One Week in Grenada and Carriacou: How to Split Seven Days

A week is the length of stay at which Carriacou stops being a rushed day trip and becomes a proper part of the holiday. The sister island is smaller, flatter and slower than the mainland, with fewer cars, more boats and a culture of its own, and two nights there change the feel of a Grenada trip completely. The challenge is fitting it in without losing a day to transfers.

This plan gives five nights to the main island and two to Carriacou, with the Carriacou leg placed in the middle of the week. That way, if the ferry is cancelled by weather or a flight changes, there is still time to adjust before your flight home. Carriacou took the full force of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024; many businesses have reopened, but confirm that your accommodation and any boat trips are running before you commit.

Getting to Carriacou: ferry or plane

Most visitors cross on the inter-island ferry operated by Osprey Lines, which leaves from the Carenage in St George's and takes around two hours to reach Carriacou, docking at Tyrrel Bay since Hurricane Beryl damaged the Hillsborough jetty, with some sailings continuing to Petite Martinique. There are usually morning and afternoon departures in each direction, but schedules change, so check the current timetable and buy or reserve tickets in advance at busy times. Arrive at the terminal 30 to 45 minutes before departure to tag luggage.

The crossing can be rough, particularly when the trade winds are strong in the first months of the year. Sitting low and towards the back of the boat, looking at the horizon and taking motion-sickness tablets before departure all help. Small-plane flights to Lauriston Airport, just south of Hillsborough, take around 20 minutes from Maurice Bishop International Airport and avoid the sea, but seats are limited and luggage allowances small. Lauriston reopened to commercial flights after Hurricane Beryl damaged its terminal; check which operator is currently flying.

Whichever way you travel, avoid placing the return crossing on the day of your international flight. A spare day on the mainland at the end of the week is the most important safeguard in this itinerary.

Days 1–2: the south-west and St George's

Day 1. Arrive, settle into a base on the south-west coast and spend the first afternoon at Grand Anse or Morne Rouge. Buy cash and groceries, and check the ferry timetable for day 3.

Day 2 morning. Explore St George's: the Carenage, Fort George, the Sendall Tunnel, the market and, if it has reopened, the National Museum. Go early, before the heat and any cruise passengers.

Day 2 afternoon. Drive up to the Grand Etang Forest Reserve for the crater lake and a short trail, stopping at Annandale Falls on the way back. In the evening, eat near your base and pack a small bag for Carriacou, leaving larger luggage with your hotel if it offers storage.

Why this order. Getting St George's and the rainforest done early means you are not trying to fit them in after Carriacou, when you may prefer a slower pace. It also puts you close to the Carenage terminal for an easy start on day 3.

Days 3–4: two nights on Carriacou

Day 3: arrival and Paradise Beach. Take the morning ferry to Carriacou, check into your accommodation and walk the short main street along the waterfront. In the afternoon, head to Paradise Beach at L'Esterre, a long, calm stretch of pale sand with Sandy Island on the horizon. Watch the sun set over the water.

Day 4 morning: Sandy Island. Take a water taxi from Paradise Beach or Hillsborough to Sandy Island, a small sand cay within a marine protected area, for snorkelling over the reef. Agree the pick-up time and price before you leave, take water and shade, and pay any marine park fee that applies.

Day 4 afternoon: around the island. Hire a taxi or driver for a few hours to circle the island: Tyrrel Bay with its yachts and mangroves, the village of Windward where traditional wooden boats have long been built by hand, and viewpoints over the Grenadines to the north. Fit in a swim at Anse La Roche if you are up for the walk down.

Evening. Carriacou evenings are quiet. Dinner by the water in Tyrrel Bay or Hillsborough, then an early night.

Days 5–7: back to the main island

Day 5: return and rest. Take the ferry or a short flight back to the main island. Spend the afternoon on the beach and collect any stored luggage.

Day 6: the north or the sea. Choose between a full-day drive to the north, through Gouyave to Sauteurs, Belmont Estate and River Antoine, or a boat day to the Underwater Sculpture Park and the west coast. If day 6 is a Friday, the drive north can finish at Gouyave's fish night, if it is running.

Day 7: departure. A slow morning, a final swim and a short drive to the airport. If your flight is late in the day, Magazine Beach and Morne Rouge are minutes from the terminal.

If the ferry is cancelled. Because Carriacou sits in the middle of the week, a cancelled crossing on day 5 still leaves day 6 to return, at the cost of the north drive. This flexibility is the reason for the order.

Common mistakes with a Grenada and Carriacou week

The combination works well when a few basics are right. Avoid these:

• Returning from Carriacou on departure day. Weather, mechanical problems or full boats can delay a crossing. Always spend the final night on the main island, close to the airport.
• Packing too much. Ferry luggage is handled by hand and small planes have strict weight limits. A small bag for two nights makes everything easier.
• Assuming card payments. Cash in Eastern Caribbean dollars is essential on Carriacou, where card machines are less common and cash machines in Hillsborough can run low.
• Not checking what has reopened. Some guesthouses, restaurants and dive shops on Carriacou have rebuilt since Beryl; others have not. Confirm before booking.
• Wasting water. Carriacou relies on cisterns and desalinated water. Short showers are expected.
• Overplanning Carriacou. The island's appeal is its slowness. Two activities a day is plenty.

Adjusting the plan to your interests

Divers and snorkellers may want to swap the north drive for a second boat day and extend Carriacou to three nights, since the reefs around Sandy Island and the Grenadines are a highlight. Walkers might replace the boat day with a guided hike to Seven Sisters Falls or Mount Qua Qua from Grand Etang, ideally in the dry season. Families with young children may prefer to stay longer at a single beach base and keep Carriacou for a future trip, or visit it as a day trip by plane rather than a long ferry ride.

Festival timing can reshape the week too. If your dates fall near the Carriacou Regatta in early August, the Maroon festival in late April or the Parang Festival before Christmas, consider building the Carriacou nights around the event, and book accommodation and transport as early as possible.

What the week costs in time and money

Adding Carriacou to a week adds two transfers and a second set of accommodation, which is the main extra cost compared with staying on the mainland. A return ferry ticket is a modest sum compared with a flight, while the small-plane option costs noticeably more; both prices change, so check current fares with the operators. On Carriacou itself, budget for taxis, since there are few hire cars and no large bus network, plus water taxis to Sandy Island and meals at small, often cash-only restaurants.

In time, the two crossings use roughly half a day each, including getting to and from the terminals. That is why the itinerary keeps only five days for the main island's sights and leaves out some longer hikes. If you want those as well, a ten-day trip is the better fit.

Frequently asked questions