How to Get to Mayreau Island

Mayreau is one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Grenadines, with a single village and a few hundred residents. There is no airport and no cruise pier. Every visitor arrives by water, which is part of why the place still feels like a genuine getaway.

Kayak on the sand at Salt Whistle Bay with a yacht at anchor
Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau. Photo: David Stanley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Arrive by yacht, the classic way

Most visitors first see Mayreau from a charter yacht or a sailing itinerary through the southern Grenadines. Salt Whistle Bay, at the island's northern tip, is one of the chain's signature anchorages: a calm Caribbean crescent with a short tender ride to the beach. The Tobago Cays are a short hop east and Union Island a short sail south, so Mayreau usually sits in the middle of a multi-day Grenadines route. Yachts clear customs and immigration at Clifton on Union Island.

Fly nearby, then take a boat

If you are not sailing, fly into the region and finish the trip by sea:

  • Argyle International Airport (SVD) on mainland St. Vincent is the country's main international gateway.
  • Union Island and Canouan have the closest airports, served by small regional flights such as those of SVG Air, which is based at Argyle. Union's airport is on the east side near Clifton; Canouan's is in the southwest and can take small jets.
  • From Union Island, water taxis and transfers to Mayreau are commonly arranged through hotels or local skippers.
  • There are no flights to Mayreau itself, so plan the last leg as a boat transfer.

Ferry and mail-boat routes

Inter-island ferries call at Saline Bay, the bay on the southern leeward side with the jetty, not at Salt Whistle Bay. Services such as the MV Gem Star II and the Jaden Sun fast ferry link Kingstown on St. Vincent with Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, some sailings calling at Bequia too, several days a week. Days and times change with the weather and the operators, so check the current schedule with the operator or on Discover SVG before you travel. From Saline Bay, the road climbs over the hill to the village and on to Salt Whistle Bay.

Practical tips for a smooth arrival

  • Bring cash. Beach bars and many small businesses run on cash, and you should not count on finding an ATM on the island.
  • Pack light and expect a walk or a short local ride between Saline Bay and Salt Whistle Bay.
  • Build buffer time around ferry connections. Flexibility matters more than a rigid schedule.
  • The Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30, can disrupt sailings.

Where this fits with the rest of your trip

Think of Mayreau as the land-and-sundowner stop beside the water playground of the Tobago Cays. Pair a night or an afternoon here with a Cays snorkel day and an evening on Union Island, and you get the quietest slice of the southern Grenadines.

Ferry schedules and transfer arrangements change often. Treat the operators and your hotel or charter crew as the final word for the week you travel.

Sources

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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