Carriacou Visitors

When I first heard of the the Caribbean Island of Carriacou, I was told : You'll like it a lot, but it is not for everybody's taste.

How right my friends were.

Indeed , I love the Island, the scenery and its people. But it should allso be very clear that the average tourist will miss a lot of conveniences on 'Cou. There are no casinos or nightclubs, and you will search in vain for an inflateable banana behind a speedboat. Jetski's I have never seen here, and I hope they will not reach the island for many years.

So what can you expect on this little island? Well, it depends of what you enjoy doing, but basically the Island is ideal for the " alternative " type of tourist. Backpackers and adventurers will have a great time. If you enjoyed the sixties, visited woodstock and were a member of hare krishna, this is the place for you. Someone who enjoys or has enjoyed hitchhiking and meet local people will have a blast of a time.

Carriacou is mainly about living the true Caribbean atmosphere, without all the disadvantages so often encountered on other islands. Here you will not get hassled by street or beach vendors. It is no problem at all walking on the beach or  the streets in the middle of the night. You might have an encounter with a goat or a cow, the animals usually roam free over the island. Everybody knows which animal belongs to whom.

There is still a good social control on Carriacou. Most people are somehow related to each other, the Islands population is basically one large family. That has contributed to a friendly , open atmosphere, and if you have once been here and return, you will also be (to some extent) be part of this large family. Give a smile, and you will receive two smiles. In the rumshops you will easily make new friends, a glass of punch usually gets some great conversations going.

The island is definitely not for those who have a craving for luxury and hedonism. If you enjoy places like Cancun , Rio, Brighton  or Benidorm and Ibiza in Spain, you will have the most boring holidays of your life.

If , on the other hand , you are like me, enjoy relaxing in a hammock below some palmtrees and as a rest between the rests like sampling the various rums while chatting with the islanders, this is the place for you.

Mark Thompson wrote :

Let me be perfectly clear though, after a day of culture shock, I would not have it any other way.
No anxiety of some electronic device jarring my nerves at any moment. To wake with the roosters and to sleep when the sun goes down, gives the peace and comfort you need, to return to happy, human status.

The rush hour at the beaches is less than 3 people per mile. The cows can sometimes close down the 1 (and only) airstrip, because they see some delicious grass.

In all, the best place to forget all the things you have grown to hate about modernization. When you get back to the fast pace of city life again (which could even be the neighboring Grenada), you will realize that you will need to get back A.S.A.P. to the beloved jewel of the Grenadines-CARRIACOU.