Background
Seeing and Eating

Click here for a quick overview of the Web Site

NOVA Class Home Page

Many visitors choose to spend some time on Grenada's sister islands, Carriacou (pronounced Carr-yacoo) and Petit Martinique. The two islands are part of the Grenadines, a chain of coral and volcanic islands between Grenada and St. Vincent. Carriacou, with a population of 7,000, is the largest.

It is much less mountainous than Grenada, which means that any cloudy or rainy weather clears much quicker. With an area of 13 sq. miles, it is the largest of the Grenadines. It lies 23 miles NE of Grenada; 2½ miles further NE is Petit Martinique, which is separated by a narrow channel from Petit St Vincent, the southernmost of St Vincent's Grenadine dependencies. Efforts are being made by the Government to curb contraband and drug smuggling in Carriacou.

An opposition proposal has been put forward to make the island a free trade zone, or to allow it to secede from Grenada.

Carriacou’s name is derived from an old Amerindian word meaning, "land of many reefs." Carriacou is best known for its relaxed atmosphere, its many dive sites and deserted offshore islets, and its unique African cultural traditions, as well as for boat building. These attributes make Carriacou ideal for the discerning traveler in search of beautiful white beaches, friendly people and a laid-back, unspoiled environment. The Historical Museum in Hillsborough and the Belair hills, ruins and nature trails are among the island's key attractions.

There are no high-rise hotels; rum shops and goats outnumber cars; and making dinner reservations usually means stopping at one of the island's few restaurants in the morning and asking if the cook is working that night. Visitors, who have included writer William F. Buckley, Jr., and members of London's Royal Shakespeare Company, tend to keep to themselves - perhaps afraid of spoiling the islands too-good-to-be-true serenity by openly raving about it.

Some satisfy their get-away-from-it-all goal on a one-day trip to Carriacou from Grenada, snorkeling in the iridescent waters of nearby Sandy Island and lolling on one of the countless palm-shaded beaches for an hour or two. Others can easily spend weeks of willful abandonment on the 13-mile-long island, touring the lush mountainous interior, watching schooners and yachts drift in and out, and "liming" with locals over shots of Jack Iron rum.

Carriacou Driving Map

 BACKGROUND

Though only 25km long, Carriacou has several quite distinct cultural influences, thanks to its early settlers. English is spoken in the capital, Hillsborough, and French in the south. Carriacou has retained much of its culture, including specific African identities - Ibo, Mandinka and Kongo among many others. This wonderful blend that makes up their heritage has produced a wealth of fascinating customs and traditions, not least exuberant dances such as the Big Drum Dance. This dance is still performed at weddings, boat launchings, funerals, and housewarmings. Dancers dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes celebrate the harvest of the sea by moving to the rhapsodic beat of conga drums and "chac chac" rattles. Straight out of Africa, Big Drum is also performed at the annual August boat regatta, which draws serious sailors from all over the Grenadines for four days of racing and festivities.

Descendants of Scottish immigrants are also prominent, especially in the town of Windward. Whatever their heritage, the islanders go about their business seemingly undisturbed by the tourists. Their legitimate pursuits are fishing, farming and building wooden boats, but it’s widely believed that many islanders are involved in the lucrative business of smuggling. Much of this contraband trade is undertaken to avoid Grenadian taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, furniture and other household goods. Some speculate that drugs may have also become part of the black-market commerce. Though far from legal, this activity has not resulted in any dangerous incidents for visitors.

The island's profile is marked by two high points of almost 1,000 feet, at the north and south ends of the island, with a wooded ridge running between them. Numerous small settlements stud the landscape. Red flamboyants and creamy white frangipani blossom among the mahoganies, acacias, sea almonds, and cacti. While it is at the sea, with its exquisite spectrum of blues, that makes Carriacou a holiday destination (the name is said to come from the Carib for "land surrounded by reefs"), the island's rich heritage, still evident today, is what makes it distinctive.

An impressive number of Amerindian artifacts have been found here, (recently a dig in Harvey Vale uncovered several complete human skeletons, burial masks, a drinking well and other remnants leading speculation toward a 1,000+ year old Taino site) including ceramic body ornaments and loom weights. Roads built by the French in the seventeenth century, now bowered by overreaching trees, crisscross the island and make wonderful walking trails. The cotton, sugar, and indigo plantations established by the English in the 1700s and 1800s may be long gone, but there still remain their great houses and outbuildings (in various stages of repair) in cow pastures and trackless woodlands. And in the Village of Windward, you can watch men with Scottish surnames build schooners the way their 19th-century forefathers did. But it is the island's African ancestors, who picked the cotton and crushed the cane, who have left the most vibrant legacy here -- the traditions and beliefs that define this remarkable island.

