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.

Background

The island lies 4 km from Carriacou and covers 586 acres, about 9.8% of the land area of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, with 10% of its people. The main town, Madame Pierre in the north, is named after the wife of Pierre Philip, a settler who left Martinique soon after 1700 looking for fertile land to plant sugarcane and cotton; the Philip family reached Petite Martinique in the 1760s. A hurricane in the 1940s destroyed the earlier church, and the present one dates from 1947. When Hurricane Beryl struck in early July 2024, up to 95% of homes on the island were destroyed or left unfit to live in.

Source: Wikipedia, "Petite Martinique"

Highlights

• 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.

Things to know

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.

Key facts