Yachts and megayachts tired of the typical Caribbean scene are heading south, to Grenada. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is anything but overrun with crowds, and its people are warm and friendly. Grenada, as well as the nearby Grenadine islands chain, are increasingly attracting megayacht owners and guests for these and many more reasons.
The following itinerary is just one that the team at Camper & Nicholsons Marinas recommends. Camper & Nicholsons Marinas operates Port Louis Marina in Grenada, which has been welcoming yachts and megayachts for the past few years.
Considered by sailing connoisseurs as the quintessential cruising ground, Grenada offers a gateway to the southern Windward Islands, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where constant trade winds make for ideal cruising conditions, complete with safe anchorages, beautiful backdrops. and a score of sandy cays to explore.
Day 1: Grenada
Get prepared: Known as the Spice Island for the heady scent of vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and cocoa grown in the lush interior, Grenada also has a strong seafaring tradition and attracts sailors from all regions, many of whom come back year after year. Spend the first afternoon acclimatizing at the Victory bar to draw on local knowledge. Then explore Grenada’s capital, St. George’s (above), known as the most picturesque city in the Caribbean and rich in Georgian architecture.
Take on provisions at the comprehensive Port Louis Marina, local supermarkets, and take a trip to the market square to stock up on exotic fruit and fresh fish.
Take an island tour, taking in Grand Etang Nature Reserve (try and remember a banana or two for the monkeys!), crater lake, and the Seven Sisters waterfalls—including a swim for those feeling so inclined! Then onto lunch at the Belmont Estate and a tour of the chocolate factory—don’t forget to pick up some Grenadian chocolate on the way out, too. And if there’s time, there’s still the River’s Rum Distillery, beautiful beaches, Mount Edgecombe Plantation, and much more.
Day 2: Grenada to Carriacou
Head out along the south coast, Grenada’s most popular sailing area. Here, you’ll find superlative anchorages like True Blue Bay, Prickly Bay, Mount Hartman, and Hog Island. Next, hop across to the first of Grenada’s sister islands, Carriacou, the largest of the Grenadine islands.
With a myriad of smaller islands off the coast and famed for its traditional boatbuilding, Carriacou is a lovely, sleepy island. Encircled with superb sand for beach lovers and good diving, you can enjoy fresh lobster at anchor, or try the local restaurants in Tyrell Bay or Hillsborough, the island’s capital.
Day 3: Petit St. Vincent
Next stop Petit St. Vincent, a yacht-friendly resort with a sheltered harbor, beach restaurant, and bar. The southernmost of the Grenadines, this 113-acre idyll, dense with luxuriant foliage, has a great hilltop restaurant with stunning views over to Petit Martinique to the south.
Day 4: Union Island and St. Vincent
Union Island is just half an hour on, and reputed for having some of the most photogenic beaches in the world. The “crossroads” of the Grenadines, this mountainous island has a good anchorage at Clifton Harbour, home of the Anchorage Yacht Club. Take on water, fuel and provisions, and clear into St. Vincent. Scuba dive, kite board, or simply lay back at Happy Island, a bar built from conch shells in Clifton Harbour.
Day 5: Bequia
The tiny island of Bequia is the northern limit of the Grenadines, and it offers a slice of the old Caribbean. The picturesque anchorage at Admiralty Bay is one of the most popular with visiting cruisers. Onshore, stretch your legs at the Firefly Plantation. Tour the working plantation, or indulge children at the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. There’s a lovely maritime museum, but you can learn just as much from chatting with the boatbuilders who still make wooden schooners on the beaches. Mac’s Pizzeria in Port Elizabeth is a fantastic informal spot for dinner.
Day 6: Mustique
Now that you have a passable tan, it’s time to pull out the glad rags and go ashore on the private island of Mustique, an exclusive enclave of celebrity in the otherwise low-key Grenadines. Just two hours from Bequia, this island is unique in its manicured elegance. Explore on horseback from the equestrian center. Have lunch at The Cotton House beach bar and sundowners at Firefly, Mick Jagger’s favorite haunt. Moorings are available just a short swim from Basil’s Bar, where an unpretentious mix of locals, yachties, and barefoot villa owners knock back rum cocktails and dance to live bands. It’s an iconic waterside venue.
Day 7: Canouan
Just a three-hour sail away is the laid-back island of Canouan. Five square miles in size and full of old-world charm, this island of farmers and fishermen is also home to the renowned Grenadines Estate Golf Club, and a small airstrip for private jets. Mountainous across the spine, the best beaches lie to the north and east, where reef diving is particularly rewarding.
Day 8: Mayreau
On to Mayreau, just 30 minutes’ sail away, and the smallest inhabited island in the Grenadines. It has no roads and is only accessible by boat. Anchor at Salt Whistle Bay (above), with a crescent-shaped icing sugar beach, or south at Saline Bay, where you can snorkel or dive the wreck of a World War I gunboat.
Day 9: Tobago Cays
Make sure the camera is charged and the snorkels are prepared for the Tobago Cays. These five uninhabited islands, accessible only by boat, are the “Jewel in the Crown” of the Southern Grenadines. With nothing but islets and coves protected by some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world, sea turtles, conch, lobsters, and iguanas all take refuge in the protected area, and the marine life is astonishing.
Days 10 – 12: Grenada
Meander back to Grenada via your favorite islands to complete the itinerary, but allow time back at Port Louis Marina to pass your tips on to other sailors.
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