Here is a short Carriacou Review by Oliver Gray from Winchester, UK.

Sandy Island from Paradise Beach

We visited Carriacou seven years ago and dreamed of going back but never thought we’d have the chance. Here is the original article written back then.

Anyway, last week, we got the chance to revisit. We took the Osprey on a glorious day and found that nothing had changed, indeed, if anything, the vibe was even better. We spent a few hours on the aptly-named Paradise Beach and I swear the roti we had in the Hard Wood Café tasted better than the most expensive gourmet meal imaginable.

The Crowds on Paradise Beach

The only disappointment was that the fabulous Callaloo By The Sea Restaurant has closed down. Otherwise, the trip was confirmation (and we are very widely travelled) that Carriacou is the most beautiful place in the world.

by D & I Shippee
(New England)

1. Paradise Beach – Paradise Beach is it!! It is worth a day trip or a couple nights away to look at what the Caribbean really still is.!!!!
2. Sandy Island – Take a boat from the Paradise Beach bar {Hardwood} out to Sandy Island. You can depend on them to come back and get you. It’s a great snorkel and a beautiful private beach.
3. Hardwood Bar & The T-Shirt Shop – These two alone are worth the trip, {also on Paradise Beach}.
4. Island Tour – Take a ride around the island and return on the afternoon ferry!
5. Brian’s – Brian’s in Hillsborough serves a good pizza for lunch!
6. Main Street Deli – The Deli on Main Street is a great find. If you are staying on Carriacou, you need to stop in here. The other grocer’s in Hillsborough are extremely helpful, you may need to stop at a few places to find what you need, but they have plenty.

Look around……..it is a great place!

Laurena Hotel…Carriacou’s Best Peas Soup?

Watching to my two friends chow down, and rave about their Peas Soup at Laurena Hotel I felt like I had definitely missed out on something special. I love a good Peas Soup, but that day I had to be carefully about what I put into the old stomach…

So how did we end up at Laurena Hotel? Well, a few hours after loosing my breakfast (translation: I puked (vomit) my guts out) on the Osprey Ferry from Grenada to Carriacou, the hunger daemons launched an all out attack. By then I had recovered, but I was ready to eat an entire kitchen. Lucky for me, our friend from Carriacou took us to Laurena Hotel for a late lunch and saved the day.

Laurena Hotel Restaurant?

As Carriacou Restaurants go, this hotel Restaurant is typical. It’s a small operation, and in this case I won’t be surprised if they cater mainly to their hotel guests. Our friend new the staff, so ordering was all very informal… no menus. The cook told us what she can prepare given ourtight schedule ( Osprey Ferry leaves soon), and we made our selections.

The bartender, and the cook were all very friendly, the manager came across a little reserved, but was polite.

The dining room, and restrooms were also tidy and clean. Overall is a nice place, but if I am looking for ambiance and more atmosphere I will check out another Carriacou Restaurant.

Here are a few pictures:

The guys with the bartender and manager, ordering drinks.

The guys with the cook figuring out… What’s for lunch?

Another view of dining area, spacious, and tidy

Peas Soup and Red Snapper

The food was a different story, right up there with any Carriacou Restaurant I’m sure. True Carriacou cuisine, with all the flavors. We ordered two items from the menu, I had the steamed Red Snapper, and like I told you, the boys had The Peas Soup. If you’ve never had a Peas Soup island style, you are missing out. Here is another photo of Laurena’s Hotel version of a Carriacou Peas Soup:

Ahhh Yummy, Yummy…

The guys said that it “hit the spot” so to speak, especially the dumplings and salted beef/pork. I must admit it looked very tempting, and the aroma was even better, but I had to pass. I was not confident that it would stay down on my return ferry ride to Grenada.

I convinced myself that The Red Snapper was more solid, and should withstand the impending waves. And it did !!! The Red Snapper (below) can look a little scary if you are not use to Caribbean home cooked meals. It was seasoned to the bone, and quite delicious. It also came with vegetable rice, stewed pumpkin, steamed plantains, lettuce and tomatoes.

So I give Laurena Hotel high marks for taste. Next time you are in Carriacou go sample their offerings, and hopefully you will have a similar experience like ours. And do let me know how you like it.

How to Find them?

I can’t recall which street in Hillsborough they’re on, but just ask anyone. Carriacou is very close knit, everybody knows everybody. Here is a photo of the hotel, so you know what to expect.

