British Vogue - 11.2019

I

f you were to draw a line with your finger on a map

between St Vincent and Grenada, there, in the middle,

just below Mustique, you’d find the lesser known

Canouan. If few people have heard of the discreetly sized

island – measuring a mere five square miles and boasting

a population of less than 2,000 – even fewer have set foot

on its immaculate ivory-sand beaches or dipped a toe in

its pristine turquoise sea.

But that’s all set to change – Soho House and Aman Resorts

are both due to open on the “island of tortoises” (so called

because the reptiles still outnumber the people) in the near

future, which will finally overthrow Canouan’s previous

less-than-chic status as a billionaire-only retreat (it’s true

that, at one time, Donald Trump could be found on its

18-hole golf course).

The golf course might still be there, but it’s far from the

star attraction. With the largest natural living coral reef

in the Caribbean, Canouan offers excellent snorkelling

and its location means that island hopping is a must. If

you ever tire of its verdant hills, smattering of restaurants

dotted throughout and sundowners at the marina, you can

always set sail to the tiny island of Mayreau (only accessible

by boat), the uninhabited Tobago Cays, or head to the

Princess Margaret Beach on Bequia.

Since the Mandarin Oriental opened

an outpost here last year – its first in the

Caribbean, it took over the existing Pink

Sands Club and its 26 suites and 13 luxury

villas (made up of gleaming white marble

with the occasional injection of cerise-

hued furnishings) – Canouan’s reputation

as the covert star of the Grenadine

archipelago has steadily grown. It’s as

private as they come, with Instagram the

only way to tell who’s been (Amy Schumer

posted about her babymoon stay at the

Mandarin earlier this year).

For the short trip from Barbados or

St Lucia, you can, for a price, borrow the Mandarin’s private

jet – if, unlike many of the guests, you don’t possess your own

• which will fly you into the bijou thatched airport. Or just
  dock your yacht in the new marina. Meanwhile, there’s talk
  of how to best merge facilities among the new resorts, with
  developers mindful of how important environmental
  considerations are becoming for guests. By the end of next
  year, the Mandarin will be free of single-use plastic – a must
  to conserve the island’s precious reefs. Go now, before the
  Mustique set gets the memo. n

FUTURE PERFECT

With a flurry of chic new openings

on the horizon, Canouan is the island

destination to know, says Olivia Marks

The Mandarin

Oriental in Canouan

• the resort makes for
  an idyllic wedding
  venue (right)

Sunglasses,

£255, Oliver

Peoples

Watch,

£20,280,

Omega

ENRIQUE BADULESCU; COTTON COULSON/NG IMAGE COLLECTION; GERRY ELLIS/NG IMAGE COLLECTION; NORMAN PARKINSON; GETTY IMAGES

LIVING

Beach essentials

Dress, £625,

Louisa Parris, at

Net-a-Porter.com

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