Mayreau is the smallest
inhabited island of the Grenadines, with an area of about 0.46 sq.
miles and a population of about 271. The population is centered in an unnamed
village, located on Station Hill,
a hilltop in the south-west of the island. It is an isolated community,
accessible only by boat. Electricity was only recently (2002) provided by a
central generator located on Saline Bay. There is a single-lane concrete road
leading from the wharf on Saline Bay through the village to Saltwhistle Bay.
The top of the island is crested with the small elementary school; the
telecommunications building; the brick and stone Catholic Church of the
Immaculate Conception, christened on May 12, 1930, and a Pentecostal church.
From the crest of the hill behind the Catholic Church, there is an overlook of
the Tobago Cays, Canouan and Union Island.
The island gets much of
its water from three catchments set on the east side of the island. One serves
the resort at Saltwhistle Bay and two serve the village. Saline Bay is named
for the salt pond just east of the sandy beach. Salt was harvested and exported
in times past but is now harvested only for local use. The island is populated
mostly by fishermen and supported by tourism. The school has about 50 students
from kindergarten to Grades 6. Upon completing their primary/elementary
education, students attend secondary schools on neighbouring Union Island or
the main island, St. Vincent. Mayreau also has a small resort area on
Saltwhistle Bay, a very popular spot for anchoring yachts.
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