7-Day Grenada Sailing Itinerary: Spice Island and the Grenadines

A Grenada-based catamaran week is the southernmost charter week in the Caribbean — south of the formal hurricane belt, within range of the Tobago Cays and the Grenadines, and built around 25 to 35 nm trade-wind reaches between anchorages with cocoa farms behind them and turtles grazing in front. The route below assumes a Saturday-to-Saturday charter from Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada — the largest charter base south of St. Lucia.

Daily distances and pacing

The week below is loop-style: Mt. Hartman → Halifax Harbour → Carriacou (Tyrrel Bay) → Tobago Cays → Mayreau → Union Island → return south. Total 180 to 200 nm across the week. Daily legs 18 to 35 nm, comfortable trade-wind reaching with the Maestral easterly building from late morning. Customs clearance at Carriacou (Grenada) and Union Island (St. Vincent) — plan one half-day each.

Day 1 (Saturday): Mt. Hartman to Halifax Harbour

Charter handover usually 14:00 to 16:00. Provision at the Spiceland Mall before departure (USD 95 per person per day for a chef-prepared week, USD 35 to 50 for self-provisioning). Cast off by 16:30 for the easy 12 nm leeward-coast sail to Halifax Harbour.

Halifax Harbour anchorage

Quiet, protected bay on Grenada’s west coast. Anchor in 7 to 10 m of sand. First night dinner aboard while the crew settles. Walk to the village for breakfast next morning at Bel Air for fresh bake-and-saltfish.

Day 2: Halifax to Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou

The week’s second-longest leg: 25 nm reach north. Customs clearance into Carriacou (Grenada) at the Tyrrel Bay customs office — boat papers, passports, crew list. Anchor in 6 to 9 m of mud-and-sand holding.

Carriacou shore stops

Tyrrel Bay village is small but charter-supportive: The Slipway (grilled mahi-mahi and the local Westerhall rum), Lambi Queen (conch fritters), and the morning bakery for breakfast on the boat. Walk inland 30 minutes to the Anglican Church and the bay-overlook viewpoint.

Day 3: Carriacou to Tobago Cays

Customs check-out from Carriacou before departure. Sail 18 nm north-east to the Tobago Cays — the iconic anchorage of the entire Grenadines.

The Tobago Cays anchorage

Five uninhabited cays — Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac, Jamesby — surround a 4 nm horseshoe of turquoise reef water. Mooring buoys are mandatory (no anchor zones to protect coral); USD 25 per person per night plus park entry. Sea turtles graze the seagrass beds in the marked turtle-viewing zones; avoid touching.

Dinner: the lobster boat

Local fishermen run barbecue boats that beach on Petit Bateau at sunset. Order grilled lobster (USD 65 to 80 per person), fresh-baked roti, and a Hairoun beer. Bring cash; no cards. The lobster is genuinely caught that morning.

Day 4: Second night Tobago Cays + side trip

Two nights in Tobago Cays is the standard pacing — one to settle in, one to dive the reef. The horseshoe reef on the windward side is one of the Caribbean’s healthiest small-coral reefs, with hawksbill and green turtles, southern stingrays, and the occasional spotted eagle ray. Snorkel-only for most of the area; advanced divers can book a half-day with Grenadines Dive from Union Island.

Day 5: Tobago Cays to Mayreau (Saltwhistle Bay)

3 nm west to Mayreau. Saltwhistle Bay is the perfect crescent of white sand bordered by Atlantic on one side and Caribbean on the other — a half-mile walk crosses the entire island. Anchor in 6 m of sand.

Mayreau village walk

30-minute walk inland-and-uphill to Old Wall, the village at the island’s centre. Roberts Bar serves oildown (the chicken-or-saltfish slow-cooked stew that’s Grenada’s national dish) and the cold local Hairoun beer. Sunday-noon barbecue at Robert’s is the day’s cultural moment.

