Mopion islet, Grenadines: my tropical isle has a name...

Mopion Islet, Grenadines, West Indies - "The quintessential deserted island" - Photo credit: Debbra Brouillette

This photograph, which I took in the Grenadines in December, 2004, is one of my favorites. I even chose it as the banner for my website, www.wordjourneys.net.  Only recently did I find it had a name – Mopion islet – and that it is somewhat famous, having been photographed for "dozens of magazine covers" and written up in a Caribbean Travel & Life article about "dream beaches of the Caribbean."

Variously described as "the quintessential 'deserted island'" and as "a dollop of sand surrounded by a transparent sea," Mopion is located near the private resort island of Petit St. Vincent, and not far from Palm Island, the private resort island where I stayed in early December '04, when I unwittingly captured this photo following a dive on nearby reefs.

The single thatched umbrella, which has become Mopion's trademark, was apparently erected by Hazen Richardson, Petit St. Vincent's owner. Visitors to the resort are transported via speedboat to the sandbar, only 100 feet around, for a leisurely picnic lunch. Other yachters and seafaring travelers are free to stop there, as well.

Petit St. Vincent

Petit St.Vincent is spread over 113 acres and surrounded by two miles of white sand beaches. The private resort island’s 22 simple, yet luxurious cottages are the perfect escape for those who truly want privacy and tranquility. There is no formal check in, no keys, and no televisions or telephones in the cottages.

The truly hermitic guest need never meet another visitor. Room service is available for all meals, either in your own cottage or at any other location on the island. Most guests however, choose to make use of the resort’s beautiful bar and dining room for at least some of their meals.

Photo credit - Petit St. VIncent dock (above) - Creative Commons/Flicker - see link below. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyng883/ / CC BY 2.0

Summer rates apply for the months of May 1, through August 31, 2010 and 2011, including:

Three meals a day

Afternoon tea daily

Champagne in room on arrival

Unlimited room service

Tennis night and day

A picnic for two persons on a tiny tropical island (Mopion islet, aka Petit St. Richardson, so named by Petit St. Vincent's owner, Hazen Richardson)

Photo credit: Creative Commons/Flickr - see links below.

Service charges and taxes on the cottage

(FYI: Drinks not included in rates.)

7 nights/Double    $4600

7 nights/Single    $3615

For more info:   Petit St. Vincent, Summer Rates 2010

Additional: Connecting Flights: The scheduled flight between Barbados and Union Island is $190.00* per person, one way and is arranged on a share basis with guests arriving on any given day grouped for a common departure time. Flying time is 55 minutes. 

Palm Island Resort

With just 37 guest lodgings, this island retreat offers the utmost in privacy and seclusion. It lies on its own 135-acre island. Chill out in the refreshing freshwater pool and its invigorating waterfall, or lounge on one of the lovely sun terraces. Take a private dip on any one of its five beaches. Scuba diving and other excursions can be arranged.

Palm Island’s all-inclusive rates include:

Three meals daily; afternoon tea and pre-dinner appetizers

Unlimited nonalcoholic beverages and domestic- and international-brand drinks at restaurants and bars

Complimentary water sports, include windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking and sailing aboard Hobie-style catamarans (instruction included)

Tennis and pitch & putt island-style golf

Explore scenic nature trails, both on foot and by bike

Use of air-conditioned fitness room

Complimentary access to Internet

Travel now through December 20th and receive up to 30% off!

7 nights/Double (Palm View Room) (Includes roundtrip 45-minute flight from Barbados to Union Island and 8-minute transfer to Palm Island by private launch)

Note: I plugged in three random weeks, to check rates. Week of June 26-July 3 - $4425; Week of June 12-June 19 - $3835; Week of August 14-21 - $4860. Go to this link and check rates for the dates you would like: http://www.eliteislandvacations.com/pibanner

Another special offer: The Chairman’s Special

Enjoy additional discounts all year on stays of 8 nights or more. Stays booked for the months of May and June receive complimentary upgrade when you book a PalmView room. Upgrades are subject to availability. Must Book by May 20, 2010. Also, if you book 2 rooms, you receive the second room at 50% OFF.  7 night minimum stay required. These offers include inter-island flights.  Must Book by May 20, 2010 for travel through December 20, 2010.

Reservations Information: 1- 800-858-4618 or 1-866-237-2157

(Photo Credit - Palm Island photos and Mopion islet (above) - Debbra Brouillette) 

FYI: If you are not staying at one of the all-inclusive resorts mentioned, you can still find a way to visit this isolated spit of sand by boat from nearby islands – Union Island and Carriacou.

Where in the world is the Grenadines?

Mention the Grenadines and you’ll often get a blank look. “Where is that?” they’ll say. The Grenadines is a chain of about 600 islands and islets in the southeastern part of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, ranging over 60 miles generally southwesterly from Saint Vincent to Grenada.

The northern Grenadines are administratively part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while the southern islands are a dependency of Grenada. The Saint Vincent group consists of Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Mustique, Union Island, and associated islets. The Grenada group includes Carriacou Island, with an area of 13 square miles, and eight small islets – Diamond, Green, Sandy, Caille, Les Tantes, Frigate, Large, and Saline Islands.

To the north of St. Vincent lies St. Lucia, to the east Barbados, and to the south Grenada. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has an estimated population of 120,000. The country has a French and British colonial history and is now part of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an organization of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies.

Map Credit: http://www.paradise-islands.org/grenadines-map.htm

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