Carriacou: Grenada's quiet sister island

Why go

Carriacou feels like the Caribbean of decades ago. There are no big resorts, few cars and almost no crowds, just quiet bays, small bars and a strong sense of community. It is ideal after a few busy days on the main island, and a favourite with sailors, divers and returning Grenadians.

Beaches

**Paradise Beach** at L'Esterre is a long strip of white sand with clear water and a few beach bars. Water taxis run from here and from Hillsborough to **Sandy Island**, a tiny protected sandbar with reef snorkelling. **Anse La Roche**, in the north, is reached by a forest track and is often empty. **Petite Carenage Bay** near Windward is shallow and sheltered.

Towns and culture

**Hillsborough** is the main town and ferry port, with a jetty, small shops, a market and the **Carriacou Museum**, which tells the story of Amerindian settlement, slavery and the island's mixed African, French and Scottish heritage. In **Windward**, boatbuilders still shape wooden sloops by hand on the beach. **Tyrrel Bay** on the southwest coast is the yacht anchorage, with mangroves, seafood restaurants and a relaxed evening scene.

Carriacou is known for the **Big Drum** dance, in which families honour ancestors from different African nations, and for **Maroon** ceremonies of shared food and prayer. The **Carriacou Maroon and String Band Music Festival** celebrates both in spring.

Festivals

The **Carriacou Regatta Festival** around the start of August brings sloop races, donkey races and parties. **Carriacou Carnival** comes before Spicemas on the main island and includes the Shakespeare Mas, where masked players compete by reciting speeches.

Petite Martinique

A short boat ride from Windward, **Petite Martinique** is the smallest inhabited island of the three, home to a close seafaring community. It makes a fine day trip for a walk, a swim and a quiet lunch.

Nature and diving

The reefs around Carriacou and the Sandy Island Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area are healthy and uncrowded, and local dive shops visit walls, reefs and wrecks. On land, **High North National Park** has trails to the island's highest point and views over the Grenadines.

Getting there

The passenger ferry from St. George's takes a couple of hours and can be rough, so take seasickness tablets if you are prone. Small planes from Maurice Bishop International Airport land at Lauriston Airport in about twenty minutes. Check current schedules before you book, since they change by season.

Good to know

Carriacou is drier than Grenada and very quiet at night. Bring enough cash, as card machines and cash machines are few and can be out of service. Ferries between Carriacou and nearby islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines require immigration formalities, so check the rules first.