Port Louis Marina – Dragon Bay, Grenada – Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau – Sandy Island, Carriacou

Route · 14 days · round-tripYacht charter route · Grenada

Port Louis Marina via Dragon Bay, Grenada & Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau.

Two weeks from Port Louis Marina, Grenada up to the Tobago Cays and back. Turtle snorkelling, reef anchorages and a real Grenadines sailing loop.

The route

Day-by-day route

Click any pin on the map or any day in the route summary below to see that day's stop, story and photos.

Day 1

Port Louis Marina → Dragon Bay, Grenada

Ease north up Grenada's leeward coast to Dragon Bay, where an underwater sculpture park sits just off the point.

Distance

6 NM

Sailing

~1.2h at 5 kn

At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season

December – May (below the hurricane belt)

Duration

14 days

Departure

Port Louis Marina

Sailing area

Grenada

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, mooring notes and things to do for every leg of the week — the map follows along as you scroll.

Day 1 / 14

Day 1

Port Louis Marina → Dragon Bay, Grenada

Most crews leave Port Louis late morning, once the boat is provisioned and the paperwork is squared away. The run up to Dragon Bay is short, maybe four or five miles in the lee of the island, so there is no rush. The bay sits inside the Molinière-Beauséjour marine protected area, and the draw here is Jason deCaires Taylor's underwater sculpture park just around Moliniere Point. Seventy-odd figures stand in shallow water, easy to reach with a mask and fins straight off the dinghy. The beach itself is dark volcanic sand, backed by steep green hillside. Snorkelling over the reef is genuinely good, with better coral than most first-day anchorages offer. We usually swim before the afternoon boat traffic thins the visibility. A quiet, low-effort start that eases everyone into the trip.

Things to do

Snorkel the Molinière underwater sculpture park

Swim the black volcanic sand beach

Drift the reef off Moliniere Point

Dinghy in before the afternoon boat traffic

Mooring tip

There are government mooring balls in the sculpture-park zone, a marine reserve where anchoring on coral is discouraged. Grab a ball early, or anchor on the sand patch to the south in about 6 metres.

Day 2

Dragon Bay, Grenada → Tyrell Bay, Carriacou

This is the longest day of the fortnight, roughly thirty miles of open water between Grenada and Carriacou, so we like to be off the mooring by nine. The trades usually sit in the east or northeast at fifteen to twenty knots, which puts the wind forward of the beam and can make for a lively, salty ride once you clear the shelter of the coast. Give Kick 'em Jenny a proper offing. The submarine volcano lies about five miles off Grenada's north tip, with a 1.5-kilometre exclusion zone that all traffic must honour. Tyrell Bay opens up in the afternoon, a wide, well-protected anchorage full of cruising boats. Customs clearance is available at the boatyard here. Ashore, the Slipway serves dinner among old marine gear, and Lambi Queen brings out a steel band on Fridays.

Things to do

Clear Grenada customs at the boatyard

Have dinner at the Slipway restaurant

Catch Friday's steel band at Lambi Queen

Provision at the boatyard mini-market

Mooring tip

Tyrell Bay is big and the holding in mud is good, so anchoring is straightforward even when it looks crowded. Head toward the southern shore for more swinging room, and set the hook well since afternoon gusts funnel down off the hills.

Day 3

Tyrell Bay, Carriacou → Sandy Island, Carriacou

After the long slog north, day three is a reward: barely two miles across to Sandy Island, a low crescent of white sand and a handful of palms sitting on the reef off Hillsborough. It is a national marine park, so you tie to a buoy rather than anchor, and a ranger usually comes by to collect a modest fee. The snorkelling is the reason to come. The southern end holds big schools of yellow grunt, while the coral heads off the north tip are in better shape than most. There is nothing ashore, no bar, no toilet, not even shade beyond the palms, so bring water and lunch from the boat. We often take the tender over for a slow drift with the current and let it carry us back along the reef.

