As recently as the mid-1990s, three-square-mile Canouan was little more than a rustic village of 739 islanders with barely a bed for rent. But with a half-dozen picture-perfect beaches, it couldn’t escape notice for long, and a group of investors bought the northern two-thirds of the island, opening what is now the posh Raffles Resort in 1999.
Beyond two resorts, Canouan’s hub is Grand Bay, an appropriately named runway of silica fronting the island’s main settlement, Charlestown. The south end of the island is Glossy Bay (nicknamed CBH for the old Canouan Beach Hotel), where waves bob gently and children play in the steep rake of sand; it’s the place to be at sunset.
A long reef parallels Canouan’s east coast, protecting beaches from heavy seas. Follow the road toward Raffles but pull over just before the entrance at Windward Bay, where a pair of strands sees few visitors yet yields excellent swimming and occasional sand dollars. Inside the resort, water-sports activity is focused at Godahl Beach. Below the hotel’s amphitheater is the pretty Carenage Bay. It’s worth an excursion (by golf cart or, more ambitiously, on foot) to reach Mahault Bay, where the undertow sometimes makes swimming iffy but the broad, isolated and undeveloped beach is ideal for romantic strolls.
Where to Stay
The 88-villa Raffles Resort Canouan Island lays on high-end amenities, such as Frette linens and personal golf carts, and exceptional service. The 1,800-acre property also has an 18-hole golf course, a superb spa and a casino. From $495 in low season ($850 high). 866-589-2450; raffles-canouanisland.com
The only other hotel is the 40-room Tamarind Beach Hotel, on Grand Bay, where rooms right on the sand will score points with beach lovers. From $260 in low season ($340 high), including continental breakfast. 784-458-8044; tamarindbeachhotel.com
Where to Eat
Godahl Beach Bar & Grill, at Raffles (800-768-9009), offers sandwiches, salads and a flavorful callaloo soup with crispy barracuda. Tamarind’s beachfront Palapa restaurant has a menu of pastas, pizzas and grilled fare. 784-458-8044
Hot Stuff
Raffles’ Trump International Golf Club is one of the most spectacular in the Caribbean. The par-72 Jim Fazio-designed course winds through 135 hillside acres and snakes over the steep ridges of Canouan’s highest point, Mount Royal, with vistas of hidden beaches below and the other Grenadines on the horizon. Keeping your eye on the ball won’t be easy. 800-768-9009
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