Sandy Island

Carriacou


Sandy Island, off the west side of Hillsborough Bay, is a favorite daytime destination for snorkelers and sailors. It’s a tiny postcard-perfect reef island of glistening sands surrounded by turquoise waters. Water taxis run from Hillsborough (US$10 per passenger round trip, 15 minutes). Be clear about when you want to be picked up – as the island takes only a couple of minutes to walk around, and has little shade, a whole afternoon can tick by very slowly.

Snorkelers take to the shallow waters fronting Sandy Island, while the deeper waters on the far side are popular for diving.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Carriacou attractions

1. Paradise Beach

0.79 MILES

Carriacou's premier stretch of sand, Paradise Beach lives up to the name with a long stretch of white sand backed by palms and sea grape trees that fronts…

2. Beausejour Bay

1.64 MILES

Hillsborough’s beach isn’t the island’s best, but it’s pretty nonetheless. Fishing boats pull in along the Esplanade, where there are a couple of shady…

3. Carriacou Museum

1.65 MILES

This small, community-run museum has a limited yet nonetheless interesting array of Carib artifacts plus displays on African heritage and the colonial era.

4. Anse la Roche

3.26 MILES

Getting here is a bit of a mission, but Anse la Roche is an idyllic stretch of soft sand backed by bush and flanked by headlands. Protected by cliffs,…

5. White Island

3.5 MILES

White Island makes for a nice day trip, with a good, sandy beach and a pristine reef for snorkeling. It’s about a mile off the southern tip of Carriacou…

6. Mang Beach

6.53 MILES

The best beach on the island for swimming – there's a reef here that forms a little pool of tranquil water.

7. Mopion Island

7.21 MILES

A tiny pure-sand island northwest of PSV with just a single thatch umbrella in the middle, Mopion is the place of tropical castaway fantasies. Measuring…

8. Chatham Bay

8.44 MILES

A favorite hangout among Union Island locals and a popular anchorage for yachties in the know, Chatham Bay is a lovely thin crescent of white sand backed…