Petite Martinique

Petite Martinique lies a short crossing beyond Carriacou, a single volcanic cone rising out of the water with around nine hundred people living on its western slope, and almost every family on it has some connection to the sea, whether fishing, boatbuilding or working ships elsewhere. Wooden sloops are still built on the beach by eye rather than from plans. There is one road and no hotel of any size.

What you actually see

• The boatbuilding - wooden sloops built on the beach without drawn plans.
• The single cone - the volcanic hill the whole island is made of.
• The western slope - where the settlement and the road run.
• The sea trades - fishing and seafaring as the island's whole economy.

When to go

December to May is the dry season with calmer crossings. Hurricane season runs June to November. Boatbuilding happens year round but depends on commissions.

Honest expectations

There is essentially no tourist infrastructure and accommodation is a couple of guesthouses. The ferry runs on a limited schedule and is cancelled in swell. There is very little to do beyond walking and swimming.

Nearby

Carriacou is west, and Grenada is far southwest.