Last Updated on March 5, 2021
Each year, when the fall arrives in Boston, reminding me that winter will be here much sooner than I’m ready for it, I start thinking where to make our annual winter’s escape. I was intrigued by a Caribbean island Grenada. My husband wanted a trip that would include more boating than we usually do. So we did some research, and came to find out, that Grenada happens to be very close to St Vincent and the Grenadines, famous for its world class sailing. That meant we could combine both, and that’s exactly what we did.
We spent the first few days on the island of Grenada, before making a sailboat our home for 4 days. Even though you can easily spend a couple of weeks exploring the Grenadine islands, 4 days seemed like a good number to get a taste of living on the boat for someone who’s never done it ( that would be me 🙂 ).
Sailing St Vincent and the Grenadines
St Vincent and the Grenadines are often described as sailor’s paradise. A chain of 32 beautiful islands, only 9 of them inhabited, with many accessible only by boat. Majority of them belong to St Vincent, with a few exceptions like Carriacou that belongs to Grenada.
The Grenadines are a perfect destination for someone who appreciates a true, rustic Caribbean experience. It’s very different from the busy touristic destinations. Mass tourism does not exist there. You will not find big hotels, fancy restaurants or souvenir shops. Some islands will have a few guest houses, a couple of local restaurants, maybe a little store in town, which is always great to pick up a few provisions. It’s a great destinations for those, who don’t mind eating at a picnic table, with your flip flops on. And if you show up barefoot, it won’t matter at all.
Carriacou
Our trip started in Carriacou although we did not spend much time there. After arriving by Osprey ferry from Grenada, we made our way to Tyrell Bay to meet our boat. We had to change our original plan to start in Grenada, because of weather conditions and rough waters, which made it impossible to start there.
The little island of Carriacou is not part of the Grenadines, but actually belongs to Grenada ( along with Petite Martinique ). Thanks to the Osprey ferry, many come to Carriacou on a day trip from St George’s. The ferry schedule between Grenada and Carriacou allows for a few hours on the island ( leaves Grenada at 9 am, then leaves Carriacou back to Grenada at 3.30 pm ). One of the draws is a beautiful beach in close proximity to the ferry dock, making it easy to visit.
Petit St Vincent and Petite Martinique
After a little bit of sailing, we made our first stop in Petit St Vincent. This tiny island is privately owned and is basically one luxurious resort. But none of those giant buildings, with swimming pools and entertainment. The 22 luxurious cottages are spread across the island, so you don’t even feel like there are other people there other than you.
Once we anchored our boat, we took a swim to the shore. Our stay was not long, but we were able to enjoy a drink or two at the beautiful beach bar Goatie’s. After all, we were headed to Petite Martinique for the rest of the day and an overnight.
Petite Martinique is a bit bigger than Petit St Vincent, but still a small and very basic island. The accommodations are limited. There are a couple of stores in town, so it’s a good place to pick up some supplies for prices considerably lower than in Grenada. After stocking up on ice, beer and a few other provisions, we took a little stroll through town. We walked past a couple of cemeteries , island sheep and some stray dogs, a sight very typical for a Caribbean island.
Per our captain’s suggestion ( Petit Martinique’s native ) we ended up at Palm Beach Restaurant for dinner. The food was delicious, and the setting was perfect. Nothing beats eating fresh seafood, sitting outside under palm trees, facing the beach and the water.
Tobago Cays
Our 2nd day brought us to a stop I was looking forward to the most. After an overnight in Petite Martinique, we arrived to Tobago Cays. It’s often the highlight of St Vincent and the Grenadines sailing itineraries, due to its picture perfect turquoise waters, the remoteness and excellent snorkeling. When you looked out on the water, it was almost like it was lifted out of a fancy travel magazine. It was that perfect.
One of the great things about Tobago Cays, much like many other places in the Grenadines, is that because it’s so remote, it’s not overcrowded. Tobago Cays is a protected marine park, closely monitored by a park ranger. There is a fee they collect when you show up. For a charter boat, like ours, it was $10 per person per day.
This was our only stop where we had dinner on the boat, because there was nowhere to go 🙂 With enough provisions, that was not a problem. There are also local fisherman who approach all the boats arriving selling fresh catch of the day.
Mayreau
On our 3rd day we made our way to Mayreau. With just under 300 people living there, it’s the smallest inhabited island in the Grenadines. We anchored at Salt Whistle Bay, which has to be one of the prettiest bays out there. Postcard perfect palm lined beach, white sand and a few island dogs running around. The view from the boat was beautiful, both during the day, and later watching the sunset.
Union Island
Our last stop before returning to Grenada, was Union Island, the southernmost island in the Grenadines. Precisely Chatham Bay, where we anchored our boat. It was the biggest island out of the ones we stopped at on this trip. 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, which shows you how small most of the Grenadine islands are.
Upon arriving ashore, it didn’t take me long to find and make friends with the island’s goats and sheep. Our day was spent walking along the beach and bouncing between a couple of bars in the Bay, one of them being the popular Sandbeach bar and restaurant. Vanessa and Seckie, who run the place are quite the characters and well known. Vanessa was especially proud to show off a newspaper clipping hanging on the wall, describing Anthony Bourdain’s visit to the restaurant. The famous chef and traveler visited Sandbeach as part of one his ” No Reservation ” episodes. This one documented his Caribbean island hopping in search for the best local cuisine.
Are the Grenadines for you ?
Sailing St Vincent and the Grenadines is an amazing adventure, it might not be for everyone. Some of the islands we visited are very remote and rugged, so you have to enjoy and appreciate Caribbean islands at its most authentic. You will not find anything fancy on most of them. They do not cater to tourists. But that’s exactly why I loved them. And they were truly some of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen.
Practical info
- the currency is Eastern Caribbean Dollar ( also used in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia )
- Airports : there are a couple of options as where to fly into while coming to the Grenadines. Many fly to Barbados, and then onto Union Island on a local flight. We flew to Grenada, then took a ferry to Carriacou. You can also fly from Grenada to either Carriacou or Union Island on SVG Airline. St Vincent also just opened a new international airport.
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