Union Island by yacht — Clifton, Chatham Bay and kitesurfing

Union Island is the southern gateway of St Vincent & The Grenadines and the natural start or end of any charter that runs between St Vincent and Grenada. It is small, laid-back, and has three anchorages that between them cover almost everything a charter guest wants.

Clifton, on the east coast, is the check-in port and the working harbour. Anchor inside the reef in 3–5m of sand or pick up one of the mooring balls managed by Jomo or Jr — around US $25 per night including a rubbish run. Customs and immigration are five minutes' walk from the dinghy dock; SVG Air flies in and out of Union (UNI) with connections to Barbados. Provisioning is small but adequate — Lambi's mini-mart and the Saturday market cover the basics.

Chatham Bay, on the west side, is the reason many guests come south. A deep horseshoe bay with almost no development, a handful of beach bars, and the best sunset in the country. Anchor in 5–10m of sand well off the beach. Your captain books a beach dinner in the morning — grilled lobster, fresh fish, rice and rum punch for around US $50 per head.

For a sundowner, dinghy across Clifton harbour to one of the tiny reef bars just offshore — rum punch with the kite-surfers coming in over the lagoon is the Union Island ritual. Tie up carefully and keep an eye on the light for the ride back.

Kitesurfing is world-class here. The reef inside Clifton flattens the water while the trades pump 18–25 knots from November to July. JT Pro Center at Bougainvilla is the school most captains recommend — half-day lessons, gear rental, and downwinders to Mayreau. Book directly or ask us to arrange it.

Union is usually two nights on a one-week charter that starts in St Vincent, and three or more nights on a two-week trip that continues to Carriacou and Grenada. See /destinations/union-island for the full page and /itineraries for the routes we run most often through Union.