Alex Robertson Textor

A Few Photos from Carriacou & Petite Martinique

Lauriston Airport, Carriacou at 8 a.m.

Grenadian flag mural, Petite Martinique.

Sandy Island, off Carriacou, on the day of foot injuries and sunburn.

Sunset from Green Roof Inn. I can't figure out if this is the best or the kitschiest photo I've ever taken. Um, it's probably both.

Green Roof Inn

I've written about the incredible Green Roof Inn on Carriacou a few times over the past week. Located in Carriacou's Sea View district about a 10-minute walk north of Hillsborough, Green Roof overlooks the sea and is surrounded by a garden. Its aesthetic is simple and inviting. There are no televisions or telephones in rooms, but there are good firm beds and an appealing mix of modern and antique furniture pieces, as well as robust fans and mosquito nets. Also lovely are the inn's shared spaces, in particular the courtyard and the restaurant veranda, the latter offering stunning sunset views.

The hotel's rates are very affordable, with the one single going for $40 and doubles starting at $70. The hotel's restaurant is quite lovely (see my previous post for some food notes) though it's not exactly a bargain, with three courses running EC$98 ($37). There are also two quaint cottages on the property, which go for $120 per night. Grenadian taxes are low by regional standards at just 8 percent.

The hotel is operated by a Swedish family who were actually on holiday for most of our stay. The permanent local staff were friendly and helpful and full of interesting bits of information about Carriacou. And lastly—I'll admit that I haven't really worked this formula out—there's also something to be said for the effects of good will among guests at a small hotel. I loved chatting in particular with the Grenadian-British family whose visit at Green Roof Inn overlapped with ours.

Green Roof Inn is refreshing because it offers clean, attractive rooms at rates that are manageable for a great many travelers. It's perfect for visitors who love the Caribbean but find nightly hotel rate averages throughout much of the region to be terrifying. In short, Green Roof Inn is a budget traveler's dream.

On to Trinidad and then Home

I always feel melancholy when it's time to leave a beautiful place, especially a beautiful island. Today is no exception. It's almost time to gather our things and make our way to the Carriacou airport. We'll fly first to Grenada and then to Trinidad, where we'll overnight before returning to New York tomorrow.

Yesterday we took a water taxi to Sandy Island, an arc of perfect beach not far offshore from Hillsborough. The sea has been turbulent these last few days and our six hours on Sandy Island were a bit wild. To begin with, the waves were hyperactive and unpredictable. In addition, the sloped beach was covered with rocks that moved violently with each wave. This made getting into the water a bruising affair. We soon mastered the art of careful entries and quick exits in order to avoid foot and ankle injuries, but the whole thing was a bit more extreme than we'd expected.

On Thursday we journeyed to Petite Martinique, an island presented by guidebooks as an idyllic backwater. In truth, it's not the most interesting place for a day trip from Carriacou. The beach is a working one, devoted to boatbuilding, and the town is very small. If we had a few weeks on Carriacou, Petite Martinique would have been an obvious excursion. But given the five nights we had here, it was probably not the best use of our time. It's all relative, of course.

Forgive the lack of organization in this post. We've eaten well here on Carriacou. At a shack along the beach near the Hillsborough jetty, Cuthbert Snagg served us lobster one night and kingfish on another night, both incredible, and in a gorgeous lantern-lighted setting, to boot. (Snagg also ferried us to both Anse La Roche and Sandy Island.) Sea Wave Restaurant in the heart of Hillsborough also served us some good hearty meals, including roti, and delicious nutmeg ice cream. At Green Roof Inn, where we've been staying, the breakfasts have been lovely, the coffee strong, and the dinners delicate and wonderful. Last night's gravad kingfish in dill mustard sauce was especially delicious. And I can't neglect to mention Patty's Deli. The deli packed us a great picnic lunch yesterday for our Sandy Island adventure.

Some Islands Make their Way

under your skin, and others don't. Carriacou is turning out to be one of the former for me. The beaches (Paradise Beach near the airport and Anse La Roche on the northern end, to which we traveled in a water taxi) are outstanding. People are initially reserved yet very friendly. We've had great grub, lots of fresh chicken and some roti and lobster. Green Roof Inn is my favorite type of hotel. It's simple and gorgeous with singles starting at $40 and doubles at $70, located just north of Hillsborough, Carriacou's capital.

Today we're headed to Petite Martinique, an even smaller island north of Carriacou that grazes the maritime border with SVG.

Ahh, Carriacou

After a short night at a fantastic little inn near the airport in Piarco, Trinidad (about which more later), we took two prop planes to Carriacou (via Grenada) for our five-night idyll. We're staying at the Green Roof Inn, a breezy, casual, friendly place on the edge of Hillsborough. I feel like a "live blogging" dork so I'll stop, but I will say that Carriacou is a quiet island with all sorts of quaint, atmospheric corners. And also the breeze at this exact moment is gorgeous. We're about to leave for a beautiful beach south of Hillsborough for a lazy day and (hopefully) some roti from a beachside shack. Wish us luck.