When we pulled into Clifton Harbor from the Tobago Cays we had to round the reef off Union Island and at the end of it was Happy Island. This is one of the few places that I did not know about before we arrived and because of that it was the first place I wanted to check out!!!
Turns out a gentleman by the name of Janti was seeing his islands beaches and reef get littered with conch shells after the fishermen got the muscle out of them. Unlike many people, Janti came up with a solution to the problem that benefited Union Island, the environment, and himself. He started collected all the conch shells and piled them on the shallows at the end of the reef. Once he had a large pile a couple feet above the water level, he poured concrete over the shells and formed his own island in 2002. After that he built a bar, patio, and indoor lounge and is now open for business.
How about that? A solution to a problem that benefits everyone and carried out by a guy that literally created his own tropical island and started his own business. Happy Island is a great place to hang out and just about the most laid back place you will find in the Caribbean. In fact the operating hours are about as close to “island time” as you are going to get, because it is whenever Janti get out there. Haha
You can take your dinghy to Happy Island or there are several water taxis from Clifton that will take you for $5-10. Have fun and just chill.
