Grenada and the Grenadines anchorages
Carriacou - Hilllsborough
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 29 24 N 61 27 52 W
We have anchored here a few times and generally find it a nice, quiet location, but have also anchored here during the Carriacou Regatta which was much more lively, noisy and fun. The holding can be a bit tricky if you are unlucky enough to drop on some of the rubble in the area, but once the anchor is in, we have found the holding to be good. Hillsborough has bars, restaurants, shops, fish market, fruit and veg coop, an ATM, petrol station etc... and buses to other parts of the island. The tourist office is also in the centre of town and we found them helpful on recommending areas to hike on the island. Considering what a nice location this is, with the convenience of access to Hillsborough, we are surprised we don't see more yachts in here.
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 29 24 N 61 27 52 W
We have anchored here a few times and generally find it a nice, quiet location, but have also anchored here during the Carriacou Regatta which was much more lively, noisy and fun. The holding can be a bit tricky if you are unlucky enough to drop on some of the rubble in the area, but once the anchor is in, we have found the holding to be good. Hillsborough has bars, restaurants, shops, fish market, fruit and veg coop, an ATM, petrol station etc... and buses to other parts of the island. The tourist office is also in the centre of town and we found them helpful on recommending areas to hike on the island. Considering what a nice location this is, with the convenience of access to Hillsborough, we are surprised we don't see more yachts in here.
Carriacou - Sandy Island
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 29 12 N 61 27 59 W
One of our favourite spots in this area of the Caribbean with beautiful clear water and an abundance of fish, rays etc.. all around the reefs. Additional mooring buoys were installed in 2018 so it is much easier to stay here now. The park rangers come around some days to collect the 10 dollar fee. On the opposite shore there are a few bars and the Off The Hook bar holds a bonfire and lobster bbq each week, with a water taxi available if you don't fancy taking your own dinghy after a few rum punches ashore. We have also used the Sandy Island buoys during the Carriacou Regatta which provided us with some great views of the racing. The dinghy trip to Hillsborough can be a bit splashy, but it is a great small town to visit for provisions, a meal out or just to soak up the local culture.
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 29 12 N 61 27 59 W
One of our favourite spots in this area of the Caribbean with beautiful clear water and an abundance of fish, rays etc.. all around the reefs. Additional mooring buoys were installed in 2018 so it is much easier to stay here now. The park rangers come around some days to collect the 10 dollar fee. On the opposite shore there are a few bars and the Off The Hook bar holds a bonfire and lobster bbq each week, with a water taxi available if you don't fancy taking your own dinghy after a few rum punches ashore. We have also used the Sandy Island buoys during the Carriacou Regatta which provided us with some great views of the racing. The dinghy trip to Hillsborough can be a bit splashy, but it is a great small town to visit for provisions, a meal out or just to soak up the local culture.
Carriacou - Tyrell Bay
We arrived into Tyrell Bay during a huge downpour and were surprised to see so many boats anchored and moored in this area. We circled for a while trying to spot an available buoy (problems with our windlass control meant we were not keen to anchor unless really necessary) before we were approached by a local man who very kindly got drenched and helped us to a mooring. Customs and immigration are located at the yacht club in the south of the bay, so clearing in was straightforward.
A road runs around the bay which has numerous bars, shops and restaurants on it. Picking up the local buses is also easy on this road and it is not too far to ride into the main town of Hillsborough for other shopping, drinking and eating.
We arrived into Tyrell Bay during a huge downpour and were surprised to see so many boats anchored and moored in this area. We circled for a while trying to spot an available buoy (problems with our windlass control meant we were not keen to anchor unless really necessary) before we were approached by a local man who very kindly got drenched and helped us to a mooring. Customs and immigration are located at the yacht club in the south of the bay, so clearing in was straightforward.
A road runs around the bay which has numerous bars, shops and restaurants on it. Picking up the local buses is also easy on this road and it is not too far to ride into the main town of Hillsborough for other shopping, drinking and eating.
|
|
The marina still looks very much like a work in progress to us. However, a local bus driver said that as far as he was concerned it must be open as there is a yacht on the hard there ! Perhaps we will see if we can book in here next time we visit.....
We also took a dinghy ride into the lagoon at the north of the bay, which is a possibility for hurricane cover. This is a large area that would house lots and lots of boats in an emergency. When not full of boats, it is a tranquil area to drift around for a while.
