WHERE DO BILLIONAIRES SAIL TO GET AWAY FROM MILLIONAIRES ? CANOUAN!
#catamaransailing #leopard48catamaran #sailing #Canouan #mandarinoriental #sandylaneyachtclub
After Bequia, we headed to Canouan, a little known, enigmatic luxury island in the Grenadines where the experience at Sandy Lane Yacht Club was quite unexpected and surreal. We left Bequia in a BIG hurry when a very rare western swell came in which was caused by a storm coming down from the north. Boats were rocking and swinging and it wouldn’t be long before we would get hit!
So, the next island south - hopefully away from the swell - was Canouan.
"Canouan" comes from the Arawakan word for turtle. The Arawakan’s were the original island inhabitants. We were hoping to see some of the red footed tortoises during our stay.
Canouan is one of the Caribbean’s most up and coming luxury destinations. Located in the heart of the Grenadines, less than 20 miles south of Mustique and 110 miles west of Barbados, the 3 square-mile island is surrounded by small bays and coves, secluded white sand beaches and one of the Caribbean’s largest coral reefs, offering incredible diving and snorkeling.
It is said to be the island where billionaires go to get away from millionaires. Most of the northern part of the island is private resorts - Mandarin Oriental and Canouan Estate Resort with a Jim Fazio designed 18-hole course.
There is not a lot here for people to visit if you are not on a resort. You do have easy access to Tobago Cays, Union Island, and Mayreau for more exploration.
Sandy Lane Yacht Club
We headed straight to Sandy Lane Yacht Club, a luxury marina and resort, to hide for a little while, on the south side of Glossy Bay. Brand new docks, modern amenities, shops, restaurants and totally protected. The executive airport is right behind the marina, making it convenient for the jet set, but a little noisy and you do smell the diesel at times if you are staying on board.
We enjoyed the beach and the pool and tried to snorkel the reefs, but the swell was too rough.
Charlestown - Friendship Bay
We did visit the capital city of Charlestown in Friendship Bay. Beautiful waters, especially by L'Anse Guyac, a nice place usually to anchor by the resort there - also owned by Mandarin Oriental. In town, we did not find much worthwhile besides the Soho Beach House resort.
Is Canouan Worth the Visit?
In 10 years, we predict this island will be even more developed by the resorts. We did find our visit worthwhile. If we had more time, we also would have hiked around the island more. If the normal trade winds were blowing, instead of the western swell, we imagine we would have been able to snorkel the large expanse of reefs. Maybe next time....
TIMELINE:
0:00 Introduction
0:52 Sandy Lane Yacht Club
2:12 Scruffy's Restaurant
4:43 Beach at Glossy Bay
6:17 Shenanigans Restaurant
8:07 Sandy Lane Shops
8:26 Protected Marina
10:07 Charlestown - Friendship Bay
LINKS:
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfh_pM48xnJ7dr4jTvt8cw?sub_confirmation=1
WEB SITE: https://bluedotvoyages.com
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/bluedotvoyages
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bluedotvoyages.sailingpilar
COMPLETE PLAYLIST: SAILING & CRUISING VIDEOS
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz8Z8h1MloaPq2o05r6wnJqaqyeABUKiu
CATAMARAN MAINTENANCE VIDEOS:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz8Z8h1MloaOcpGajnaH0DPm1U0otTJtc
Blue Dot Voyages is a Sailing Adventure Company. We recently packed up our belongings, sold our house and moved on to our Leopard48 Sailing Catamaran PILAR, where we are traveling the world. We offer travel advice as well as boat maintenance tips. We offer charter sailing experience trips when we can. Watch our videos and live vicariously through us!
Master Captain: Stephen Bell
First Officer: Dawn Bell
