Carriacou, Petit Martinique, and Tobago Cays Adventure. Grenada, West Indies.

#The Best Grenada Adventure Ever

#Must See

#You Won't Be Sorry

#Truly Paradise

#A Whole New World

#Water so Clear I can see Boat Shawdows

#Mom, Can you Believe I swam with turtles!?!

For two years, I've participated in many island tours and activities organized by the Significant Others Organization of Saint George's University.  I felt like I pretty much nailed all major tourist attractions, but with precious time running out in the beautiful Caribbean, I was eager to engage in one more big adventure.  

I immediately thought about some raves written by another SO, Kelsey Coghill, about Tobago Cays and all I can remember is her phrase, "Seriously, go tomorrow."  If you know Kelsey, you'd know about her extensive knowledge and experience with Grenada. Taking credible "Miss Grenada's" word for it, I started conjuring up a game plan.  Along with my partners in crime Yunah, Grace, and Angela...after many Google searches and phone calls, we came up with a master plan (scroll down to "Itenerary"). 

During this trip we visited Petit Martinique and Carriacou, swam with turtles, explored the ultimate gem of the Grenadines (Tobago Cays), and relaxed on a cute secluded [Happy] Island with some new down to earth friends.  Did we mention that we discovered the best Lime Pie ever?!?  

Our Journey in a Nutshell

We took a water shuttle (Osprey) from Grenada to Carriacou (~1 1/2 hrs on bigger boat going to Carriacou, Osprey express took ~2hrs from Carriacou to Grenada).  From Carriacou, we ventured out on a  private boat with Cuthbert Snagg or Snagg Tours to Tobago Cays (departed morning, arrived evening).  From Carriaco's Paradise Beach, we took a short speedboat ride (few mins) to Sandy Island.  Everything else, we took a taxi. 

We all had such an unforgettable time on this trip.  We hope you have a chance to go out and see it with your own eyes. 

Details Below

Grenada is made up of 3 islands- Carriacou (population 5,000), Petit Martinique (population 1,000), and Grenada (popultion 110,000). 

Tobago Cays is a chain of uninhabited magnificent islands. 

Tobago Cays
Source

Where is Tobago Cays in relation to Carriacou? (~40min boat ride)

*If it's not in your budget to visit Tobago Cays, Carriacou alone is worth visiting and exploring.  Though much more quiet than Grenada, Grenada, it does have many gems of its own that are totally worth seeing. 

*Hotels next to the dock on main street in "downtown" 

-Hotel Laurena - We stayed here. Laurena herself assisted us with everything and even gave us mini gift bags to take home.  Convenient location and great rates.  Laurena's Jerk center is also right next to the hotel and is probably the only eatery place that closes late night (food here similar to local food on the main island).

-Ade's Dream 

*(Must Eat) Eatery places in Carriacou

-Kayak Cafe- Good for lunch or dinner.  Sally, the chef of the restaurant has been living in Carriacou for 29 years. She's from Europe and always changes up her menu.  She even grows herbs and vegetables in her backyard for her restaurant to keep things interesting.  Lovely dinner, delicious fruit smoothies, and best LIME PIE EVER.  Located on mainstreet next to pier.

-Bogle's Roundhouses-  My Favorite Restaurant in all Grenada.  Honestly, I was happy thoughout my whole meal and by the looks of my friend's faces, they were pretty happy as well. ~ 5min drive from main street. I suggest taking a taxi. 

Our Carriacou food experiences was the cherry on top of our adventures. 

*Island Tour (on a bus) - 

We went during dry season so the island was pretty dry looking, monotonous in color.  The Island tour guide suggest taking the tour during wet season for better views.  If visiting during dry season, I would stick to visiting Carriacou's beaches and restaurants as there was nothing distinct and jaw dropping discovered on the island tour.