Day 6: Mayreau to Union Island (Clifton)

4 nm south to Union Island’s Clifton Harbour. Customs clearance for departure from Grenadines (St. Vincent jurisdiction) — bring boat papers and passports. Anchor in the inner harbour at 5 m.

Happy Island Bar

The unofficial midpoint of every Grenadines charter — a sandbar built up of conch shells over thirty years, with a bar perched on top. Order a rum punch, take the photo, jump off the back. Approach by dinghy; the sandbar is ankle-deep at low tide.

Dinner at Lambi’s Restaurant

Walk 200 m from the harbour. Order the lambi (conch) Creole-style stewed in coconut milk and curry. Pair with a local Westerhall Plantation rum on the rocks.

Day 7: Union to Mt. Hartman

The week’s longest leg: 60 nm reach south back to Grenada. Plan a 06:30 departure to arrive Mt. Hartman by 14:00. Customs back into Grenada at Mt. Hartman or Prickly Bay. Boat return Saturday 09:00.

What to budget

For a week running this route on a 47-foot bareboat catamaran in shoulder season: USD 9,500 base + USD 380 mooring fees + USD 380 customs/park fees + USD 400 fuel + USD 75/person/day chef provisioning (USD 525 for a couple) = roughly USD 11,200 total. Add USD 4,800 for skipper-and-hostess crew if you want crewed.

Best months for this route

December through April is peak — reliable trades, low rainfall, water 27°C. May, June, and November are excellent shoulder months with lower pricing. July, August, and September overlap formal hurricane months but Grenada’s southern position keeps risk manageable; many charter weeks run year-round here without itinerary disruption.

Comparison with the BVI loop

This route is the open-water alternative to the BVI Tortola loop. Longer legs, fewer mooring balls, and anchorages that feel genuinely remote. Compared to the Bahamas Exumas, the Grenadines have bigger waves and richer reef diving but smaller cays.

For Grenada destination data, see our complete Grenada catamaran guide or the Grenada destination overview. Browse the Caribbean fleet, or request a personalised quote with the Tobago Cays loop.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to clear customs into the Grenadines?

Yes. Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are separate sovereign nations. Clear out of Grenada at Mt. Hartman or Prickly Bay, into Carriacou (Grenada side) at Tyrrel Bay, then into Grenadines (St. Vincent jurisdiction) at Union Island Clifton. Plan one half-day total for clearance procedures across the week.

Is the Tobago Cays park fee mandatory?

Yes. USD 25 per person per night plus a USD 10 to 15 boat fee. Includes mooring buoy use and park ranger services. The fees fund coral and turtle protection programs that have visibly improved reef health since 2010.

What if the weather forecast turns bad in mid-week?

The Grenadines are mid-Caribbean — most named storms track north of 15° latitude, missing the route. If a tropical wave or low-pressure system threatens, the standard fallback is to stay in Tobago Cays (well-protected mooring) or retreat to Carriacou’s Tyrrel Bay (very protected). Charter operators monitor forecasts daily and will SMS or VHF you with routing recommendations.

Can I do this route bareboat as a first-time Caribbean skipper?

The Grenada-Carriacou-Grenadines route requires more experience than the BVI. Multiple customs clearances, longer legs, less mooring infrastructure. Most charterers without prior Windwards experience book a captain for the first 2 days through the Grenada-to-Carriacou crossing, then take over for the Tobago Cays portion.

What about chartering one-way south to St. Lucia?

Many Grenada operators offer one-way drops in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia (90 nm north of the Grenadines) for a USD 850 to 1,200 positioning fee. This adds three more sailing days but gives you Bequia, Mustique, and the southern St. Vincent coast — a 10 to 12 day itinerary instead of 7.

About this guide

This guide was prepared by the Catamaran Charter Caribbean editorial team — charter brokers who have run the Grenada-Grenadines loop above many times since 2007. Last reviewed: May 2026.

If anything has shifted, write us at www.catamaran-charter-caribbean.com/contact.