Canouan

Introducing Canouan

Canouan (cahn-oo-ahn) is an interesting place, both historically and aesthetically. This stunningly beautiful hook-shaped island has some of the quietest, cleanest and most supremely aesthetic beaches in the entire Grenadines chain, and some of the most secluded hideaways too. In contrast it is also home to one of the biggest developments in the region and is on the cusp of irreversible development that threatens to change this paradise forever.

In the mid-1990s, the development that has since transformed the island started on the northern end of Canouan. The Raffles Resort, which now occupies nearly half the landmass, is the prototypical ultraposh hideaway. Complete with a Donald Trump–operated casino, this resort has privatized beaches and sequestered most of the tourists.

Reaction is mixed: with the rest of the island a virtual ghost town and high-flying tourists rarely venturing beyond the gates of their hotel, the economic benefits are few and far between for the average local. The flip side is that the independent traveler can enjoy an authentic town, beaches that are deserted and a local community that is warm and welcoming. But with airport expansion, the construction of a huge marina and further development on the horizon, the question is, for how long?

Last updated: Nov 6, 2008