*Suggestions from others:

La Playa Beach Bar in Hillsborough and the Slipway in Tyrell Bay

*Day Trip to Tobago Cays- 

Destinations: Petit Martinique, pass by Petit St. Vincent, Myreau, Happy Island, Mopian, Swim with Turtles, Lunch point

Cuthbert Snagg provided us with a great tour.  He's my landlady's cousin and I love my landlady so he automatically won my trust. 

We didn't know where to go and simply requested for him to take us to the main tourist attractions.  He's really flexible so if there's a certain place you have in mind, you can definitely work it into your schedule.  

He also provides lunch for a small extra fee just in case you don't want the trouble of preparing one for yourself.  

If I were to go back, I would've requested an early return to Carriacou to catch Sandy Island (so we wouldn't have to pay extra fees for an extra speedboat).  

His boat was very reliable and best of all it had shade.  One thing I learned is you want to stick with someone who has experience and has a reliable boat just in case anything were to happen out in the open sea (which can be dangerous and intimidating at times).  

If you're prone to motion sickness, don't worry because his boat was more of a speedboat that cuts through water so you don't feel any wave rocking at all.  I'm very prone to motion sickness and did not get sick. 

The boat ride to the Cays was one of the group's highlights. We laughed and screamed the whole time as gigantic waves threw us up and down and constantly appeared to swallow us whole at time.  It was the best roller-coaster ride ever.  We thank Cuthbert for showing us a great time and keeping us safe.

If interested, call Cuthbert to work out all the details and make sure you request his bigger boat. Depending on the amount of people you have, you may find yourself with other tourist. 

Contact Information:

*Cuthbert Snagg:  1 (473) 403-2121

*Hotel Laurena: 

Tel : 1 (473) 443-8759

US Toll Free: 1 (877) 755-4386
US Local: 1 (909) 547-5047

Website

*Ade's Dream:

1 (473) 443-7317

Website

*Osprey Express:

1 (473) 440-8126

Website

*Tobago Cays Reviews on TripAdvisor

*Bogle's Roundhouses Restaurant

1 (473) 443-7841

Website

Reviews on TripAdvisor

*SVG Airlines
Feel like skipping out of the boatride?
Caribbean:  1 (800) 624-1843
Canada & USA: 1 (315) 507-8258
Website

*Kayak Cafe
Reviews on TripAdvisor

Map of Carriacou (click to enlarge or print)

Bus and Taxi Day Tour Price List (click to enlarge or print)

Places of interest in Carriacou (click to enlarge or print)

Itinerary for this 3 day, 2 night trip

DAY 1

*Depart Grenada from Carenage on Osprey Express

*Arrive Port of Carriacou

*Check in Hotel Laurena 

*Lunch at Laurena's Jerk Center

*1 Hour Island Tour

*Dinner at Kayak Cafe

DAY 2

*Day Trip to Tobago Cays (stops - Petit Martinique, Petit St. Vincent, Myreau, Mopion, Happy Island, swimming with turtles, lunch on a scenic shoreline)

*Dinner at Bogle's Roundhouses

DAY 3

*Sandy Island

*Lunch on Paradise Beach

*Depart Port of Carriacou 

Expenses (To give you an idea) 4 People 

(Thanks Grace for always keeping track of our expenses.  You're the best treasurer.)

Note: We're food fanatics so we always indulge in eating the most delicious food we can find.  We searched for eatery places everyone was raving about and choose to eat at those spots.  Well worth it!

160EC/person round trip ticket on Osprey

100EC total island tour

~150EC Taxi Fare Total (for 3 days and 2 nights)

210EC Lunch + Boat to and from Sandy Island

160EC 2 nights stay Hotel Laurena

105EC/person dinner at Bogles

70EC Breakfast + Tip at Hotel Laurena 

270EC/person Day Trip Tobago Cays

100EC/person Lunch at Laurena's and Kayak Cafe

Total per person for entire trip:

~805EC/person or $300USD

Important Tips:

-bring lots of cash, especially if you're travelling with a big group.  It will make paying for things much easier. 

