Tobago Cays Marine Park

We are not sailors, yachties or cruisers, so if we wanted to explore the smaller islands in the Caribbean or enjoy a day in the Tobago Cays - we needed to find a way to do this.

Thankfully Allison and her team at Isle of Reefs Tours offered an opportunity to see the Cays that is affordable and most of all, fun!

Sunday was beautiful and we headed out from Silver Bay (right in front of Ade's Dream) on a full day of adventure from Carriacou to the Tobagos Cays with a stop at Mayreau Island on the way back. We decided that having already visited Happy Island on our last trip that we wanted to see Mayreau this time - which was fine with Allison and Mojo. We were excited for our day on the water - not to mention snorkelling, iguana watching and sipping on rum punch!

We left Carriacou passing by Petite Martinique, Union Island and Palm Island before arriving at the Tobago Cays. The Cays are an archipelago consisting of 5 uninhabited islands: Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradol, Petit Tobac and Jamesby. Petit Tobac is where Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly were stranded in the first Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.

Our first stop was Petit Bateau where we had a chance to relax and check out the island before heading off to Baradol.
                                 
Baradol is home to the Lesser Antilles Iguanas. These prehistoric looking creatures were found all over the hills - in the trees, the grasses - even in the middle of the walking path!

   

Saw turtles, rays and lots of fish in the water off Baradol - a beautiful place to swim before heading back to Petit Bateau for a 'picnic' lunch courtesy of Allison. I can't imagine anything further from a picnic - a delicious sit down meal complete with plates, cutlery, cloth napkins - so delicious we had to have a bit of a nap before heading back into the water.

On our way back to Carriacou we stopped at Mayreau Island  where we had a bit of a hike up to the Catholic Church  where you can see the entire Tobago Cays.

After a full day exploring the Cays, we headed back to Carriacou for dinner at Laurena's before relaxing on the deck of Ade's. Night!

                                      

Off to Carriacou we go!

After a night at Woburn Villas, we headed down to catch the ferry at Carenage. The Osprey Ferry runs between Grenada and her sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique every day. If you haven't purchased your ticket before travelling, you can buy one at the dock - but you must bring cash!

This was our second trip to Carriacou and this time, it was a little rougher - and also very full due to the large number of people travelling to Carriacou for Carnival. It was a beautiful day for a ferry ride though - and we were able to see the coast of Grenada and some of the smaller islands to the north.

Arriving in Carriacou, we checked into our 'home away from home' for the next few days Ade's Dream. It is nothing fancy - just the basics -but clean and the staff are so friendly. It is close to restaurants, produce vendors, bus station and has a great deck to watch all the carnival festivities without having to be right in the middle of it!

We had a quick lunch at SeaWave Restaurant just across the street - great place to get local cusine for a reasonable price - but remember - you are on local time - so enjoy the time it takes to have lunch!


After lunch, Allison of Isle of Reefs Tours met us for a tour of Carriacou. What a treat! We never felt rushed and Allison answered all of our questions - which required a lot of patience as we asked a lot of questions!

We learned about the history of Carriacou, saw boats under construction, historic ruins, traditional villages and board houses, beautiful beaches and so much more! It was well worth the cost - we were able to see the whole island without having to rent a vehicle or rely on the bus system.

After our tour, we had a walk through town and enjoyed a beautiful sunset before enjoying dinner at the Kayak Kafe before we called it a night! Looking forward to tomorrow and out trip to the Tobago Cays!

It's been a busy week! Catching Up! Day 1 - February 13 2015

Hard to believe this time last week we had arrived in Grenada and were on our way to Carriacou via the Osprey Ferry.

It is always a long trip - first across to Toronto with WestJet and then to Grenada with Caribbean Airlines - but stepping off the plane to sunshine and warm weather was worth it!

Caribbean Airlines sure knows how to make passengers feel welcome! From complimentary luggage check in to headsets and blankets - they offer it all - including an in-flight meal or snack depending on what flight you take.

We took the red eye - and even then, they offered a 'snack' consisting of a Jerk Turkey Sandwich, chips, cookies and beverages - including a delicious rum punch!

                        

We did manage to get a bit of sleep - but not much - and were happy to get through customs and pick up our bags before heading off to Woburn Villas which would be our home base for the next few weeks.

Our host Yvonne had picked up a few groceries so after a bit of breakfast, showers and bit of shut eye -  Yvonne dropped us off at Spiceland Mall and we enjoyed some window shopping before heading out to Grand Anse Beach and some 'lime time'.

It was an early night - we were not quite on Grenada time yet and still had a bit of repacking to do but we did have time to enjoy dinner at Umbrellas - still has good food and a fun beach vibe. Best of all - we didn't have to cook! Then off to bed so we could be up early to take the ferry to Carriacou - and Carnival!

I took lots of pictures and had great intentions of blogging every night on this trip - but the fresh air and fun meant I was pretty tired - and no blogging until now. But will try to get caught up this weekend - don't want to forget a minute of this trip!