Grenada Reopens Carriacou Routes for Slow Tourism

Written By: Abhirup Gan

Abhirup Gan

I'm Abhirup Gan, a Mass Communication graduate and digital marketing professional. Driven by a passion for storytelling, I create insightful, research-led content that explores tourism trends, destination stories, and hospitality developments with depth and clarity. Through my writing, I hope to inspire readers to discover not only where to travel, but the stories, cultures, and experiences that make every journey meaningful.

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September 5, 2026 1:36 PM

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In 2026, the nation of Grenada is working to restore its tourism connections on the other two sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Inter-island ferries have been re-launched to help rebuild communities outside of the country’s hotel regions. The rebuilding program involves both maritime travel and cultural and nature-based tourism. Some new and improved tourism options include boatbuilding trails in Windward and diving trails that are run by locals, as well as guest houses in the family style. The project allows tourists more incentive to go to parts of the country other than those in southern Grenada. Fishing, wooden boatbuilding, and the marine world create the backbone for tourism in Grenada.

Carriacou Restores Its Maritime Connections

Carriacou is strengthening its role as an accessible destination within Grenada’s wider island network. Restored ferry connections are improving links between the sister islands and supporting more flexible itineraries for visitors. Travellers can incorporate Carriacou and Petite Martinique into a wider Grenada holiday rather than relying exclusively on accommodation and attractions on the main island. Improved maritime connectivity is particularly important for outer-island tourism because visitors need reliable transport to reach smaller communities, beaches, heritage sites and marine attractions. The renewed connections are therefore supporting both visitor movement and the recovery of local tourism businesses.

Petite Martinique Adds Island Experiences

Petite Martinique provides a smaller-scale tourism experience centred around its maritime character and close-knit island community.

The island’s location within Grenada’s wider maritime environment makes it suitable for travellers interested in combining island exploration with local culture and coastal activities.

Its inclusion within restored inter-island routes also allows visitors to build multi-island itineraries rather than treating Grenada as a single-destination holiday.

For travellers, this creates opportunities to spend more time in smaller communities and experience a different side of Grenada’s tourism landscape.

Windward Preserves Boatbuilding Heritage

The community of Windward on Carriacou is an important focus of the heritage tourism programme because of its traditional wooden boatbuilding culture.

The island has a distinctive boatbuilding tradition influenced by Caribbean, Scottish and West African heritage. Traditional wooden vessels remain closely connected with the maritime identity of local communities.

Guided artisan trails are being developed to introduce visitors to this living craft tradition.

Travellers can learn about the construction of wooden boats and the skills involved in maintaining a maritime culture that has developed over generations.

The boatbuilding experience provides a cultural attraction that differs from conventional Caribbean beach tourism.

Coastal Trails Expand Visitor Activities

The restored tourism network also includes low-impact coastal exploration routes.

These experiences allow visitors to explore sections of Carriacou’s coastline while connecting nature tourism with local communities.

Coastal activities can complement traditional sightseeing by introducing travellers to beaches, fishing areas and marine landscapes.

The development of guided routes also gives visitors structured ways to explore the islands while supporting local operators who provide interpretation and transportation.

Diving Opens Offshore Marine Experiences

Locally operated dive routes are another component of Carriacou’s tourism offering.

The waters surrounding the sister islands provide opportunities for underwater exploration, with offshore reef environments forming a major attraction for diving visitors.

Community-operated diving services can connect marine tourism directly with local businesses while giving travellers access to sites outside the most established Caribbean diving circuits.

The focus on lower-impact experiences also provides a framework for developing diving tourism around marine environments without relying on large-scale coastal development.

Guesthouses Strengthen Community Tourism

Family-run guesthouses are expanding accommodation options across the sister islands.

These properties provide visitors with alternatives to large resort complexes while placing accommodation within local communities.

Staying in family-operated properties can also encourage travellers to spend on locally provided food, transport, guiding and other services during their visit.

For Carriacou and Petite Martinique, this creates a tourism model in which accommodation becomes part of the community experience rather than simply a base for beach activities.

Tourism Supports Outer-Island Recovery

The restoration of tourism routes is particularly significant for communities rebuilding after severe storm impacts.

Reliable ferry services can reconnect residents and visitors while helping local tourism businesses return to regular operations.

Carriacou and Petite Martinique can also benefit from increased visitor spending as travellers extend their Grenada itineraries beyond the southern hotel corridor around Grand Anse.

A broader distribution of tourism activity creates opportunities for fishing communities, artisans, guides, guesthouse operators and maritime businesses.

Grenada Expands Its Island Tourism Network

In this way, the sister island regeneration programme is helping to diversify the experiences that can be had through the Grenada tourism product. In addition to beach tourism and resort holidays, the visitor can now enjoy experiences relating to maritime heritage, traditional boat building, diving, coastal excursions and community accommodation through both Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The newly restored ferry services make it easier to integrate all of these experiences in one travel itinerary and increase the importance of the outer islands within the Grenada tourism system. With the ongoing development of the maritime corridor through 2026, the two sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are becoming increasingly important to the visitor seeking Caribbean community experiences.