Laurena Hotel, outside view. The restaurant is on the first level

5 other things, to do and See in Carriacou

1. General Carriacou Information
2. Carriacou Tour
3. Paradise Beach
4. Callaloo Restaurant
5. Carriacou Pictures

Return from Laurena Hotel Restaurant to Grenada Restaurants

Return to Grenada Beaches Home

Take a short ferry ride north towards the Grenadines, and you will find Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada’s sister islands. It’s a fun day trip that you should consider taking.

First, you will enjoy Grenada’s scenic western coast, and then you get to relax one of Carriacou’s fantastic beaches. Paradise Beach is a favorite. Also I recommend having lunch at Callaloo Restaurant, and a swim on it’s adjacent beach. Here are a few pictures…

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Click here to read more about things to do and see in Carriacou

Look for more pictures of Carriacou at The Grenada Pictures Gallery

Callaloo Restaurant has Closed its Doors. A great loss. I’ll update if and when they reopen.

Go to Callaloo Restaurant was the reply from the gentleman sitting next to us on the Osprey Ferry when I asked about good Carriacou restaurants.

When I walked into the Carriacou Tourist Information Center I asked the same question, and I got the same answer … Callaloo Restaurant.

And finally when I askedour friendly Carriacou Tour Guide Norbert about Callaloo Restaurant he too agreed that it’s a great choice.

So Norbet dropped us off in front of Callaloo Restaurant, and when we walked in we were greeted by an inviting ambiance.

Before we asked to be seated, I decide to see if they would pass my sanitation test.

A good rule of thumb for any restaurant is this:

If the restroom is clean and pleasing to you, then most likely you can expect similar standards in the kitchen.

The Mens Restroom at Callaloo Restaurant exceeded my expectations.

The Beach View

They weren’t kidding when the named the restaurant Callaloo by The Sea it sits right on a beautiful strip of Carriacou white sand beach. We of course sat on the patio to take advantage of the amazing view, listen to the waves, and just relax in this Carriacou restaurant.

Look at the view of this Carriacou Beach from Callaloo Restaurant

Lunch Menu

The lunch menu was quite affordable even including the (10% service charge and a standard 8% government charge), and it looked great. Here are a couple things on the menu

• Callaloo Soup (but of course)
• Fish Fingers
• Spiced Wing Ding: chicken wings in homemade hot spicy fruity ding sauce
• Fish (Chicken or Lambie (Conch) ) Grenadine Lunch
• Fish (Chicken or Lambie (Conch) ) and Chips with salad
• And more …

Yum Yum It’s Food Time…

We skipped breakfast that morning rushing to catch the Osprey Ferry, so we were hungry and made our selections quickly.

I had the Lambie Grenadine Lunch (with potatoes)

Mia had the Fish Grenadine lunch with rice

and Ryian deciding this time to stick to her American heritage-she had the Chicken and Chips (French Fries).

The food arrived in typical Grenadian style. As you can see the salads were included on the plate right along with the rest of the food. That is very typical in Grenada and no surprise at this Carriacou Restaurant. So if you don’t like that be sure to ask your server to separate them.

Also if you do not specifically ask for the salad dressing that you want, don’t be surprise if you receive your salad with a dressing already on it. This did not happen at Callaloo Restaurant, but it’s a heads up just in case you are picky about those things.

Our food was delicious…

As you can see Mia polished off her Grenadine Fish

But Ryian was a little disappointed. We all were surprised when her chicken and chips (fries) showed up with stewed brown chicken instead of fried chicken. She enjoyed it, but really would have preferred fried chicken.

Maybe they were out of Fried chicken, and substituted it with Stewed Chicken (without asking?)… or maybe that’s the Carriacou restaurant version of Chicken and Chips … who knows?

So if you are planning to order chicken and Chips it would be a good idea to first find out how the chicken is prepared.

And if you do try it please let us know if it was any different, and if you liked it.

Two Thumbs Up??

We certainly think so. Callaloo restaurant was a good choice, and a nice experience. If it wasn’t for Paradise Beach, we might have just wind down our Carriacou Day Trip right here with a couple drinks. Plan to visit this Carriacou Restaurant when you are there, you won’t regret it.

Do Know of a Better Carriacou Restaurant??

As much as I liked Callaloo Restaurant I am a sucker for trying out new places. So if you think you know a better or equally good Carriacou Restaurant I want to know about it. You can share your favorite Carriacou Restaurant Story right here… tell us what you liked and share your mouth watering pictures for all to see.

Return from Callaloo Restaurant by the Sea to A Day Trip to Carriacou

Return from Callaloo Restaurant by the Sea to Grenada Beaches Home

Just when you thought your Grenada Vacation could not get any better, enter Carriacou and Petit Martinique… Grenada’s sister islands in the famous Grenadines, only a short ferry ride away.

