Canouan, a tiny island in St Vincent and the Grenadines, is emerging as the Caribbean's best-kept secret, boasting pristine beaches, a laid-back Soho House outpost, and a luxury Mandarin Oriental resort.
The island, pronounced Ka-no-wan, lies 30 miles south of St Vincent and is just 3.5 miles long and half that in width. With only 1,700 inhabitants, mostly in the village of Charlestown, it feels beautifully untouched by tourism.
Soho Beach House Canouan
Soho Beach House Canouan, the brand's first property in the Caribbean, opened in 2021. It features 40 bedrooms in a row of two-storey wooden houses on stilts, overlooking Grand Bay beach. While 80 per cent of guests are members, non-members can stay, though many end up joining.
The interiors reflect Soho House's signature boho style: white-on-white décor, blue-tinned roofs, mid-century chairs, macramé art, and pastel cotton bedspreads. Bathrooms are stocked with Cowshed and Soho Skin products, and rooms include extras like a clothes steamer, phone chargers, a Dyson hair dryer, and a pin-striped beach bag.
Guests can browse the boutique for homewear and resort wear, use the split-level gym, or join yoga and Pilates classes. But the vibe is about relaxation—sinking toes in the sand and doing nothing, a contrast to the networking ethos of urban Soho Houses.
Dining and Activities
The dining Palapa serves conch ceviche, red snapper with coconut rice, and a Canouan Cooler, a local rum punch. On the jetty, guests enjoy tuna and watermelon tartare, plantain chips, and jerk chicken from a wood-fire grill. Rooms have Robert's radios but no TVs, encouraging quiet evenings on balconies with a book and a Coconut Cosmo.
Day trips include boat rides to the Tobago Cays, five uninhabited islands famous for turquoise waters and a horseshoe reef. Visitors can swim with green sea turtles and lunch at Sparrow's Beach Club on Union Island, sampling grilled lobster, saltfish cakes, and coconut-infused Tahitienne fish.
Mandarin Oriental and Island Life
Canouan has been on the tourist scene since 1999, when a developer bought most of the island to create a version of Mustique. The Mandarin Oriental, Canouan, on the north-east coast, offers 26 palatial suites with marble bathrooms, sea-view terraces, and canopied beds. Its hillside spa features massages with doors open to the ocean sounds.
The island operates an "invisible key" concept, allowing guests to use all facilities, including tennis courts and an 18-hole golf course, reopening next year after renovation. Exploration is easy via golf buggies or aquamarine bicycles along sandy lanes and emerald hills, with resident red-footed tortoises everywhere—the island's name means "Isle of Turtles" in ancient Carib, and tortoises may outnumber humans.
Private villas, like the six-bedroom Silver Turtle with an infinity pool and a framed letter from Prince Harry, offer exclusive stays. Five restaurants at Mandarin Oriental provide dining options, and private chefs can cook at villas.
Rates start at $815 per night at Soho Beach House Canouan and $1,400 for a one-bedroom suite at Mandarin Oriental, including breakfast.
