Twenty thousand tourists flood Grand Anse Beach each month. Cruise ships discharge masses onto Grenada’s most famous stretch of sand. Beach clubs demand $50 minimum spending while umbrellas cost $25 daily. Meanwhile, 30 miles away, Petit Carenage Beach on Carriacou remains virtually empty. The brightest turquoise water in the Caribbean laps against wild shores where fewer than 20 visitors arrive daily.
Why Grand Anse lost its soul
Grand Anse Beach drowns under tourism pressure. Peak season brings 2,500 daily visitors to just 1.5 miles of sand. That equals 167 people per 100 meters during busy hours.
St. George’s harbor welcomes 12-15 cruise ships weekly. Each vessel dumps 2,000-4,000 passengers onto already crowded beaches. Beach clubs line the entire coastline with $45-65 minimum consumption requirements.
Parking costs $10 hourly. A simple lunch with drinks runs $40-45. Chair and umbrella rentals add another $25. The authentic Grenadian beach experience vanished beneath commercial development and overwhelming crowds.
Meet Petit Carenage’s untouched beauty
Carriacou’s northern coast guards a secret. This protected bay keeps water at perfect 82°F year-round. Horseshoe-shaped Petit Carenage stretches nearly one mile with zero commercial development.
The turquoise that changes everything
Travel experts confirm Petit Carenage displays the brightest turquoise water in the Caribbean. White sand ridges create stunning contrast against electric blue shallows. Union Island floats 6 miles offshore like a green jewel.
Protective reefs calm windward waves naturally. Water clarity reaches 150 feet on good days. Morning light transforms the bay into liquid sapphire that photographs cannot capture.
Numbers that tell the story
Only 2,500 tourists visit all of Carriacou annually. Petit Carenage receives maybe 15-25 visitors on peak days. That means 2-3 people per 100 meters versus Grand Anse’s 167.
Ferry schedules create natural crowd control. Osprey Lines runs just three daily departures from St. George’s. Journey takes 2.5 hours and costs $60 round-trip.
What makes this beach extraordinary
Petit Carenage offers pure Caribbean wilderness. No vendors hawk souvenirs. No jet skis disturb morning calm. Conch shell markers guide a 10-minute trail from the road.
Wild without compromise
Gun Point headland displays an 18th-century cannon amid flowering cacti. The rusted relic hints at colonial defense strategies when British and French fought over these waters.
A wooden bird observation tower overlooks frigatebird roosts. The MV Carriacou Star shipwreck creates artificial reefs visible at low tide. KIDO Foundation protects turtle nesting sites from May through October.
The Caribbean locals remember
Windward village preserves authentic boat-building traditions. Craftsmen still construct racing sloops using techniques passed down since 1750. August Carnival features traditional races between hand-built vessels.
Community picnics happen naturally on weekends. Families arrive with homemade callaloo soup and fresh-caught snapper. Fishing boats launch at dawn exactly as ancestors did centuries ago.
Getting there and planning your escape
Fly into Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport. Miami offers three weekly direct flights averaging $550 round-trip. Ferry terminals in St. George’s sell tickets for 8am, 12pm, and 4pm departures to Carriacou.
Minibus number 11 costs just $2 from Hillsborough port to Windward village. Driver announces Petit Carenage stop clearly. Free parking accommodates 15 vehicles at the signed trailhead.
December through April offers perfect conditions. Trade winds stay light during dry season. Water temperature holds steady at 82°F. Rainfall drops to just 3 days monthly compared to mainland Grenada’s 7.
Your Questions About Petit Carenage answered
How much does a Carriacou trip cost?
Budget $150 daily for two people including guesthouse accommodation at $75 nightly. Local restaurants charge $18-25 per meal. Ferry tickets cost $60 round-trip. Total savings reach 45% compared to Grand Anse resort prices.
What makes Carriacou culturally different?
Carriacou maintains working fishing villages untouched by resort development. Traditional boat-building continues in Windward yards. Oil down (breadfruit cooked in coconut milk) remains the local specialty. Community life centers around family businesses operating since the 1950s.
How does Petit Carenage compare to other Caribbean beaches?
Petit Carenage receives 95% fewer visitors than Grenada’s Grand Anse. Water clarity exceeds famous Turks and Caicos beaches. Accommodation costs 40% less than Barbados or St. Lucia. Zero commercial development preserves authentic Caribbean atmosphere.
Dawn breaks over Union Island’s silhouette. Turquoise shallows catch first light like scattered diamonds. The bird tower stands sentinel over empty sand. This is how the Caribbean looked before cruise ships arrived.