That means YOU get to kill three birds with one stone, or rather enjoy three islands for the price of one.

Carriacou appeals to a different kind of tourist… the kind that expects an island to be an island. No extra frills or thrills, just all natural, laid back, and people that are easy to talk to.

The thing with this little gem is that more and more visitors continue to discover it; some return year after year, but it almost seems like many choose to keep this their little secret.

On one of our vacations in Grenada we planned a day trip to Carriacou. On this page you will find links to our little adventure… and hopefully it would persuade you to make Carriacou a part of your vacation.

Getting to Carriacou… Ferry, Fly, or Sail

Getting to Carriacou is quite easy. Here are three options, which one you choose depends on your preferences, the length of your vacation, or the length of your pockets.

• Ferry - This is the best bang for your bucks. It’s the cheapest of the three, it’s a quick one and a half hours, and you get to enjoy the entire western coast of Grenada. This was the option we chose for our fun day in Carriacou. Click here to see what we thought about traveling on the Osprey Ferry to Carriacou.
• Fly - This is off course the quickest … about 20 minutes total. If time is critical and you are comfortable flying in a very small craft, go with this option. I happen to love flying over the Grenadines on these tiny aircrafts, they fly low and the views are spectacular.
  There were about 2 – 3 flights per day between Point Salines International in Grenada and Lauriston Airport in Carriacou. But they were reduced to only one, so check with a travel agent or the airport authorities before you settle on this option.
• Sail - This is the most expensive but the most exclusive. Sailing in Grenada is fun especially up to the Grenadines. If you have the time and it fits into your budget this can be a great option … just get in touch with one of the Yacht Charters and set sails for Carriacou

Getting Around in Carriacou

The main mode of public transport is the local bus. There are of course car rentals, but if you are doing a day trip, time would be short so I would definitely recommend using the public transport. The bus drivers are very knowledgeable about the island, and would take you to the beach, or wherever for a couple dollars.

A better option … the one we took was to hire a local bus, and do an island tour. This turned out to be a great choice. It’s affordable, exclusive, and you get to see all the fun sites and villages. Take a look at our Carriacou tour, and meet our good friend and guide Norbert, who took excellent care of us.

Carriacou Restaurants

Carriacou has its fair share of restaurants, and local carry out joints. On a day trip you will have time for at least lunch at one of the good restaurants. We certainly did, and loved every minute of it. Click here to see the Carriacou Restaurant where we had lunch.

Carriacou Beaches

Carriacou has many beautiful beaches, some argue even more beautiful than Grenada. We got a tease of the most popular beach. It was only a tease because our time was short, (yours might be too) and we crammed in as many things as we could in that short time. But nothing prevents you from spending all day on the beach if that’s your thing. Click here to see our short but sweet time on this Carriacou beach.

What’s Your Carriacou Travel Story

We had an absolute great time on Carriacou but it was just too short (so sad). We seriously considered missing the return ferry, and just over nighting to enjoy some more of Carriacou. But in the end we chickened out, and decided to leave it for our next visit.

Help us discover Carriacou’s treasures for our next visit… share your best Carriacou tips, stories, and magic moments

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Click below to see contributions from other visitors…

• Callaloo Restaurant’s Heavenly Soup
  How nice to happen upon this website….

  I have to tell you I always like to see how well a cafe or stand does with their Roti’s and some make Callaloo …

• Missing Carriacou, Friends and Family for 10 years
  My name is Magdalene, I love going back to Carriacou to visit my family which includes my two beautiful children Kirstine and Latoya.

  What was I …

• 6 Fun Things to Do in CarriacouParadise Beach – Paradise Beach is it!! It is worth a day trip or a couple nights away to look at what the Caribbean really still is.!!!!
  Sandy …
• Paradise Beach… Beach of Heavan
  Paradise beach is lovely. We had such good fun we didn’t want the day to end. We walked all around the beach, played games, and we did a lot of swimming….

I’ve put together this Carriacou information page so you can find the little but important things that you want to know when traveling here. It should save you the headache of sifting through a bunch of information about Carriacou … and allow you to focus on what matters most: Planning your Vacation.

The best source of Carriacou information when you are on the island is the Tourist Information Office, located on Main Street in Hillsborough (It’s right at the entrance to the Jetty, in front of the bus “terminal”). But since you just got to get that question answered now …

Here are answers to questions that visitors just like you have about traveling to Carriacou.

What’s the spoken language? – It’s English, but just like in Grenada, and all the other English speaking Caribbean islands sometimes you will question if what you heard was indeed English.