Things to do

Snorkel the yellow-grunt schools at the south end

Drift the north-tip coral heads with the current

Picnic under the island's few palms

Swim straight off the mooring at dawn

Mooring tip

Anchoring is not permitted; there are only about seven guest buoys, so arrive by early afternoon in high season to be sure of one. The fee runs around ten to twenty US dollars and the ranger collects it on the water.

Day 4

Sandy Island, Carriacou → Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau

Today you leave Grenadian waters for St Vincent and the Grenadines, so clear out before you go and plan to clear in at Clifton on Union Island, a short detour to windward of Mayreau. It is around a dozen miles with the trades on the beam, an easy, bright reach. Salt Whistle Bay is the payoff: a slim curl of sand with palms leaning over both sides, the Caribbean on one shore and the anchorage on the other. It is small, and it fills, especially with catamarans, by mid-afternoon. Holding on the seagrass is poor, so a mooring is worth the money. Ashore, the beach shacks run easy-going; the Last Bar Before the Jungle does cold drinks, and it is worth walking over the hill to Saline Bay for Robert Righteous and de Youths, where the curried conch is the thing to order.

Things to do

Clear into SVG at Clifton, Union Island

Walk the palm sandbar between two seas

Cold drinks at the Last Bar Before the Jungle

Curried conch at Robert Righteous, Saline Bay

Mooring tip

The bay is tight and the seagrass holding is unreliable, so take one of the moorings if any are free, and arrive early because they go fast. Anchor only in the sand patch on the north side, and expect some roll if you end up at the back.

Day 5

Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau → Tobago Cays

The Cays are only three or four miles from Mayreau, so this is a morning of anticipation rather than effort. Five uninhabited islands, Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Jamesby and Petit Tabac, sit tucked behind Horseshoe Reef, which takes the Atlantic swell full on and leaves the water inside flat and impossibly clear. Pick up a park mooring; the rangers manage roughly thirty of them and will find you for the fee. The turtle sanctuary lies off the west side of Baradal, ringed by white buoys, and you snorkel in by dinghy through a marked gap. Green turtles graze the seagrass there most days, unbothered by swimmers. In the evening the boat vendors come round taking orders for a lobster barbecue on the beach, one of those Grenadines rituals worth doing at least once.

Things to do

Snorkel the turtle sanctuary off Baradal

Book a beach lobster barbecue from a vendor

Wade ashore on Petit Bateau

Watch the swell break on Horseshoe Reef

Mooring tip

Take a park mooring rather than anchoring; the rangers lay around thirty and collect the fee on the water. Get in before mid-afternoon in season, and note the turtle-sanctuary buoys off Baradal mark a no-anchor zone reached only by tender.

Day 6

Tobago Cays → Tobago Cays

With no passage to make, day six is the one you slow down for. Most crews spend the morning back in the water, either at the turtle sanctuary or out along the inside of Horseshoe Reef, where the coral and fish life reward a longer look. A dinghy run out to Petit Tabac is worth the wet ride; the tiny palm island on the reef's edge is where a well-known pirate film marooned its castaways, and it is usually deserted by mid-morning. Baradal has a short walk up to a low viewpoint over the whole anchorage, which is the photograph everyone remembers. Afternoons tend to go the way of a swim, a book in the cockpit shade, and another round from the ice-and-drinks boats that circulate through the fleet. Keep an eye on the forecast if a northerly swell is running.

Things to do

Dinghy out to Petit Tabac's palm islet

Hike Baradal's viewpoint over the anchorage

Snorkel the inside of Horseshoe Reef

Buy ice and drinks from a vendor boat

Mooring tip

Since you are staying put, check your mooring pennant and chafe gear in the morning. Ground swell from the north occasionally wraps into the anchorage, so if it turns rolly the moorings tucked closer to Baradal ride easier.

Day 7

Tobago Cays → Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau

The return to Salt Whistle Bay is a short downwind slide, done well before lunch. Having anchored here already, this stop is about the island rather than the beach. A steep road climbs from Saline Bay up to the village on the ridge, and the small stone Catholic church at the top gives one of the best views in the Grenadines, the Tobago Cays laid out on the reef below with the ocean beyond. It is a sweaty twenty-minute walk, best done late afternoon when the light softens and the heat eases. Back down at the water, the beach bars run at their own pace; a rum punch at sundown is the standard order. Dennis's Hideaway over at Saline Bay is a reliable spot for dinner if you want a change from the Salt Whistle shacks.

