|
These ideas were taken from www.lonelyplanet.com
Bathway Beach
This undeveloped beach of speckled coral sands offers a 30-foot-wide
pool protected from the strong Atlantic Ocean currents by
a rock shelf that parallels the northside of the shoreline.
A new visitor facility has some simple displays on shells,
coral and ecology, as well as restrooms. Off the beach are
three islands: Sugar Loaf is a privately owned island with
a cottage on its south shore; Green Island has a few abandoned
buildings and no beach; and Sandy Island has an abandoned
hotel and a nice beach for swimming and snorkeling on its
leeward side. Bathways Beach can be reached by vehicle along
a good road leading northeast from River Sallee, and fishing
boats can be chartered from Sauteurs to the islands offshore.
Levera Beach
At the northeastern tip of Grenada a few miles east of Sauteurs
is a wild sweep of sand backed by eroded sea cliffs with the
pointed Sugar Loaf island (also called Levera Island) just
offshore. This area, made up of the beach, a mangrove swamp
and a nearby pond, has been incorporated into Grenada's national
park system serving as an important waterfowl habitat and
sea turtle nesting site. Although passable by 4WD, it can
be a rough ride on the road leading north into Levera Beach
from Bathways Beach and most visitors prefer the 30-minute
walk.
Carriacou
This small rural island has good beaches and a pace of life
that can only be described as slow motion. There are 12,000
residents on Carriacou, and half of them are goats who forage
the dry scrubby landscape dotted with cacti, acacias and splashes
of bougainvillea. While the island's low-key character and
natural harbor have long attracted yachters, few other Caribbean
travelers have Carriacou on their itinerary. Consequently
the beaches are uncrowded and finding a room is seldom a problem.
Carriacou has fantastic views of the neighboring Grenadines
and a couple of nearshore islets of its own that can readily
be visited for picnicking, snorkeling and diving. Hillsborough
is the administrative and commercial center of the island;
Tyrell Bay is a popular yachting anchorage and the nearest
thing the island has to a beach hang-out. The island measures
about 7 miles (12km) from tip to tail and just over 2 miles
(3.5 km) in width. It's 17 miles (27km) northeast of Grenada
and can be reached by boat from St George's or by plane from
Grenada's Point Salines airport.
Petit Martinique
This tiny circular volcanic cone rises out of the sea 3 miles
(5km) northeast of Carriacou. Most of Petit Martinique's 600
inhabitants make a living from the sea, and the island enjoys
one of the region's highest per capita incomes. There's not
much to see here unless you're interested in quiet isolation.
The islanders have a reputation for their independent spirit,
as well as a bit of notoriety for smuggling. The island has
a school, church, guesthouse and a grocery shop-cum-bar, but
no police, customs or banks. There's one road on the western
coast, though most people get around on foot. A local cargo
boat plies between Petit Martinique and Hillsborough on Carriacou
twice a week, or you can arrange for a speedboat to zip you
over to the island from Windward on Carriacou's northern coast.
Grand Etang Road
This road cuts across the mountainous center of the island
through the Grand Etang Forest Reserve, passing close to waterfalls
and a number of hiking trails. While both tortuously narrow
and twisting, the road is lined with ferns, bamboo, heliconia
and buttressed kapok trees, making for a rousing if formidable
drive through the rainforest. Annandale Falls, close to the
village of Constantine, is a 30ft (10m) waterfall in a grotto
of lush vegetation with a pool beneath the falls that's deep
enough for a swim. A short drive past Constantine is the Grand
Etang National Park, which has some grand views of the western
coast, numerous hiking trails and a crater lake.
Sauteurs
The largest town on Grenada's northern coast takes its name
from the French word for 'jump.' This is the site where in
1651 retreating Carib families leapt to their deaths rather
than surrender to approaching French soldiers. Carib's Leap
is the name given to the 130ft (40m) high coastal cliffs where
the tragic event happened. From the cliff ledge you can look
down on the fishing boats along the village beach and see
eroded rock formations and nearby islands.
Back to Welcome Guide Main Page
|