We also took a dinghy ride into the lagoon at the north of the bay, which is a possibility for hurricane cover. This is a large area that would house lots and lots of boats in an emergency. When not full of boats, it is a tranquil area to drift around for a while.
|
|
Petite Martinique
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 31 57 N 61 23 30 W
We have anchored in a couple of different spots at Petite Martinique, weaving our way between the numerous fishing boats and mooring balls. Holding is variable and we sometimes have to try a couple of times before getting the anchor to hold. Ashore there are a few shops and bars and we have enjoyed meals at the restaurant on the beach. There is a very nice walk around the whole island which takes a couple of hours and provides views over different parts of the Grenadines.
Last Visited - October 2018
Where We Anchored - 12 31 57 N 61 23 30 W
We have anchored in a couple of different spots at Petite Martinique, weaving our way between the numerous fishing boats and mooring balls. Holding is variable and we sometimes have to try a couple of times before getting the anchor to hold. Ashore there are a few shops and bars and we have enjoyed meals at the restaurant on the beach. There is a very nice walk around the whole island which takes a couple of hours and provides views over different parts of the Grenadines.
Grenada - Grenada Yacht Club, St George's
Mooring at Grenada Yacht Club may have meant finding the longest line we could in order to tie up to the buoy, but is was a nice change to have access to a pontoon, electricity, water, shower blocks etc... The helpful staff also assisted with extra lines when a tropical storm threatened, but we barely noticed it pass by in the end. The yacht club makes access to the capital of St George very easy on foot or the local buses. We also regularly caught the bus down to Grand Anse beach, which for us has to be one of the best beaches we have visited in the Caribbean. The yacht club has a great deck/bar/restaurant area with a good view, breezes and of course wifi. The noise from the road and surroundings is a bit of a change from many of the quiet spots we have visited in the Caribbean, but it proves a helpful reminder of 'real life.' There is a large chandlery and supermarket within walking distance.
Grenada - Prickly Bay
We had a drive around Grenada looking at the various bays before deciding to move around to Prickly Bay for a month. We decided on a mooring buoy, but there are pontoon berths available and lots of anchoring space. We have made full use of the activities available ashore including; yoga, dominoes, shopping buses, live bands, quiz nights, buses to the weekly Hash and very handy wifi 'booths.' Prickly Bay Marina has water, diesel and petrol available and it is a short dinghy ride to the other side of the bay to visit the chandlery or hop on a local bus. All of these services, plus only being a short walk from the fantastic West Indies Brewery and Pub, means we rather like Prickly Bay.
|
|
Grenada - Morne Rouge
What a beautiful spot. The water is wonderfully clear and the staggered headlands towards the airport provide an interesting backdrop. It took a while to find a spot to drop the anchor where we wouldn't damage the coral as we swung (many circles in the yacht and a couple of trips overboard to snorkel over the sea bed) and wouldn't run aground (we ended up with inches to spare under the keel !), but we finally settled on a location. Beers and lunch ashore were easy to find and the view back to our yacht in the bay very photogenic. Another anchorage all to ourselves.
What a beautiful spot. The water is wonderfully clear and the staggered headlands towards the airport provide an interesting backdrop. It took a while to find a spot to drop the anchor where we wouldn't damage the coral as we swung (many circles in the yacht and a couple of trips overboard to snorkel over the sea bed) and wouldn't run aground (we ended up with inches to spare under the keel !), but we finally settled on a location. Beers and lunch ashore were easy to find and the view back to our yacht in the bay very photogenic. Another anchorage all to ourselves.
|
|
Grenada - Marine Park Moorings
We wanted to snorkel around the Marine Park located north of St George's and so picked up one of the mooring buoys for the night. It was not too far to swim to the underwater sculpture park, but I was glad of fins for the return swim to the mooring. We were lucky to have the mooring area to ourselves overnight and found it a quiet spot, albeit prone to some swell. A nice change from St George's anchorage.
