Resort Overview. Island Climate & History.
WEATHER/CLIMATE
ARRIVAL
ISLAND HISTORY
The 32 isles and cays of St. Vincent & The Grenadines have long been treasured tropical island hideaways for pirates and leisure travelers alike. Now one of this region’s under-the-radar islands, Canouan (pronounced CAN-ah-wahn) is fast becoming one of the most sought after holiday destinations among sophisticated, in-the-know travelers. Canouan is the Arawakan Indian word for ‘island of tortoises’ and it quickly becomes apparent why when spotting so many tortoises parading around the island. With idyllic, secluded beaches and acres of untouched lush tropical terrain, it’s no wonder that this warm, welcoming island and its luxury resort gem, Mandarin Oriental, Canouan, has been chosen as Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s first Caribbean outpost.
WEATHER/CLIMATE
Canouan is a tropical island located in the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles in the southern portion of the Windward Islands. This region is located on the fringes of the hurricane belt so it is typically less affected by hurricanes. Canouan’s daytime temperatures range from 24 to 30 °C (75 to 86 °F). The driest season is from December to May and the cooler months are between November and February.
ARRIVAL
At just five square miles (1,800 acres) in size, Canouan is a small island with a surprisingly large number natural assets and attractions including the Caribbean’s largest living coral barrier reef located off Mandarin Oriental, Canouan’s Godahl Beach, an 18-hole championship, Fazio-design golf course, Mount Royal the island’s highest peak, a super-yacht marina and an impressive number of idyllic beaches. Guests arriving by air land at Canouan International Airport (CIW) on the southern end of the island next to the new super-yacht marina. A 10-minute drive to Mandarin Oriental, Canouan takes guests through Charlestown to the northern end of the island known as Grenadines Estate. Grenadines Estate’s 1,200 acres include Mandarin Oriental, Canouan, a number of the island’s best beaches, the 18-hole golf course, Mount Royal, chic L’Ance Guyac beach and restaurant, an Anglican Church brought to the island stone by stone in the 19th Century, and residential luxury villas.
ISLAND HISTORY
Before 200 B.C., the Arawak Indians arrived in dug-out canoes on Canouan’s shores. These new residents brought plants, animals, and basic farming and fishing skills to the island and lived there peacefully for 1,500 years. In the 1700s, French settlers brought West African slaves to St. Vincent and The Grenadines to develop and work sugar plantations. After the Anglo-French wars, the British took control of the region. In the 1700s, Canouan had developed into a small community of sailors, boat builders, fishermen and farmers. Slavery was abolished in the 1830s and in 1951, universal adult suffrage was introduced. St. Vincent and The Grenadines became an independent state in 1979 within the British Commonwealth with a democratic government based on the British system.
In the 1990s, 800 acres of Canouan Island were sold for the development of a resort and championship golf course in the area around Carenage Bay. In the early 2000s, Carenage Bay’s resort opened under the management of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, followed by Raffles’ management until the resort’s closure in 2010. Since then, the area has been reconcepted and is now a collection of luxury residential villas that are part of Grenadine
Estates. Just south of Carenage Bay is Godahl Beach where Mandarin Oriental, Canouan opened as a brand new resort named Pink Sands Club in October, 2016. Mandarin Oriental’s management was announced in October, 2017 and the resort was officially renamed and rebranded Mandarin Oriental, Canouan on July 1, 2018.
Today Canouan Island is an emerging tourism and luxury residential destination dedicated to mindful and sustainable growth for the good of the island and its community. Island additions and enhancements include an airport expansion in 2008 that enabled the accommodation of larger aircraft, and the recent opening of a super-yacht marina which includes newly developed retail space for high-end shopping. Future plans for the island include a yacht club, fisheries, a community sports center, the addition of small-to-moderately-sized quality hotels, resorts, further development of high-end residential villas, a waterfront development project that includes an outdoor village market, and a new community school campus.