Location: The three-island nation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique makes up the southernmost Windward islands in the eastern Caribbean. Carriacou, 23 miles/37 kilometers northeast of Grenada, covers an area of 13 square miles/34 square kilometers. Tiny Petit Martinique is just 486 acres/194 hectares.
Tourist Information: Grenada Board of Tourism, 800-927-9554;
Climate: The average temperature range varies between 750F/240C and 870F/310C, with the lowest temperatures between November and February. The driest season is from January to May.
Documents: U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need passports or visas as long as they have two documents (one with a photo) documenting their citizenship. A driver's license is not a valid form of identification.
Currency: The Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar is valued at about EC$2.70 to US$1.
Electricity: 220 volt, 50 cycles.
Taxes and Tipping: An 8-percent government tax is added to hotel and restaurant bills. A 10-percent service charge also is normally included. There is a US$16 departure tax.
Time: Atlantic Standard Time, the same as Eastern Daylight Time.
Water Transportation: The two-hour "Osprey Express" departs Grenada each morning at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., depending on the day. The roundtrip fare is US$30.
Around the Island: Car rentals average between US$45 and US$60 a day. A local license is EC$30. On Carriacou, contact Martin Bullen (473-443-7204) or John Gabriel (473-443-7454). Be warned: Many of the roads have more pits than pavement.
Airlines: American (800-433-7300) and British West Indies (800-538-2942) provide direct flights into Grenada from Miami and New York. Connecting flights can be made from other airlines via Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad. Airlines of Carriacou has daily service from Grenada to Carriacou.
Attractions: The small postcard-perfect offshore cay known as Sandy Island is a very popular stop for sailboats, and the scuba diving here is interesting but still largely unexplored. Other attractions include Canute Caliste, the island's most famous artist. His work is available for sale in the Carriacou Museum just off the ferry deck in the main city of Hillsborough. Or you can visit the prolific painter - he produces as many as 16 paintings in a single day - in his studio at L'Esterre.
Very much an island still steeped in tradition, the May Day celebration on Carriacou still includes the custom of dancing around the May pole. Hillsborough hosts a two-day regatta starting the first Monday of August. The Parang Festival held just before Christmas is an occasion for song and street dancing as vendors offer a variety of specialties from their street stalls. Carnival is celebrated in February just before the start of Lent.
Beaches: The island's finest beach is at Anse La Roche, a scenic and undeveloped area. Visitors are advised to keep close watch on their valuables there and at all beaches, especially the one near the airport.
Posted online 06/01/99.
