Owia Salt Pond

Past the last windward villages, where La Soufriere's slopes run into the sea, old lava flows have built the island's best swimming trick: a cluster of deep, clear tide pools walled by black volcanic rock, refilled and freshened by Atlantic waves that explode on the outer barrier while the water inside barely rocks. Steps and terraces lead down through the rocks, fish share the pools, and the setting - volcano behind, open ocean ahead, the Grenadines nowhere in sight - feels like the country's secret edge. The drive up the windward coast, through banana land and Black Carib country, is half the outing.

Highlights

• The main pool - the deep, clear basin behind the lava barrier.
• The wave barrier - Atlantic sets detonating on the outer rocks.
• The pool fish - sergeant majors and fry sharing the swim.
• The windward drive - the coast road through Georgetown and the banana lands.

When to go

December to May for the calmest conditions - the pools' charm depends on the barrier doing its job, and big winter swells can overtop it. Weekends bring village families; weekdays it can be yours.

Practical notes

Judge the sea before swimming: on heavy days waves break into the pools and the site closes its own argument. Rocks are sharp and the steps slick - footwear matters. It is a long drive from Kingstown, upward of two hours - pair with the windward coast and the volcano trailhead, not as a standalone dash.

Nearby

The La Soufriere windward trailhead, Georgetown and the black-sand windward bays.