Hillsborough, Carriacou's one town, has an unprepossessing Main Street: some storefronts are empty, paint is peeling on others. But take a closer look and you will see its history in the stone and shingled buildings, balconied second floors, and the beautiful, dressed-stone remains of a lime warehouse, being carefully and conscientiously salvaged in an overgrown lot.

Carriacouans are industrious and most are self-employed, announcing their services in hand-lettered signs: They fix tires, make furniture, print menus, shoot passport photos, straighten ladies' hair, and record music, all in the span of just a couple blocks. The island's architecture shows both whimsy and practicality and says a lot about island life. Hand-sawn fretwork and hand-chipped stone embellish simple houses whose jalousied or glassless windows let in the cool tradewinds. Planters, recycled from plastic buckets, trim cottage stoops, and front yards are furrowed into rows of corn and pigeon peas. Though many of the islanders don't have much in terms of material goods, they express well being. You will see babies delighting in their morning sea bath, men playing earnest games of soccer on the beach, and nighttime gatherings at the crossroads for conversation.

Carriacouans also like to celebrate: "Fisherman's Birthday" is a once-a-year, three day fête at which everyone seems to join in the swimming races, tug-of-war, domino games, and dancing. For Carnival, villagers competitively recite Shakespeare, and at weddings, four-piece bands play for intricate quadrilles which spouse will dominate. Even a foreboding dream may be a cause for a festival: To avoid a drastic event a "Maroon" is held with "smoke food," hymns, and the playing of Big Drums.

Nonetheless, Carriacou is on most days a quiet place where you get up with the sun and go to bed with the moon's rising. Time has no meaning; thermometers do not exist. Cows cool themselves on the beach and braying donkeys graze at roadsides. And though Canute Caliste's naive paintings have been internationally recognized, he is proudest of his 23 children and more than 200 grandchildren.

The airstrip at nearby Lauriston Airport, where nine-seat commuter planes fly in from Grenada several times a day, doubles as the island's main road. (A loud siren sounds when a plane is about to land, but a sign at the gate advises drivers to look in both directions before crossing.)

To catch up on the latest news, islanders rely on word of mouth or they head toward the town of Harvey Vale, where a makeshift chalk board on a grassy corner informs them of the Grenada Senate's latest vote and other recent happenings. Just beyond the chalkboard, Carriacou's most famous citizen provides his own colorful interpretations of island events. Canute Caliste, a 78-year-old folk artist and lifelong island resident, lives with his wife and dozens of children and grandchildren in a cluster of simple stilted cabins on a hillside overlooking the sea. His primitive paintings, originally done in house paint until a visitor sent him acrylics, capture Carriacou and its traditions through eyes that have seen no other world. Recurring themes include the graceful quadrille dance (for which Caliste plays the violin), a mythical mermaid that he says he sees in his garden, and the artist's version of the White House in Washington, D.C. (actually a simple guesthouse in Hillsborough).

Not only do Carriacouans have their own brand of humor, they also have their own vocabulary list. A local guidebook offers translations for a hundred-odd words, so the visitor will "better understand the locals." Some examples: a sea bath is a swim, a transport is a taxi or bus, and to have tabanca is to be in love. Even the delicate pink flowers that permeate Carriacou's roadsides and hills have a local name. "We call them dead vines," says Lincoln Raymond, a taxi driver. "Because they grow in all the cemeteries."

A quick detour to Belair Point, high on a hill above the village of Bogies, yields spectacular views of Hillsborough and the western coastline. A local recounts a recent emergency at the nearby Princess Royal Hospital. A pregnant woman with labor complications needed to be flown to Grenada for immediate medical attention. But it was late at night and Carriacou's airport has no lights on the airstrip, so the mini-van drivers were called out of bed to illuminate the runway with their headlights.

CARRIACOU'S SIGHTS AND ATTRACTIONS

Carriacou's obvious attractions are the gorgeous waters - clear, warm, with white-sand seafloors, and there are always local boat operators willing to take you to the many nearby, uninhabited off-islands if you have already taken the time to explore the beaches around the island itself. The close-in reefs abound with fairy basslets and stoplight parrotfish, even queen triggerfishes and schools of squid. Extensive coral beds that a snorkeler can reach from the beach provide hours of enjoyment. Explore the island and find the santa maria trees whose fragrant leaves are used in herbal remedies. Walk the often sylvan roads and trails. Greet the women in their gardens, children wheeling hand-made toys, young men playing soccer in the road. Always take plenty of water and don't pass-up one of the 100 rum shops where you can get - besides rum and conversation - beer and sodas.

