MUSTIQUE

'Mustique' is a small private island in the West Indies on the edge of the Caribbean Sea. The island is one of a group of islands called the Grenadines, most of which form part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The island of Mustique is leased from the government of St Vincent & the Grenadines by the Mustique Company, which rents or leases 89 private villas, of which 57 are available for weekly rentals. There are also two privately-owned hotels on the island. Because of its luxury and isolation, Mustique has over the years attracted a number of the rich and famous: Noel Gallagher, Princess Margaret, Bill Gates, Mick Jagger, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Felix Dennis, James V. Kimsey, David Bowie, Tommy Hilfiger, Robert Worcester, and Jonathan Marks. Those who still have homes on the island can sometimes be seen at [http://www.basilsmustique.com/) Basil's Beach Bar.
The history of the island of Mustique, and of the Grenadines in general, dates back to the 15th century when Spanish sailors first sighted this more or less linear group of small rocky islands and named them 'Los Pájaros' or 'the birds', because they resembled a small flock of birds scattered across the sea in flight. During the seventeenth century the islands were renamed the Grenadines by pirates, who used the sheltered bays to hide their ships and treasure. The islands were later utilised by European planters to grow sugar cane, up until the development in the nineteenth century of sugar beet, a crop which could be grown successfully grow in Europe, thus dramatically lessening the worldwide demand for tropical sugar. Mustique's sugar plantations were abandoned and eventually swallowed up by scrub, leaving remnants such as the sugar mill at 'Endeavor' and its 'Cotton House.'
Mustique was purchased in 1958 by Lord Glenconner, Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, under whose guidance the island began to be developed. HRH The Princess Margaret accepted his gift of a ten-acre plot of land as a wedding present in 1960, and she built a residence called Les Jolies Eaux. In 1989 Mustique island was transformed from a family estate into a community of Vincentian people dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the island.
Today Mustique has been able to retain its beauty and tranquility. The management of the island protects the natural environment, and maintains Mustique as a secure and peaceful island retreat. There are two hotels, the smaller, boutique style Firefly Hotel, and the larger Cotton House Hotel Both hotels have a relaxed atmosphere.
The island has one nightspot which is attended both by Vincentians and the "jet set", and that is Basil's Bar, which is well-known internationally. Local entrepreneur Basil Charles has been on the island for over 30 years, and in addition to the bar, Basil owns the clothing boutique, the antique shop and the wine store. Basil's Bar is also home to the Mustique Blues Festival which features artists in many modern music genres from all over the world. Proceeds from the sale of the festival's CDs and t-shirts fund the Basil Charles' Educational Fund, an organization that gives educational chances to children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines who would otherwise not be able to afford school.
The island covers 1,400 acres (5.7 km² or 2.2 sq. miles) and it has several coral reefs. The land fauna includes tortoises, herons and many other species. The year-round population of about 500 live in the villages of Lovell, Britannia Bay and Dover.
In 1971 the SS Antilles struck a reef off the island and sank.

Contents

Mustique pictures

External links

Mustique pictures

External links

★ The Mustique Company

★ Mustique Blues Festival