Located northwest of Grenada, the tiny island of Carriacou offers its visitors a relaxed pace of life and the chance to get away from it all. Nearly all of the western side of the island is a long beach. Some stretches of sand, like Hillsborough Beach, are right in town while others, like Anse La Roche, are nearly deserted and only reachable by a hike through the forest. Paradise Beach, with some of Carriacou’s finest sand, is where most of the island’s residents go to swim. Another spectacular swimming location is Sandy Island which is surrounded by a five-square-mile underwater marine national park.
To experience life even further below the water, try some of Carriacou’s snorkeling or diving spots. The best snorkeling is said to be just off the White and Saline Islands. While floating facedown in the water and drifting with the currents, snorkelers are treated to vast array of fish, plants, and coral. With its spectacular reefs and underwater volcanic activity, Magic Garden is one of the island’s favorite scuba spots. Though there are only a few dive shops on Carriacou, PADI certified dive training is available. Travelers who enjoy sailing may wish to visit Tyrell Bay, the island’s main yacht anchorage. A number of operators offer chartered excursions around the island as well as to other local islands.
A good way to explore the island of Carriacou is on foot. Even though the island has a number of nationally protected seascapes, it has only one nationally protected park. A trek through the High North National Park will take hikers into some of the most undisturbed land in the island. With both deciduous and evergreen forests, the park contains important watersheds for the island as well as Carriacou’s highest peak. Another popular hiking destination is Gun Point, named after the British cannon which was erected in the 1780s and can still be seen today. Many of the island’s hiking trails are very steep, but hikers are often rewarded with sensational views of the surrounding region.
To see a wide variety of plants without having to trek deep into the forests, visit the Carriacou Botanical Gardens and its displays of tropical flowers and trees. Not far away is the Anglican Rectory Garden. Located in an old Beausejour Great House, this garden is known for its variety of cactus plants. Just outside Grand Bay Village lie the country’s only known fossil beds. With a number of species of prehistoric shellfish, some now extinct, the fossils beds are an important geologic site for researchers.
When originally settled, the islands of this region were home to plantations. For a short time, sugar cane was the major crop. Later, the world price of sugar declined and cotton became the main product. Over the past several decades, cotton production has tapered off as well. Today, little remains of the island’s agricultural past except for ruins of British and French plantations and windmills. The Carriacou Museum is housed in a restored cotton gin and has a number of African and Amerindian artifacts as well as exhibits that describe the British and French occupations of the islands. One of the island’s most famous artists is Canute Calliste. Drawing from experiences on the islands, some of his work can be seen in local galleries.
Carriacou has none of the huge discos, casinos, or exclusive boutiques that have become so prevalent on many other Caribbean islands. Instead, there are a number of small restaurants which serve West Indian, European and French Creole cuisine. A few local night clubs occasionally have live music. Most evenings, however, many island residents gather at the neighborhood rum shop to share stories or play dominoes.
With little of the commercialization and congestion of many nearby islands, the Carriacou lifestyle has been described as "authentic Caribbean." The gentle breezes, sandy beaches, and relaxed pace of life make the island a wonderful destination to get away from the hectic pace of everyday life.