-stay hydrated

-take motion sickness pills before osprey ride if you're prone.  While in motion, try staying in one place and keep your eyes on the horizon.  Boat men advise motion sickness prone people to stay up top, but if you're looking to not get sun burned, the back of the boat on the lower level is good too. 

-I didn't take motion sickness pills for my day tour to Tobago Cays and I was completely fine.

-Bring lots of good quality body and lip sunscreen and apply religiously.  All of us got sunburn everywhere, even some of our heads too.   

-don't forget to empty out your memory card, charge your battery, and  bring an underwater camera if you plan on swimming with our turtle friends

-bring your own snorkelling gear for maximum comfort

-tobago cays is so amazing. hope you don't miss out on this gem.

-make sure you go with good company.  This trip wouldn't have topped off as my all time favorite trip without the good company of my friends. 

-Your may use your Lime and Digicel cell phones in Carriacou without extra charge.

The Bigger Osprey of the 2.

This trip wouldn't have topped off as number 1 trip of all time in Grenada if not for these wonderful ladies. 

Lower Deck

Upper Deck

Port of Carriacou

Inside Carriacou tourism office.

Lunch at Lauren's Jerk Center

Jerk Chicken

Laurena's Hotel check in

Island Tour

End Island Tour

Kayak Cafe

Dinner at Kayak Cafe MmMmmm.  Lobster and Butternut squash

Waiting for  our Captain Cuthbert Snagg.  Day Trip to Tobago Cays and various islands.

The best rollercoaster ever with the best company.

Cuthbert Snagg our captain of the day.

Dock of Petit Martinique

We were fortunate to have toured around Tobago with these adorable, hilarious, beautiful women, Jean and Fran.

Mopian Island

Mopian Island

Swimming with Turtles at another island.

View from our picnic table. Eating lunch in Paradise.

Docking at Myreau Island.

Happy Island

As we were sitting and chatting amongst ourselves, Anka (below) approached us and introduced herself.  She's venturing the world with her whole family in a sailing boat.  Isn't that amazing.  To top things of, her and her friend (she randomly ran into him) totally look like Ralph Lauren models.  She has a blog of her own, you can check it out HERE.  Running into people like her is a big part of what makes life amazing. 

Friends we met at Happy Island

 Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Dinner at Bogles Roundhouses after a long and adventurous day trip to the Cays. 

Calamari

In between course tamarind slush.

Lobster

Lava Cake and Nutmeg Ice Cream

Paradise Beach 

Do you see that fine strip of white sand in between two green masses?  That's Sandy Island.

Be prepared to get splashed on the speed boat.

Sandy Island

Carriacou's Bus Terminal

Whisper Cove Marina Restaurant, Meat and Meat Butcher Shop, and Bar. Grenada, West Indies.

Whisper Cove Marina Restaurant
-Location: Clarke's Court Bay, Lower Woburn, St. George's (Not far from tire roundabout next to Gas Station Grand Anse ~5-10min drive.  I suggest taking a taxi.  Call restaurant for exact directions if you plan on driving yourself.
-Hours: Breakfast Tu-Su 9am-11am; Lunch Tu-Su 12pm-2pm; Dinner Th Fr Sa 6pm-8:30pm
-Phone: 1 (473) 444-5296
-Website + Menus

-Reviews on TripAdvisor

 Meat and Meat Market Butcher Shop
-Hours: M-Sa 8am-6pm
Su 10am-5pm
-Phone: 1 (473) 444-5296 or 1 (473) 456 7647

-Butcher's Pricelist
(They also have a location in True Blue, next to Bananas.  If you call their main shop, they will transport your order from the cove to the branch next to campus.  Also you may request for your meats to be cut certain ways).

I wish I found out about this place as soon as I landed in Grenada.  Of all Grenadian restaurants I've eaten at,  Whisper Cove Restaurant wins the award for most hearty and most American-like.  If you know Grenada at all, you know that meat isn't as common as seafood and chicken on restaurant menus... so this restaurant was a nice big surprise for my American soul.

