DESTINATIONS CARIBBEAN | ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
expert ASK THE rt
NATASHA ANDERSON director of sales for UK and Europe, St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourist Office
“We currently have 3,400 rooms in the islands, and plan to add up
to 1,000 more over the next three years. This includes a 360-room Beaches family resort at Mount Wynne on St Vincent. While we’ll never be a mass-tourism destination, we’re also building what will be the longest overwater zipline in the Caribbean. Upcoming events include the imminent SVG Sailing Week (March 29-April 6), which tours all of the islands.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Rock Villa at Bequia Beach Hotel; Tobago Cays Marine Park; Soho Beach House Canouan PICTURES: SVG Tourism Authority; Andrew Joseph Woomer
played for free, are open at present – there is limited sign of damage. I found an optimistic mood that makes this off-radar isle a standout pick for clients seeking a safe, quiet and upmarket Caribbean getaway. One reason to choose Canouan is that there are
GETTING THERE
Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to St Vincent on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with return fares from £616.
virginatlantic.com
SVG Tourism Authority has trade resources, a new training module and rewards programme at
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32 26 MARCH 2026
never more than 300 guests staying on the island, sprinkled among a trio of design-led properties: the 26-suite beachfront Mandarin Oriental Canouan, with its large pool and hillside spa; the luxury villas of the Canouan Estate, home to tennis courts and a huge kids’ club; and the 40-room Soho Beach House Canouan, which lies beside the inviting sands of Grand Bay. An ‘invisible key’ initiative, which was introduced last year, allows guests to enjoy the facilities of all three, thanks to a complimentary daily transfer between the properties. About half of the visitors to Canouan are from the
UK or North America. While this is clearly a place to slow down – in fact, the island has long been home to thousands of red-footed tortoises – there is still plenty to do, from visiting Canouan’s picturesque 17th-century Anglican church to partying with the superyacht crews at Scruffys Bar in the Sandy Lane Yacht Club. Uncrowded beaches are a given, whether it’s dining under the stars at L’Ance Guyac Beach Club, enjoying a lazy fish lunch at Shell Beach or taking a picnic to the castaway sands of Mahault Beach. For me, the crowning
33Canouan is a standout pick for clients seeking a safe, quiet and upmarket Caribbean getaway
glory is a 45-minute hike up to the 267-metre peak of Mount Royal (best completed before breakfast), from where there is a sweeping, master-of-the-universe view south over the Grenadines to Carriacou and Grenada.
BEQUIA BOOST While Union Island and neighbouring Mayreau are still rebuilding, Bequia, which has a laid-back and authentic vibe that has made it a favourite with British travellers, is back to full capacity. In November, Bequia Beach Hotel added The Rock Villa – the island’s largest rental property. The eight adult-only suites can be booked individually or combined as a whole-villa option, with children welcome. Other accommodation options include the 24-room Bequia Plantation Hotel, which is a short walk from Port Elizabeth, so suited to clients who like to connect with the local scene, and The Liming’s nine contemporary villas and suites.
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travelweekly.co.uk
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