Things to do

Climb to the hilltop church viewpoint

Look back over the Cays from the ridge

Sundown rum punch on the beach

Dinner at Dennis's Hideaway, Saline Bay

Mooring tip

Same as before: grab a mooring if you can, since the seagrass holding is poor and the bay packs out. If you arrive to a full field, Saline Bay on the south side has more room to anchor in sand and an easy dinghy landing.

Day 8

Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau → Tyrell Bay, Carriacou

Heading south again means checking out of St Vincent and the Grenadines at Clifton and checking back into Grenada at Tyrell Bay, so keep the ship's papers and crew list handy. The sail down is around a dozen miles and, with the trades behind you now, generally kinder than the northbound passage a week earlier. Tyrell Bay feels familiar on the second visit, which is no bad thing after a run of open anchorages. Once the paperwork is done there is time to poke the dinghy up into the mangrove lagoon at the head of the bay, a designated hurricane hole and a quiet contrast to the moorings. For dinner, the row of waterfront spots gives you options beyond the Slipway; most crews just wander the shore until something looks right.

Things to do

Clear back into Grenada at Tyrell Bay

Dinghy the mangrove hurricane-hole lagoon

Wander the waterfront for dinner

Restock fuel and water at the boatyard

Mooring tip

Holding in the bay's mud is reliable, so anchoring is the easy default; leave the moorings for boats that want them. Tuck toward the south end away from the ferry channel, and keep clear of the marked lagoon entrance if you go exploring by dinghy.

Day 9

Tyrell Bay, Carriacou → Sandy Island, Carriacou

The second call at Sandy Island is a chance to take it slower and combine the buoy with a run ashore. The crossing is a matter of minutes rather than miles. This time, once you have swum the reef, it is worth dropping the dinghy on the mainland at L'Esterre and walking the long pale strip of Paradise Beach. The Hardwood Bar sits back under the trees there and does cold beer and conch to a soundtrack of whatever is playing. Divers on board might arrange a trip out to Sister Rocks, the twin pinnacles a little further offshore that draw the best marine life around Carriacou. Otherwise the day looks much like the first visit, which on Sandy Island is exactly the point. Tie up, swim, dry off, repeat.

Things to do

Beer and conch at the Hardwood Bar

Walk the length of Paradise Beach

Arrange a dive out at Sister Rocks

Swim the reef straight off the buoy

Mooring tip

The park buoys off Sandy Island are limited and popular, so if they are full on arrival, anchor off L'Esterre Bay instead and tender across. The same marine-park fee applies, collected by the ranger.

Day 10

Sandy Island, Carriacou → Tyrell Bay, Carriacou

Day ten is really about getting ready for the return crossing, so the short sail back to Tyrell Bay is mostly a means to an end. This is the place to fill water and fuel, top up the fridge at the mini-market, and sort any laundry while there is a dock to do it from. With time in hand, a bus or taxi into Hillsborough, Carriacou's main town, is worth it for the local market and a look at the small heritage museum. The town has an unhurried, workaday feel that the anchorages do not. Back aboard, most skippers give the boat a once-over and check the weather window for the morning; the leg down to Grenada is long and best started early. A quiet dinner at anchor tends to suit the evening before a big day.

Things to do

Reprovision at the Tyrell Bay mini-market

Take a taxi into Hillsborough town

Browse the Carriacou heritage museum

Fill fuel and water for the passage

Mooring tip

Anchor as before in the good mud holding; there is no need for a mooring here. If you want to top up at the fuel dock, go early, and set your anchor with plenty of scope so the boat sits quietly overnight before the passage.

