Union Island, Grenadines
February 24 - March 10, 2023
From the island of Canouan, we boarded the Jaden Sun fast ferry for our last stop in the Grenadines, the island of Union. This small island of 3.5 square miles with a population of less than 3,000 doesn't feel like a popular tourist destination which makes it feel a little rough around the edges with a more authentic kind of experience. Here, locals stand around chatting, dogs roam the streets like they own the place, and there is very little going on other than the comings and goings of boaters gathering supplies and wandering the streets. There isn't really a "main" beach here. There are several dotted around the island that offer something a little different: Kite beach provides a windy haven needed for kite surfers, Chatham Bay hosts one of the nicest resorts here and has some snorkeling just off shore, and the little slice of pretty beach that runs along Sparrows Beach Club restaurant is probably one of the best. We spent a few weeks here taking in what Union has to offer.
Our Accommodations
We found an amazing Airbnb apartment with one of the most breathtaking views of the ocean! The apartment was one of the best places we've ever stayed and was tastefully decorated and super cute. It was located at the top of a very steep hill which provided a very tranquil experience. The only downside was its challenge getting to/from town. Easy on the way down but difficult in the heat to walk back up which meant just "popping" into town didn't really happen. It was easy enough to grab a cheap bus that brought us close to the apartment location so we managed to make it work.
View from our Apartment
Around Union
A pretty sleepy little village...not too much to explain!
Chatham Bay
Filling the western side of the island is the beautiful Chatham Bay. This bay is the definition of tranquility; a huge beach, bright blue water and a feeling of seclusion you won’t find in many places. We had the entire beach to ourselves when we set up at the far end of the beach near the Tenuta Resort. It wasn't until late afternoon that we saw some boat excursions show up at the other end of the beach where a few beach restaurants sit.
As we wandered down to the "party end" of Chatham beach, we stopped for some local lunch with a group of visiting boaters when a spontaneous jam session broke out...Feelin' like the Caribbean!
Sparrows Beach Club
French owned by Bertrand, he was also our local contact for our Airbnb apartment. Sparrows is pretty famous around the islands for serving up fresh catch on a very pretty slice of beach.
Frigate Island / Kite Beach
Located on the SW tip of the island, its a lovely spot popular with kite surfers. The beautiful turquoise waters is pretty awesome and its the largest lagoon in the Grenadines with mangroves and shallow waters.The only reason you can walk over the lagoon and head to Frigate Island is as a result of a failed marina construction to connect Frigate Island to Union Island. The development intended to offer a marina, golf course in the mangroves and some apartments. The developer happened to go bankrupt and of course, the project was neglected and left unoccupied. Many local people rejected the development due to the harm it would cause to the ecosystem and mangroves, which in fact started to happen before a restoration project took place and has slowly improved the water flow and animals.
Boat Tour to Tobago Cays - Beautiful but not Ideal
Yes the Tobago Cays are a dreamy set of islands in the Grenadines with colors of water that will blow your mind. BUT...the reefs near the shores of the islands are mostly devoid of life and color. We thought we'd be in for a day of amazing snorkeling but we were definitely disappointed. Yes, we swam with a few turtles but there was no other life on the seabed. Yes we went to Mayreau Island to Saltwhistle Bay but it was busy with boats and crowded. Yes, we stopped for some snorkeling but the only reason we saw some stingrays and a few other fish was because the tour guides threw dead fish into the water for the tourists to see. Otherwise, the coral was mostly dead. Our captain said if you go out by the reef breaker the snorkeling was better. We think the amount of catamarans, ships and other motorized boats all moor much too close to the shores of the Tobago Cays, and many coming right up onto shore...and this destroys the reef. Don't get us wrong, it was indeed a lovely day on the sea with really good food and drinks and some lovely conversations with the people we sailed with. All in all, its a must do, but we'd recommend going with a tour or a taxi boat to where the reef still has some life.
Yannis Tobago Cays Tour
We opted to go with a catamaran called Yannis that lives at the exclusive resort on Palm Island. It included an all day sail with food and drinks. We stopped at Palm Island to pick up other guests and had a hot breakfast on the boat. We headed to Mayreau Island to Saltwhistle Bay for a dip. Then headed to a spot to swim with the turtles, followed by a buffet lunch which was very delicious! Our last stop was for some snorkeling. We paid approximately $325 Canadian total which compared or was slightly less than going with a water taxi that didn't include any food or drinks. We didn't take our camera but the blog link above to Yannis supplied by fellow Canadian travelers "goats on the road" will give an idea of the day (even though the blog link is from 2014).