Those who want absolute peace will be satisfied with the island’s limited activities—bird watching, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and swimming—should stay at least two days. The few family-run hotels on the island are comfortable and affordable, though they are basic and have no fancy amenities. Nightlife is pretty down to earth, but there are 125 bars on the island (and it’s a small island). The entertainment in most establishments consists of watching people and drinking jackiron, a strong rum concoction (drink too many of these and you will be the entertainment). Some of the hotels have live bands on the weekends.

In Hillsborough, the main town, tour the Carriacou Museum (Native American and European artifacts) and wander down to the pier to see island boats deliver mail, produce and household goods.

The market is around the pier in here too; it comes alive on Monday when the produce is brought in Hillsborough. Food is limited in variety, especially fresh vegetables, but according to season you can get onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers etc from Grenada. 'Jack Iron' rum (180° proof) is a local hazard, it is so strong that ice sinks in it. It is distilled in Barbados but bottled in Carriacou; it costs around EC$10 per bottle and is liberally dispensed on all high days and holidays (fairly liberally on other days too).

The Carriacou Historical Society Museum on Paterson Street in Hillsborough has exhibits from Amerindian settlements in the island and from later periods in its history. The museum is made from the ruins of part of an old cotton ginnery restored to a 1826 style museam. The woman who runs it is the daughter of Canute Calliste, and can tell you about the Arawak ruins on the island, open Mon-Fri, 0930-1545, Sat 1000-1600. The Carriacou Historical Society Museum on Paterson Street in Hillsborough has exhibits from Amerindian settlements in the island and from later periods in its history. The museum is made from the ruins of part of an old cotton ginnery restored to a 1826 style museam. The woman who runs it is the daughter of Canute Calliste, and can tell you about the Arawak ruins on the island, open Mon-Fri, 0930-1545, Sat 1000-1600.

The local painter, has his studio at L'Esterre. His naive style captures the scenes of Carriacou (kite flying, launching schooners, festivals); a collection of his paintings have been published in a book by MacMillan, he is also an accomplished violinist and performs the quadrille, a dance which is part of the island's cultural heritage.The local painter, has his studio at L'Esterre. His naive style captures the scenes of Carriacou (kite flying, launching schooners, festivals); a collection of his paintings have been published in a book by MacMillan, he is also an accomplished violinist and performs the quadrille, a dance which is part of the island's cultural heritage.

There are also ruined plantations. On Hospital Hill, Belair, NE of Hillsborough, there is an overgrown old sugar Mill, stunning views. There is good walking on the back roads and the woods are teeming with wildlife such as iguanas.

The Botanical Gardens display an interesting selection of exotic, tropical plants and flowers - naturally refreshing.

Off-shore of Hillsborough harbour is the beautiful Sandy Island where a spectacular coral reef shelters myriads of variegated tropical fish. There are boat trips to Sandy Island and saunters to a private beach 200 feet downhill. Ideal for picnics, this tiny island has been used as the backdrop for television and magazine advertisements.

North of Hillsborough is the Belair Estate, the ruins of an old plantation. Belair is considered a definite 'must-see' in Carriacou, located in the north central part of the island, 719 feet above sea level. It affords the most spectacular views south to Grenada and north up the Grenadines, and during the People's revolutionary Government it was an army camp. Belair has both French and English ruins; there you will see a sugar mill and windmill which are counted among the finest in the Caribbean.

The towns of Windward, on the eastern coast, and Tyrell Bay, on the southwest coast, are centers for boatbuilding (wooden schooners are their specialty). If you stop and ask, a boatbuilder will usually be happy to explain his craft. Tyrell Bay is also a popular yacht anchorage. Tyrell Bay has a superb white sand beach as well as a sheltered harbour to provide safe anchorage. A short boat ride away will reveal the oyster growth emerging from the roots of mangrove.

Take a drive to the heights adjoining the Hospital where you'll be rewarded with spectacular vistas of Hillsborough, the harbour, and endless expanses of sky and water. Continue on to the opposite side of the island where you'll gaze past Windward, the home of the old boat building industry, to the island of Petit Martinique and the St. Vincent Grenadines to the North.

Cassada Bay : a hill-top lounge and restaurant that provides and ideal spot to rest and take in the view. Cassada Bay : a hill-top lounge and restaurant that provides and ideal spot to rest and take in the view.

L'Esterre Bay: its majestic sweep of gorgeous sand is one you'll not soon forget.L'Esterre Bay: its majestic sweep of gorgeous sand is one you'll not soon forget.

Dover Ruins : the site of the first church in Carriacou, located a quarter mile inland north east of the island. The quality of the stone foundations presents interesting and fascinating opportunities for archaeology.

Also of interest is Dumfries Historical Site : 200 years of history, experience what life on a plantation was really like.

In L'Esterre visit local artist Canute Caliste, who splits his time among building boats, gardening, fishing, and painting pictures of his 23 children and their scores of children (at last count more than 200). Look for the handpainted sign that points the way to his house.