Grenada Cruising Itinerary

After chart briefing and orientation, clear customs out of St. Lucia and depart for an easy, long reach along the coast to Soufriere, a picturesque town that shares its name with a nearby dormant volcano (the only one in the world where it’s possible to drive a car inside!). Creole buildings with gingerbread trim and balconies overlooking the lanes and streets create an Old World ambience. Enjoy window shopping and dining out. Both scenic and accommodating to boaters, the waters around the Pitons are part of the Soufriére Marine Management Area and a highlight of yachting in the Pitons. The twin conical peaks of Petit Piton (elevation 2,460 ft.) and Gros Piton (elevation 2,619 ft.) are magic to the eyes of cruisers heading south, marking a picturesque entry into the charm of the Eastern Caribbean.

Set sail early to reach Petit Bayhaut, in St. Vincent, for lunch and snorkeling. Pick up a mooring ball at Young Island Cut for the night. Yachting in Young Island Cut waters brings you to the southern end of St. Vincent, which has a variety of good harbors, including the one at Young Island Cut. Easy to enter from the west, you’re ideally situated to enjoy a nice view of Young Island to the south and the pleasure of going ashore to sample the cuisine at the restaurants lining the St. Vincent shore and to barhop to your heart’s content into the wee hours of the night. The harbor of Blue Lagoon, also popular among charterers, is within walking distance.

A short sail will take you to anchor in Admiralty Bay, Bequia’s main harbor on the island’s west side and the location of the only settlement, Port Elizabeth. When cruising in Admiralty Bay you’ll see at the head of the harbor little hotels, a variety of shops, boutiques, food markets, a bookstore, as well as a number of bars and restaurants, many with a nautical theme in keeping with the fishing and boatbuilding tradition that’s alive and well on the island. Artisans build small and large vessels from wood using traditional methods. On Bequia’s south side you can find the gorgeous Friendship Bay with its lovely white sand beach and anchorage that’s well protected from swells.

Sail to the tiny island of Petit Nevis for lunch and more beach time. On to Mustique, the island of royals, the rich and the famous, you can overnight in Britannia Bay. A spine of hills 400 to 600 feet in elevation runs down the midsection of Mustique, providing sweeping views of the sea that make an ideal setting for the palatial estates, about 90 in all, dotting the lush, green slopes extending to the edges of pristine white-sand beaches. Celebrities, business magnates, and royalty have made the island a cherished retreat. Mustique yachting ushers you into this exclusive world.

The five deserted isles of the Tobago Cays are the jewels of Tobago Cays Marine Park, which comprises the surrounding waters as well. Horseshoe Reef nearly encircles the four main cays, and beyond its protective embrace is Petit Tabac. One of the premier snorkeling and diving locales within the Grenadines, and the entire Windward chain, for that matter, it’s no surprise that Tobago Cays cruising is a highlight of exploring these waters.

After a nice sail from the Tobago Cays enjoy the afternoon and evening at Chatham Bay, tucked in the embrace of the island behind a prominent headland. This anchorage is located in a pristine valley with no development on the hillsides. Along the beach, there are a few beach bars and consider stopping by Sekki’s Sunset Beach Bar, featured on the Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain.  A beach extends along much of the shore, an ideal site to relax, swim, or snorkel along the reef located on both sides of the bay.

Sail over to Petit Martinique, Grenada’s northern most island. It’s a great place to come ashore to replenish water, alcohol, ice and more. Many of the residents here live by boatbuilding, and Petit Martinique is famous for its plywood speedboats. For great snorkeling and exploring, Fota and Petite Dominique are within range of a seaworthy dinghy. Be sure to stop at Mopion for lunch on your way! Mopion is surrounded by amazing reefs to dive, and is known as the world’s smallest island with a structure.

Complete customs and immigration clearance out of Grenada; then enjoy a nice sail across to Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Arrive in Clifton Harbour, Union Island to clear into St. Vincent. Clifton is the island’s main town and a bustling small port that’s full of color where you’re welcomed by warm, friendly islanders. The roads and trails offer some of the best hiking and biking in The Grenadines. Be sure to get a drink on Happy Island, an island made entirely from conch shells.

Sailing into Carriacou, stop into the town of Hillsborough. Built on a wonderful beach, the town offers charming seaside dining and just a short walk from the docks, the museum features an eclectic collection of artwork and historical pieces. If you’re seeking a taste of the local culture, be sure to stop into one of the many rum shops or watch the locals build boats by traditionally by eye on the beach. Before heading for Tyrrel Bay stop at Sandy Island for lunch, great snorkeling spot, sunbathing, beach combing and to chill out.  Over-night around the corner at Tyrell Bay, and enjoy a drink at the Tipsy Turtle in Tyrell Bay.

Sailing south on to Grenada, you will pass the underwater volcano of Kick-Em Jenny; enjoy a nice sail along the coast of Grenada passing Dragon’s Bay, the historic city of St. George’s and the world renowned Grand Anse Beach. Eat lunch on the way and stop in at Customs and Immigration on Prickly Bay, unless you went ashore in Hillsborough, Carriacou to clear customs. Spend your last evening anchored in Prickly Bay, which is known as one of the best anchorages amongst cruisers. Enjoy live steel drum band music from the yacht club’s bar. Consider organizing a land tour into the rain forest and cool off in one of Grenada’s many waterfalls.

