Baliceaux Island: Wild Grenadines Cruising and the Sacred History of the Garifuna

Baliceaux Island is one of the most remote and historically significant stops in the northern Grenadines, an uninhabited island of steep green hills, rocky headlands and isolated bays lying east of Bequia and north of Mustique. Roughly 320 acres in size, Baliceaux has virtually no tourism infrastructure, allowing visiting yachts to experience a dramatically quieter side of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

From the water, the island is defined by its rugged ridgeline and remarkably undeveloped coastline. Landing Bay on the southwest side provides the best-known yacht anchorage, with sand beneath the yacht and a small beach accessible by tender. Reefs around the island also create opportunities for snorkeling in settled weather, although Baliceaux is much more exposed and weather-dependent than the protected anchorages of Bequia or Mustique.

Yet Baliceaux is far more than a secluded yacht stop. It is one of the most important places in Garifuna history and should be visited with respect for that legacy. Following the defeat of Garifuna resistance on St. Vincent, British colonial authorities forcibly transported thousands of Garifuna people to Baliceaux in 1796 before deporting the survivors to Roatán. The island therefore carries profound cultural and memorial significance throughout St. Vincent and the wider Garifuna diaspora.

Baliceaux sits in a reef and shoal-strewn section of the northern Grenadines, so close navigation requires good visibility and current charts. Official 2025 sailing directions note that Baliceaux and nearby Battowia are connected by a shoal with a least charted depth of 3.7 meters. Church Cay lies along this shoal, with narrow channels on either side that are considered suitable only for small craft with local knowledge.

For charter yachts, the safer strategy is generally to approach the established southwestern anchorage rather than attempt shortcuts through the shallower waters toward Battowia. Currents, reefs and swell can all influence the approach, particularly when trade winds strengthen. Captains should also allow plenty of clearance around the island's rocky extremities and treat any close coastal exploration as a daylight operation.

Landing Bay, on the southwestern side of Baliceaux, is the island's principal cruising anchorage. Recent cruising reports describe anchoring in approximately 5 meters over sand close to the beach, while Navily identifies the southwest anchorage as an authorized anchoring area with a sandy seabed and dinghy access to shore.

The main limitation is comfort rather than scenery. Baliceaux can become rolly when swell works around the island, and older cruising reports also describe significant movement even inside Landing Bay. There are no marina facilities, fuel, water or provisioning services, so visiting yachts must be entirely self-sufficient and should regard Baliceaux as a weather-dependent anchorage rather than a guaranteed overnight stop.

Baliceaux's highest point is Gun Hill, rising to approximately 126 meters above sea level. The island remains uninhabited, with hills, cliffs, scrub vegetation and isolated bays dominating the landscape. Although many older sources describe Baliceaux as privately owned, that is no longer current: the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines announced its acquisition of the island in March 2025 specifically to preserve it as a cultural, historic and memorial site. Official government sources commonly spell the name Balliceaux.

Its Garifuna history is the defining reason for that protection. Government records state that 5,080 Garifuna were captured and transported first to Balliceaux, with only 2,026 surviving to eventually land on Roatán. The island remains a place of remembrance, and in March 2026 a Garifuna heritage pilgrimage included a ritual ceremony on Balliceaux as part of National Heroes' Month.