I tried out their organic Filet Mignon steak (cooked rare) and I enjoyed it very much even considering that I'm not a meat kind of person to begin with. My husband, Brian ordered his medium and the main difference between the two was my meat was much more chewy.  If I were to order it again, I would go with medium rare for texture purposes.  Overall, nice, clean, fresh, and flavorful.  We even ran into a group of 3 other students while there and they dropped by the Meat and Meat market to load up on some vacuum sealed Filet Mignon steaks.  

I also tried out my friends Surf and Turf (Filet Mignon + Lobster) and boy was this my favorite dish.  Their lobster must have been the best tasting, best seasoned lobster I've had in all Grenada.  I hope you try it out and I hope they're consistent with their cooking.

Their starters were interesting and fresh as well, but just having the main course on its own would've been more than enough to satisfy my cravings.  Pate was very raw and gamey and the salmon + capers was just like the smoked salmon you would get in America.

For desserts, I would get the Baklava and skip out on the cheesecake.  If you visit the Red Crab, their cheesecake packs a much bigger punch.

A word of caution:  Load up on bug repellant or wear a long skirt or pants when dining at night.  They have so many mosquitoes that they give mosquito killing racquets out.  This is due to the fact that they're located right next to water.  Just as long as your protect yourself, you shouldn't be bothered by the mosquitoes.

I don't know if the whole mosquito situation is any better during daytime.  I'm sure if you call the restaurant, they will let you know.

The Restaurant has lots of cute little local art pieces on its walls.

Surf and Turf. 

Filet Mignon 

Starter: Smoked Salmon

Cheesecake and Baklava

Phillip, My Favorite Taxi Guy in all Grenada, West Indies.

Taxi and Tours 24hrs/7 days a week
Phone: 1+(473) 416-2546/458-3451
(Lives in Mont Tout next to Food Fair)

 Tours and Transportation Include (but not limited to):

Historical & Scenic Sights

Forts

Waterfalls 

Spice Gardens

Spice Plantations

Rum Distilleries 

Turtle Watching (Lavera Beach)

Fish Friday

Airport Pick Up & Drop Off

Restaurants & Hotel Pick Up & Drop Off

Wet clothes and pets welcomed. 

How I met Phillip:  

A student posted Phillip's number one day in Brian's FB class group page.  I took his number down because I'm a sucker for good service and good people (as described by student on FB).  One late, late night at ~1am, I receive a call from Brian (who has been sick of Dengue for almost a week now), asking me to come over to SGU's library to assist him to the ER clinic.  Due to muscle weakness, characteristic of  Dengue, Brian was unable to walk.  This is when I called Phillip (I remember the student notated his 24/7 services) and asked him if he could come to campus to pick us up and drop us home.  The clinic told me Brian would be ready to leave in "ten min," so I called Phillip and told him we would be ready to leave in 10.  He arrived 5 min. early and not to our surprise, the clinic says it will take another 25min.  I walked outside to tell Phillip about the postponement, and he did not show one sign of frustration and with a smile said, "That's OK, take your time."  After Brian was about ready to leave, Phillip came out of his taxi to help the nurse help transport him to his bus.  We reached home, and again, Phillip comes out of his taxi and helps me take Brian up the hill and to my place.  At the end, Phillip charged me the initial price he set before he knew about the postponement.  I was surprised that he didn't charge for extra waiting time and trouble.  I immediately knew that this would be my go-to taxi guy for my time here in Grenada.  

I write about my experience with Phillip because I think this nice guy deserves all the business in the world. He's prompt, nice, knowledgeable, dependable, and has the best deals.  He also has 12 years of experience and obtained certification from Grenada's Board of Tourism.  If you let him know that you found him through "Kat's Website," he will take extra special care of you.  I've been riding with him for so long that I lost count of how many times I've called him.  Brian likes him so much to that he has already requested for his services for when we leave Grenada for good in May. =(

P.S.  When you call him for a ride, if you ask, he will let you know in advance how much he expects for the trip you're looking to take. Also, he will let you know about how long it will take to reach you. 

Gunther Approved.

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