Day 11

Tyrell Bay, Carriacou → Dragon Bay, Grenada

The crossing that felt like hard work on the way north pays you back today. With the trades astern, the thirty-odd miles from Carriacou to Grenada become a rolling downwind run, quicker and drier than the outbound passage. An early start still makes sense; the wind tends to build through the day and you want the anchor down in daylight. Route wide of Kick 'em Jenny once again, keeping outside the exclusion zone off Grenada's north coast, then close the leeward shore as the island's high ground flattens the sea. Dragon Bay comes as a soft landing after the open water, the same protected pocket you started from, with the sculpture park on the doorstep for anyone wanting a last snorkel. After a long day at the helm, most crews are happy to settle in early and let the boat sit still.

Things to do

Ride the downwind trades south to Grenada

Stay wide of the Kick 'em Jenny zone

Take a last snorkel at the sculpture park

Settle in early after the crossing

Mooring tip

Back on the government balls in the Molinière reserve, pick up a mooring rather than anchoring on the coral. Arrive with daylight to spare; sorting a ball or a sand-patch anchorage is far easier before the light goes after a long passage.

Day 12

Dragon Bay, Grenada → St. George’s, Grenada

A short run down the coast brings you to St George's, and it is one of the prettier capitals to approach by sea. The town wraps around the Carenage, a horseshoe of pastel warehouses and red roofs climbing the hillsides, with Fort George standing over the entrance. There is a berth at Port Louis Marina in the lagoon, or you can anchor off and walk in. The Carenage itself is made for wandering, lined with rum shops and cafes; the produce and spice market a few streets up is the place to buy nutmeg, mace and cocoa balls straight from the growers on the Spice Isle. Fort George is a stiff climb but the view over the harbour and out to sea is the reward. This is the trip's dose of town life after two weeks of quiet bays, and it lands well.

Things to do

Climb Fort George for the harbour view

Buy nutmeg and cocoa at the spice market

Wander the Carenage's rum shops and cafes

Berth or anchor off Port Louis Marina

Mooring tip

A slip at Port Louis Marina is the simplest option and puts you a step from town, or you can anchor out in the lagoon where holding is decent. Book a berth ahead in peak season, and call the marina on VHF 14 on approach.

Day 13

St. George’s, Grenada → Dragon Bay, Grenada

The last full day is deliberately gentle, a short reach back up the west coast to Dragon Bay. There is no need to hurry, and the leg doubles as a buffer: if the earlier passages ran late or the weather turned, this is the slack in the schedule that keeps the trip relaxed rather than rushed. Most crews treat it as a farewell to the water. A final drift over the sculpture park, a long lunch at anchor, a last swim off the stern before the boat has to go back. The leeward coast stays calm in the island's wind shadow, so it is easy sailing whatever the trades are doing offshore. Being close to base means the final morning's run into Port Louis is short, which takes the pressure off check-out. A quiet night at Dragon Bay closes the loop.

Things to do

Take a final drift over the sculpture park

Long lunch at anchor in Dragon Bay

Last swim off the stern

Position close to base for check-out

Mooring tip

Back on the Molinière moorings for the last night; take a ball early so you can relax into the evening. Being only a few miles from Port Louis means no pressure on the morning, so there is no reason to push for a spot after dark.

Day 14

Dragon Bay, Grenada → Port Louis Marina

The last morning is a formality more than a sail: a few miles down the coast from Dragon Bay to Port Louis Marina, usually with the sun still low. Charter check-outs tend to want the boat back mid-morning, so an early breakfast and a tidy-up under way keep things unhurried. Coming into the lagoon, call the marina on VHF 14 for a berth and follow the buoyed channel in past the red markers. Once alongside there is fuel to top up, the dinghy to stow and bags to pack, then the handover with the base. If flights allow, it is worth lingering a while in St George's rather than rushing off; the Carenage cafes make an easy last few hours ashore. Two weeks, roughly a hundred and twenty miles sailed, and a proper loop of the southern Grenadines behind you.

Things to do

Call Port Louis Marina on VHF 14

Follow the buoyed channel past red markers

Top up fuel before the handover

Last coffee on the Carenage after check-out

Mooring tip

This is a marina finish, so there is no anchoring to worry about; reserve your berth in advance and confirm the return time with the base. Come in slowly through the lagoon, watch for ferry traffic, and have fenders and lines ready both sides before the fairway.