Islanders talk quite fast, with their unique accent, so you will have to listen fast. But all jokes aside, most locals will slow done when speaking to visitors, some will even go the extra mile, and try to adopt a foreign accent to help build rapport faster (Now that’s extra mile service).

What’s the Currency? – The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is the official currency. And Uncle Sam Greenbacks (US Dollars) are also welcomed. Exchange rate is US$1.00 = EC$2.68

What about ATM/Banking? – There are have two ready to serve you:

• First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB) Main Street, Hillsborough, Carriacou WI Tel: (473)-443-9005
• Republic Bank Main Street, Hillsborough, Carriacou WI Tel: (473)-443-7289/7896

I used my Bank of America Visa Check card at Republic Bank’s ATM with no problem. That’s safer than traveling to Carriacou (or anywhere for that matter) with a pocket full of cash.

How do I call back home? – The telephone network is quite reliable. International direct dial, or credit card charged calls are available.

What about Internet Access? Most likely your hotel, or Villa will have an internet connection. Also there are Internet Cafes in Hillsborough.

Can I use my electrical devices in Carriacou? If you are from a country that uses 220 volts/50 Hz that you are fine. If you use 110 volts like in the USA, then you need a transformer, to prevent damaging your device. You may also need an 13 amp, 3 prong socket adapter.

What kind of temperature can I expect? – It’s a steady 27-32 degrees Celsius (80-85 degrees Fahrenheit), the cool sea breeze makes sure it’s never humid.

Speaking of temperature it might also interest you to know that there are only two seasons: the dry season from January to May and the rainy season from June to December. Carriacou goes through a total transformation: It gets all brown in the dry season, and returns all green in the rainy season.

What should I wear? Throw on some Flip Flops (rubber slippers), shorts, and T-Shirt, and you are good to go. Keep in mind that nudity is against the law, and swim wear worn off the beach can be considered offensive.

What about Medical Services in Carriacou? Make a note of the following:

• Princess Royal Hospital, Belair, Carriacou W.I Tel: (473)-443-7400
• Windward Health Clinic, Windward, Carriacou WI Tel: (473)-443-6425
• Hillsborough Health Clinic, 2nd Avenue, Hillsborough, Carriacou WI Tel: (473)-443-9198

Note: None of these facilities are equipped to handle major health issues. Your next higher level of health care would be at one of the larger islands such as Barbados, Martinique or Grenada.

If you have a question that’s not answered on this Carriacou information page. Please send it to me using the form below. I will email to you the Carriacou information you requested, and also post the question and answer here for everyone’s benefit.

Or maybe you don’t have a question, but you do have a helpful tip, then please consider sharing it with others by also submitting it in the form below.

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Grenada to Carriacou and back on the Osprey Ferry

I lived in Grenada for over 21 years, and never visited Carriacou by sea, … not until the Osprey Ferry. Back in the days Carriacou by see was a adventure I could not stomach. Four hours on a wooden vessel, passage over the underwater volcano “kick ‘em Jenny”, and vomit flying all over was just not my cup of tea.

While in the US I heard about the Osprey Ferry, and its ability to travel Carriacou to Grenada in under two hours (ninty minutes). Now finally Carriacou by sea felt much more appealing.

In December 2005 I boarded the Osprey Ferry on the Carenage in St. George’s Grenada for a fun day trip to Carriacou

Osprey Schedule

The Osprey ferry departs Grenada for Carriacou twice daily 9:00AM, and 5:30PM, and also departs Carriacou twice daily 6:00AM and 3:30PM.

If you want to catch the Osprey Ferry then know this: these guys do not do Island Time. You might get lucky if boarding is slow but dont count on it. We arrived early at 8:30AM, got an easy park right next to the ferry, bought our tickets and boarded. By 9:00AM everyone was on board and we were underway by 9:15AM.

Osprey Rates

Carriacou to Grenada round trip cost us $140 per person. One way is $70 per person. For Children [12 & under] it’s $80.00 round trip and $40 one way. All rates are quoted in Eastern Caribbean currency. Note: prices may have changes since this writing, so call them for details.

Osprey Accommadations

This was the biggest surprise for us. I certainly did not expect the Ferry to be so accommmadating. You will feel more comfortable aboard Osprey than most airlines.

	I spent most of my time up top. Nothing beats the fresh air and the smell of the sea. In fact the little time I spent below made be notious. My friend calls the bottom level the vomit chamber. But the ride was mostly smooth going, and coming so gladly it did not live up to its name
	The lower level is the safest place to be and if you are traveling with kids you would want to make sure that they remain here. Otherwise maintain close supervision if they venture to the upper level. I saw several life vests, but none were distributed so the policy appears to be an “in case of emergency” only.
	There is a small area to the stern (back) where coffee and I think beverages are sold.