We wanted to snorkel around the Marine Park located north of St George's and so picked up one of the mooring buoys for the night. It was not too far to swim to the underwater sculpture park, but I was glad of fins for the return swim to the mooring. We were lucky to have the mooring area to ourselves overnight and found it a quiet spot, albeit prone to some swell. A nice change from St George's anchorage.
|
|
Grenada - Port Louis Marina
As with the Grenada Yacht Club, Port Louis Marina is in a great location if you want easy access to St George's, Grand Anse beach, the chandlery and supermarket. The marina facilities are very good with one of the nicest shower blocks we have used in a while. There are laid lines that the marina staff will come and tie you up, electricity and water on the pontoons as you would expect, and we took the opportunity to have a hard wired internet connection that worked really well. The swimming pool is a great size and the gardens beautifully maintained by the friendly staff. There are some small shops and a couple of restaurants and bars on site, with local food restaurants just outside the gates.
As with the Grenada Yacht Club, Port Louis Marina is in a great location if you want easy access to St George's, Grand Anse beach, the chandlery and supermarket. The marina facilities are very good with one of the nicest shower blocks we have used in a while. There are laid lines that the marina staff will come and tie you up, electricity and water on the pontoons as you would expect, and we took the opportunity to have a hard wired internet connection that worked really well. The swimming pool is a great size and the gardens beautifully maintained by the friendly staff. There are some small shops and a couple of restaurants and bars on site, with local food restaurants just outside the gates.
Grenada - Egmont Harbour
We tucked ourselves right up in the top of Egmont Harbour for a quick one night stay and were the only visiting yacht. There were a couple of boats on permanent moorings/docks, but otherwise it was deserted. They bay is surrounded by large houses and the occasional traffic passes over the bridge, but the dogs barking were the most noise we experienced. There is odd 'whiff' in the air from the mangrove mud and this required some rinsing off the anchor and chain next morning. In the outer harbour there were a few fishing boats and we joined some locals for a swim from the beach, but turned down their offer of a pet urchin ! A good location for a peaceful evening, but bars and shops are a little further afield.
We tucked ourselves right up in the top of Egmont Harbour for a quick one night stay and were the only visiting yacht. There were a couple of boats on permanent moorings/docks, but otherwise it was deserted. They bay is surrounded by large houses and the occasional traffic passes over the bridge, but the dogs barking were the most noise we experienced. There is odd 'whiff' in the air from the mangrove mud and this required some rinsing off the anchor and chain next morning. In the outer harbour there were a few fishing boats and we joined some locals for a swim from the beach, but turned down their offer of a pet urchin ! A good location for a peaceful evening, but bars and shops are a little further afield.
Grenada - Mount Hartman Bay
We found this bay to be larger and less crowded than expected during our first stay, but a little busier during our return stay. We have anchored and used a mooring buoy (George's Survival Anchorage) and tried to keep a sense of humour about all the “helpful advice” from other yachties in the bay about where we should moor our yacht ! Secret Harbour Marina has done a fantastic job on their restaurant refurbishment and we have enjoyed drinks, meals and the view from the new establishment. Yoga, swimming and volleyball were also fun and we made use of the laundry service and gas bottle refill (via George). Prickly Bay and the West Indies Brewery are walking distance and the bay has some rather lovely and strangely noisy turtles.
We found this bay to be larger and less crowded than expected during our first stay, but a little busier during our return stay. We have anchored and used a mooring buoy (George's Survival Anchorage) and tried to keep a sense of humour about all the “helpful advice” from other yachties in the bay about where we should moor our yacht ! Secret Harbour Marina has done a fantastic job on their restaurant refurbishment and we have enjoyed drinks, meals and the view from the new establishment. Yoga, swimming and volleyball were also fun and we made use of the laundry service and gas bottle refill (via George). Prickly Bay and the West Indies Brewery are walking distance and the bay has some rather lovely and strangely noisy turtles.
|
|
Grenada - Woburn Bay
Another bay that was larger and less crowded than expected, with numerous areas to anchor e.g. near Hog Island, near Whisper Cover Marina, near Clarke's Court Marina, near Calivigny Island etc.. Woburn village has a small shop and rum and roti shack. The Full Moon Party at Benji Bay is a great night out too.
Another bay that was larger and less crowded than expected, with numerous areas to anchor e.g. near Hog Island, near Whisper Cover Marina, near Clarke's Court Marina, near Calivigny Island etc.. Woburn village has a small shop and rum and roti shack. The Full Moon Party at Benji Bay is a great night out too.
|
|