After chart briefing and orientation, clear customs out of St Lucia and depart for an easy, long reach along the coast to Soufriére, a picturesque town that shares its name with a nearby dormant volcano (the only one in the world where it’s possible to drive a car inside!). Creole buildings with gingerbread trim and balconies overlooking the lanes and streets create an Old World ambience. Enjoy window shopping and dining out. Both scenic and accommodating to boaters, the waters around the Pitons are part of the Soufriére Marine Management Area and a highlight of yachting in the Pitons. The twin conical peaks of Petit Piton (elevation 2,460 ft) and Gros Piton (elevation 2,619 ft) are magic to the eyes of cruisers heading south, marking a picturesque entry into the charm of the Eastern Caribbean.

Set sail early to reach Petit Bayhaut, in St Vincent, for lunch and snorkelling. Pick up a mooring ball at Young Island Cut for the night. Yachting in Young Island Cut waters brings you to the southern end of St Vincent, which has a variety of good harbours, including the one at Young Island Cut. Easy to enter from the west, you’re ideally situated to enjoy a nice view of Young Island to the south and the pleasure of going ashore to sample the cuisine at the restaurants lining the St Vincent shore and to barhop to your heart’s content into the wee hours of the night. The harbour of Blue Lagoon, also popular with charterers, is within walking distance.

A short sail will take you to anchor in Admiralty Bay, Bequia’s main harbour on the island’s west side and the location of the only settlement, Port Elizabeth. When cruising in Admiralty Bay you’ll see at the head of the harbour small hotels, a variety of shops, boutiques, food markets, a bookshop, and a number of bars and restaurants, many with a nautical theme in keeping with the fishing and boatbuilding tradition that’s alive and well on the island. Artisans build small and large vessels from wood using traditional methods. On Bequia’s south side you can find the gorgeous Friendship Bay with its lovely white sand beach and an anchorage that’s well protected from swells.

Sail to the tiny island of Petit Nevis for lunch and more beach time. On to Mustique, the island of royals, the rich and the famous, you can overnight in Britannia Bay. A spine of hills 400 to 600 feet in elevation runs down the midsection of Mustique, providing the sweeping sea views that make this area such an ideal setting for the palatial estates, about 90 in all, dotting the lush green slopes extending to the edges of pristine white-sand beaches. Celebrities, business magnates, and royalty have made the island a cherished retreat. Mustique yachting ushers you into this exclusive world.

A three-hour sail gets you to our sub-base on Canouan Island where you can top up with water and ice and change linens. Continue on from Canouan to Salt Whistle Bay, which offers great views of the Tobago Cays, snorkelling, and beachcombing. Located within the confines of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, Mayreau’s Salt Whistle Bay is a pleasant anchorage and no park fees are charged for anchoring there. The crescent-shaped white-sand beach along the shore is superb for swimming, with the balmy trade winds rustling the palms. Snorkelling here is fun, too! Be sure to include Salt Whistle Bay as an overnight anchorage.

The five deserted isles of the Tobago Cays are the jewels of Tobago Cays Marine Park, which comprises the surrounding waters as well. Horseshoe Reef almost encircles the four main cays, and beyond its protective embrace is Petit Tabac. As one of the premier snorkelling and diving locales within the Grenadines, and the entire Windward chain, for that matter, it’s no surprise that Tobago Cays cruising is the main attraction when exploring these waters.

After a nice sail from the Tobago Cays enjoy the afternoon and evening at Chatham Bay, tucked in the embrace of the island behind a prominent headland. This anchorage is located in a pristine valley with no development on the hillsides. There are a few beach bars along the beach. We recommend stopping at Sekki’s Sunset Beach Bar, featured on the Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain.  A beach extends along much of the shore, an ideal site to relax, swim, or snorkel along the reef located on both sides of the bay.

Sail over to Petit Martinique, Grenada’s northernmost island. It’s a great place to come ashore to replenish water, alcohol, ice and more. Many of the residents here live by boatbuilding, and Petit Martinique is famous for its plywood speedboats. For great snorkelling and exploring, Fota and Petite Dominique are within range of a seaworthy dinghy. Be sure to stop at Mopion for lunch on your way! Mopion is surrounded by amazing reefs to dive, and is known as the world’s smallest island with a structure.

Sailing into Carriacou, stop at the town of Hillsborough. Built on a wonderful beach, the town offers charming seaside dining. Just a short walk from the docks, the museum features an eclectic collection of artwork and historical pieces. To get a taste of the local culture, be sure to stop into one of the many rum shops or watch the locals build traditional boats by eye on the beach. Before heading for Tyrrel Bay stop at Sandy Island for lunch. This is a great spot for snorkelling, sunbathing, beachcombing and chilling out.  Moor for the night around the corner at Tyrell Bay and enjoy a drink at the Tipsy Turtle.

After a nice day of sailing around the islands, pick up a government mooring ball in Dragon Bay. Enjoy some amazing snorkelling at Moliniere Point, and if you enjoy diving, be sure to arrange a dive at the underwater sculpture garden, which is rumoured to be home to a family of black and red sea horses.

Enjoy your day at Prickly Bay, which is known amongst cruisers as one of the best anchorages. Customs and Immigration is available at the yacht club right in the anchorage, but if you choose to stop in Hillsborough, Carriacou to clear in, there’s no need to revisit customs in Prickly Bay. Enjoy live steel band music from the yacht club’s bar. Consider organising a land tour into the rainforest and cool off beneath one of Grenada’s many waterfalls.

As one of Grenada’s most popular cruising hangouts, Hog Island is a peaceful anchorage with plenty of snorkelling and a fun and exciting ambience. Be sure to stop by the ramshackle Roger’s Bar for a cool island drink!

Grand Mal is a well-protected anchorage in most conditions, and the most protected area in northerly swells. Breathe in the fresh island air at The Sunset View, a beachfront restaurant with spectacular views of the sea and anchorage, as well as live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.