Photos from Osprey

The carenage and the western coast of Grenada is beautiful and you can get some great photos from up top.

For all the great views, the affordability, the speed, and convenience, traveling to Carriacou with the Osprey Ferry is one of the best ways to go.

Guided Carriacou Tour… The Fun Way to See Carriacou

A Carriacou tour with a good Carriacou guide is the fun and quick way to explore this lovely island. With only four hours to spare on the island I knew a do it yourself tour was a time waster. On the other hand a guided Carriacou tour can take us through the villages and key sites; and still give us the option for lunch, and a quick dip on a Carriacou beach. So that’s exactly what we did.

When we stepped off the Osprey Ferry we walked right into the Tourist Information Center. It’s a direct walk from the Jetty to the doors of the Tourist Information Center-you can’t miss it.

Our Ferry about to dock at Jetty at Hillsborough Carriacou

All the Carriacou information you want you can get from this office. We gathered some maps, and a few brochures, and asked the officials for any extra tips that would make the day a winner. They endorsed our idea of an island tour, but suggested that a half island tour would be better.

This would put us back in Hillsborough in time for lunch at a Carriacou restaurant , and maybe even a swain on paradise beach, before our Ferry departed. They also told us that we can expect the tour to cost about EC$90 (about US$33) and last about two hours.

No sooner we stepped out of the Tourist Information center, we were approached in a very professional, and polite manner by Norbert (pictured left).

He asked us what we wanted to do and offered to give us a guided tour of the northern part of Carriacou.

We decided immediately that he was the one to guide our Carriacou tour.

Here are a few pictures of the places we visited on our half day Carriacou tour with Norbert.

Belair

On any Carriacou tour one of the key stops is Belair. If you have seen any pictures of Carriacou you have probably seen it from this vantage point. Belair is the sight of the Carriacou hospital, and it overlooks the town of Hillsborough.

The view of Hillsborough the capital of Carriacou, from Belair

The Cannons at Belair

The donation box. Norbet said the funds are used to help out the local hospital.

Mia and Ryian pose with the Big Gun

What is he doing to that Cannon?…

Windmill Runs. A protected site, a relic from Carriacou’s past. We came across this one when we left Belair through a back road.

Petit Martinique

Petit Martinique is the other major island that belongs to Grenada. It sits off to the north east of Carriacou. Norbert pulled up in this great spot so we can take pictures of the island. Maybe next time we will take the ferry to Petit Martinique.

Petit Martinique in the distance

Ryian and Petit Martinique

Nearby Carriacou village & more of the Grenadines

Right across from where we were standing, there were what looked like Aloe plants to Ryian. And she insisted that she just had to leave there with a sample. It was a struggle that lasted several minutes.

Victory Finally!!. Thanks to the kindness of Norbert, and his knife

Mia enjoying the view of Petit Martinique & The Grenadines

Onward to Windward …

Windward is a village rich in the history of Carriacou boat building. Norbert explained that many of the villagers in windward actually have Scottish roots.

Made in Carriacou boats

More homemade Carriacou boats

Lots of Cows, Goats, Sheep and green pastures

The site of a tragedy. This is a memorial for those who died when a mine drifted ashore, and exploded.

Windward Fishermen

View of Union Island another member of the Grenadines. This one belo
ngs to St. Vincent.

Norbert … Our Only Carriacou Tour Guide

Our Carriacou tour was delightful; we learned so much about Carriacou and its people; and totally fell in love with the spectacular scenery. Most of all we felt absolutely safe with Norbert.

A typical half day Carriacou tour would normally last about one and a half hours, but ours lasted well over two hours. And it would have gone on longer if we did not ask Norbert to hurry back, so we can have lunch at Callaloo Restaurant, and visit Paradise Beach.

Norbet did not even charge us for all the extras he threw in, like bringing us to a shop where we got great deals on liquor (try the black wine). He more than earned very penny of that great tip we left him.

So when you come to Carriacou if you need someone to take you around just look for The Gemini Bus (that’s his birth sign … and mines too), or ask anyone for Norbert-he’ll take good care of you.

Now It’s Your Turn

Did you have an amazing Carriacou tour also? Was it a Guided Carriacou Tour or did you just backpack Carriacou? Well you can tell us all the interesting details about your time on Carriacou right here.

Return from Carriacou Tour to A Fun Day Trip To Carriacou