Grenadines Travel Glossary
Words and names you will meet when planning a trip to Mayreau and the southern Grenadines.
- Cay
- A small, low island, usually of sand or coral. Pronounced "key". The Tobago Cays are five of them.
- Clearing in
- Completing customs and immigration formalities on arrival by boat. In the southern Grenadines, yachts usually clear at Clifton on Union Island.
- EC dollar (EC$)
- The Eastern Caribbean dollar, the currency of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. US dollars are widely accepted.
- Easterval
- Union Island's festival, when Clifton is at its liveliest.
- Grenadines
- The chain of small islands between St. Vincent and Grenada. The northern two-thirds of the chain, about 32 islands and cays including Mayreau, Canouan and Union, belong to St. Vincent and the Grenadines; the rest belong to Grenada.
- "H" plate
- The letter on the number plate of public minibuses on the islands.
- Horseshoe Reef
- The four-kilometer reef that encloses four of the Tobago Cays.
- Hurricane season
- June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic and Caribbean.
- Isthmus
- A narrow strip of land between two bodies of water, like the neck of sand at Salt Whistle Bay.
- Lambi
- The local name for queen conch, a favorite dish on menus across the Grenadines.
- Leeward
- The side sheltered from the prevailing wind. On Mayreau, the western, Caribbean side with Saline Bay and Salt Whistle Bay.
- Mooring
- A fixed buoy for boats to tie up to instead of anchoring, which protects coral and seagrass.
- Old Wall
- The name often used for Mayreau's village on Station Hill.
- Saline Bay
- The bay on the southern leeward side of Mayreau with the ferry jetty, named for the nearby salt pond.
- SVG
- Short for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
- TCMP
- The Tobago Cays Marine Park, which covers the cays, Mayreau and the surrounding waters.
- Trade winds
- The steady easterly winds that blow across the Caribbean for much of the year.
- Water taxi
- A small local boat for hire between islands, beaches and anchorages. Agree the fare first.
- Windward
- The side facing the prevailing wind. On Mayreau, the eastern, Atlantic side.
Sources
- Mayreau - Wikipedia
- Grenadines - Wikipedia
- About the Park - Tobago Cays Marine Park
- Union Island - Discover SVG
Before you go. Ferry and flight schedules, park fees and opening hours are set by each operator and can change, especially after storms. Confirm the details with the operator or the official tourism office before you travel.
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