Things to do



a Brief Calendar of Events and Holidays in 2023

Independence Day
- February 7**
Fat Tuesday - Feb. 21
Good Friday
- April 7
Maroon Festival -April 29-May 1*     A celebration of music and local food (including big drum music). About as authentic as it gets.
Labour Day - May 1
Whit Monday - May 29
Corpus Christi - June 8
Carriacou Regatta - July 31-August 3*
Emancipation Day - August 7
Sailing Yacht Regatta - November *
Thanksgiving Day - October 25
Parang - December 16-18*
A local music festival where the lyrics are topical, political and often controversial. It has been held on the weekend before Christmas since 1977.
Boxing Day - December 26

 

 

* Due to Covid19 all the dates of local festivals are tenative

** Feb. 7 is the official holiday - on Carriacou it is celebrated on Feb 1.

 

 

Carriacou has no casinos, no glitzy nightlife, no expensive boutiques. It’s a place to get away from all that. A place to swim, hike,  snorkel, dive, sail, read, relax, refresh. (A place where Grenadians go to get away from it all.)

Swimming
    Just about the entire leeward side of Carriacou is a beach. Some are accessible only by hiking or water taxi. (In the cottage we have a guide with recommendations and telephone numbers for water taxi service.) Others are right in the middle of town. All are turquoise and calm. The following is a short overview:

Anse La Roche: Named for a huge rock where pelicans gather, Anse La Roche is a little more difficult to get to but oh so worth it. If you’re looking for the quintessential deserted beach with clear waters shown in travel magazines, this is it. (Standing neck deep, you can count your toes.) 

Hillsborough Beach: Running along the entire length of town, this is a great beach for a quick dip before shopping or lunch or even while waiting for the bus.

Paradise Beach: This is where Carriacouans (also locally called Kayaks) go to swim. Probably the finest sand on the island, this beach now has public restroom facilities. You can enjoy a beer or rum punch at the Hardwood Bar.

Tom’s Bay:  In lower Craigston, this is a pleasant private smaller cove – and it's only a  +/-10 minute walk there.

Sandy Island: This is the sandy, palm-treed crescent (shown in our picture gallery) you see from Tamarind’s patio. One of the most idyllic beaches and snorkeling spots in the Grenadines, Sandy Island is surrounded by a 5 square mile (underwater) Marine Protected Area. A favorite hangout of the sailing crowd, it’s usually fringed with sailboats. (A water-taxi can take you there.


Hiking and Nature Walks:
 In addition to the walk DOWN to Anse La
 Roche, you can also hike UP to High North,
 the highest elevation (943 ft ASL) on the
 island. Other scenic walks include:

 * Up to the hospital in Belair for a great
 view of the bay and town

 * Through the national park around the
 northern tip of the island, past Gun Point
 (which is technically part of another
 country)

* To Windward where you can take the boat to Petit Martinique (see “Visitors Guide” for schedule)

Scuba
    Among the island’s dive sites are “Magic Garden” (with underwater volcanic activity) and many acclaimed reefs. With the influx of divers from all over the world, Carriacou now has three diving facilities. The closest to Tamarind Cottage is Deefer Diving in Hillsborough.

…and Snorkeling
    White and Saline Islands: Great places to swim, these are THE best for snorkeling – actually “drift snorkeling.” You simply float along, face down, and let the water drift you over the reef. Put lots of sun lotion on your back and neck for this one.

Sailing Day Trips
    Two trips we really recommend:

  1.  Tobago Cays. This is the aerial 
    view in the picture gallery. Great swimming and snorkeling.

  2. Another day trip we recommend is to PSV (at $1200.00 per night one of the toniest resorts in the entire Caribbean), Palm Island, and Mopian (the latter an idyllic sand bar with a single thatched umbrella for shade amid aqua waters).

Other Day Trips
    If you’ve never been to Grenada, try a day trip. The best option is via SVGair. Take the morning flight down and the afternoon flight back. St George's is one of the most beautiful towns in the Caribbean, but if you tire of it, you can go to Grand Anse, another great beach with 2.5 miles of  fine sand and calm water.

Fly to Venezuela
    At present we do not recommend a trip to Venezuela.

Relax
    Phew! Just writing all this has made me tired. Which brings me to biggest reasons to visit Carriacou:  to relax and refresh. So in addition to packing swim suits, suntan lotion and hiking shoes, bring a stack of novels (or your Kindle), and your favorite piña colada recipe.

Picture Gallery
(click to enlarge)

To see a unique Carriacou custom, click here

 

 

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