Canouan Hotels

The big draw at the Tamarind Beach Hotel is the beach—glittering, talc-soft white sand with the bright blue of the Caribbean Sea on one side and lush, palm-tree-dotted tropical gardens on the other. The sheltered bay is a popular mooring for smaller sailboats (mega yachts post up on the southern tip of the island, where a new deep-water marina has been built off of Glossy Bay), and the hotel has a well-stocked deli for reprovisioning. For land-based overnight guests, there are thirty-one rooms and eight beachfront suites. The bedrooms are breezy and comfortable with hardwood floors, walnut-and-white-paneled walls, comfortable beds, and a balcony or patio opening onto the beach. There are two restaurants, a beach bar, and a spa, as well as kayaks, windsurfers, paddleboards, and snorkel gear. The hotel also enjoys reciprocity with the Canouan Estate, should guests wish to play the golf course or visit the restaurants there.

Located on a picture-perfect stretch of Godahl’s beach on the Atlantic side of the island, the Mandarin Oriental takes full advantage of the sweeping views out over the water. The hotel’s twenty-six colonial-style suites and thirteen villas all face the ocean; ground floor suites have individual access to the beach, and those on the upper level have balconies overlooking it. The rooms are done in a palette of creams with dark woods and fuchsia accents, and each is equipped with every luxury you could wish for (walk-in closet, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, Nespresso machine, Acqua di Parma toiletries, blackout shades, yoga mat, beach bag, your own personal butler) as well as a quite a few you’ve never thought of, like an iPad that controls nearly everything in the room. The pink lounge chairs on the beach and by the infinity pool are perfect for a morning of doing nothing. Then grab lunch at the pool bar—the conch ceviche or the shrimp tacos is the way to go. The hotel is on the Canouan Estate, with access to five different beaches (some on the Atlantic and some on the…