Carriacou Island Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

The hilly island of Carriacou (pronounced carry-uh-COO), northeast of Grenada, reminds us of the Caribbean of years ago: The countryside is still pristine and the beaches uncrowded. You could probably walk the entire island in about five hours—and that, in our opinion, is one of the best ways to see it.

On Carriacou, islanders go about their business—fishing, farming and building wooden boats—seemingly undisturbed by tourists. However, the island is growing as a yachting destination, particularly as a safe haven from hurricanes that rarely hit this far south, with new marinas and haul-out services.

Hillsborough, the main town on Carriacou, is about a mile/kilometer long and three streets wide. Sleepy, old-fashioned sundry stores and shingled houses with stone foundations line Main Street, where several former warehouses occupying prime beachfront real estate await renovation into tourist-oriented businesses. There are a few shops along Main Street to browse through. You can also stroll down to the pier to see container ships deliver produce, mail and household goods.

Geography

Carriacou is located in the eastern Caribbean at the extreme tip of the Windward Islands, between Grenada (15 mi/24 km to the southwest) and St. Vincent. The island chain is 100 mi/161 km north of Venezuela. Carriacou is approximately 13 sq mi/20 sq km in area and consists of hilly terrain sloping down to pristine white beaches. There are several natural harbors and inlets on the island, and offshore there are coral reefs and small islets. The island nation of Grenada comprises Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

Location

Cruise ships usually drop anchor about a mile/kilometer or so offshore of Carriacou in the sweeping arc of Hillsborough Bay. From there, passengers go by smaller craft to the main pier in Hillsborough or to one of the nearby beaches. From the pier the town stretches two blocks north and three blocks south.

The Carriacou Tourist Office (phone 443-6014) is located on Patterson Street, just a block from the pier (closed Saturday and Sunday). The souvenir shops near the pier also have tourist information, and online, the Carriacou and Petite Martinique Tourism Association offers a wealth of information about both islands. http://carriacoupetitemartinique.com.

Shore Excursions

Typical tours can take you to historic and scenic highlights of the island or on a cruise to White Island, off Carriacou's south coast. Another popular day tour is visiting the Tobago Cays, a small group of uninhabited islands offering excellent snorkeling and swimming, just to the north of Carriacou, officially part of St. Vincent. Check with your travel agent or your ship's shore-excursion staff for additional information.

For some small cruise ships that visit Carriacou, the shore excursions are limited. Typically, cruise ships anchor in Grenada, spending anywhere from six to eight hours in port, and offer shore excursions to Carriacou. Given the size of the island, that should be more than enough time to explore it.