Bequia - Peggys Rock

This hike takes you up to the highest point in Bequia called Peggy's Rock.  With a pair of binoculars, you can see it on the ridge to the east of Admiralty Bay.  The off-road section of the hike starts near the Whaling Museum, but we've described the route from Princess Margaret Beach which adds another mile or so of walking along a pleasant road.  The route is along faint paths and there are some prickly bits, so it might be worth taking some long trousers with you.  We did it in shorts and sturdy sandals and survived okay.  

From the dinghy dock at Jack's restaurant, walk through the bar and up the steep steps.  Turn Right and walk along the rough road up a steep hill.  When you get to the main road, turn right towards Lower Bay.  Ignore the turning to the right in a few hundred metres and continue left and up towards the windward side of the island. At the top of the hill continue straight on going down and to the right as the road curves around the island.  After a mile or so, you will arrive at the small Whaling Museum on your right.  While you're here, you might as well go in and have a look.

Walk back down the road (retracing your steps) and after 100 metres you will see a small concrete road going up steeply to your left. It has a white wooden fence along the side of it.  This is the start of the route up to Peggy's Rock.  Walk up to the top of this road and it will open out to a grassy slope on the left with a house on the right.  Walk up the grassy slope towards a white wooden fence with an electricity pole behind it. 

Walk up to the fence and you'll find a path leading up to a small house.  Go to the right of the house across some scrub land and start to head up the hill. The path is faint at first and is sometimes rocky and sometimes grassy - just follow the ridge line. When you get to the start of bushes, look for the path, which will become more visible as you get higher.

The path becomes stony under the shade of trees with yucca plants and other semi-tropical vegetation - this bit is very pretty.  Continue scrambling up and you'll eventually come to the rocky peak.  The view is fabulous - you can see all of Admiralty Bay and the rest of the island with St Vincent in the distance.

There are ways to get down the steep slope directly to Lower Bay, but we've heard that it's a bit of a mission.  We retraced our steps and had a leisurely stroll back down the hill.