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