent to the main produce market sees daily catches of mahi-mahi, tuna, and kingfish coming in between 6am and 8am. Saturday is the biggest market day with vendors from across the island, but weekday mornings (Tuesday through Friday, 7am-noon) are less chaotic and vendors have more time to explain unfamiliar ingredients. The covered market building itself dates to 1906 and the architecture alone is worth seeing.
Mustique day visits and celebrity island exploration
September is actually the only affordable time to visit Mustique since the ultra-wealthy crowd largely departs after Easter and doesn't return until November. The famous Cotton House hotel stays open but many private villas sit empty. Day-trippers can take the ferry from St Vincent (45 minutes, EC$100 round trip) and rent bicycles or electric carts to explore the island's 9 km (5.6 miles) of roads, visiting beaches like Macaroni Bay and Britannia Bay that are genuinely spectacular. You'll spot some of the celebrity villas from the road - Princess Margaret's old estate, Mick Jagger's place - though obviously you can't enter private property. Basil's Bar, the famous beach bar, operates reduced hours in September but usually opens for lunch.
September Events & Festivals
Independence Day celebrations
October 27th is the actual Independence Day, but some preliminary cultural events and planning meetings happen in September as communities prepare. You might catch steel pan rehearsals or calypso competitions in villages, though the main celebrations don't kick off until mid-October. Worth asking locals about any preview events happening, but don't plan your September trip specifically around Independence festivities.