Frangipani
- Category
- Villas & Villa Living
- Island
- Grenada & Carriacou
- Location
- Hillsborough Bay, Carriacou
- No of Rooms:
- 5
- Prices from:
- US $325.00/ villa/ night ? view all rates
At a glance
A contemporary 5-bedroom villa set on the hillside above Tom’s Bay on Carriacou, Grenada's sister island in the Grenadines. Complete with its own plunge pool, it offers privacy while being within minutes of Hillsborough, the island’s capital.
- Best for:
- Beach, Family
- Who for:
- Family and friends wanting privacy, but with local life nearby
- Not for:
- Glitzy resort lovers
- How to get there:
- Direct flights from UK, US, Canada, Europe to Grenada and an inter-island flight or fast ferry to Carriacou. Alternatively travel via Barbados from where there are flights to Carriacou
Key features
Excellent Carriacou vacation rental; 2 full kitchens, A/C, ceiling fans and screens, telephone, WiFi, solar-heated showers, full-length veranda, outdoor plunge pool and open deck.
Style:
Spacious and elegant with clean lines and a contemporary finish including marble top counters and rattan furniture, excellent sea views over Hillsborough Bay
The beach:
Side gate leads to Tom’s Beach, rocky directly below the villa, but a short walk to sand nearby at Sparrow Bay
The rooms / villas:
3 double bedrooms in the main house and two double bedrooms in the lower floor apartment.
Children:
Welcome
Staff:
Twice-weekly maid service (can be arranged more often)
Journalist’s Review
Beach & Swimming
Frangipani is set on the shoreline just above Tom's Beach. Beneath the house itself the beach is rocky, but if you walk farther along you will come to a half-mile stretch of sand at Sparrow Bay. There is snorkelling not far offshore at both ends of the beach.
The closest of the island's excellent beaches is at Anse la Roche, just north of Bogles. Although development is possibly on the cards, the beach has no facilities at present and so you will need to take all you want in the way of water and food. Alternatively you can head down to Paradise Bay on the other side of Hillsborough, another excellent stretch of sand, where there is a beach bar.
There is a plunge pool at Frangipani.
Sports & Recreation
Watersports are limited on Carriacou. The scuba diving, however, is pretty good and there are several companies. Try Carriacou Silver Diving in Hillsborough, which is not far away. They will also rent you snorkelling gear.
There are several excellent day sails based in the island (people come from as far afield as Grenada for them), which visit the islands off Carriacou and also the Tobago Cays a few miles to the north. If you would prefer to travel independently, you can get one of the water-taxi men to run you out to Sandy Island off Paradise Beach. They are happy to pick up from the beach at Frangipani.
Locality
Frangipani is in the north of Carriacou, in a small villa community called Snow Hill close to the village of Bogles. Hillsborough, the island's capital town (more of a village, really) is just a few minutes away. Here you will find supermarkets, a couple of 'sites', including the small museum, and a handful of restaurants. Close by, towards Bogles is the Round House, a very nice restaurant set in a private house.
Beyond Hillsborough along the coast is Paradise Beach (though you have to go inland to get around the airport), which the liveliest beach on the island. And not far beyond here is Tyrell Bay, where there are several restaurants and bars to go with a fantastic view of the sunset through the yachts and local trading boats. Try The Lazy Turtle Pizzeria and Lambi Queen, or the bar on the pontoon in the bay.
There are also a number of islands off Carriacou, many visible in the distance from Frangipani, which make for excellent day trips. It is also possible to go there independently - the easiest to reach is Sandy Island, a ribbon of coral and sand just off Paradise Bay. You can arrange for a boatman to take you out there - and collect you again later in the day.
Useful Hints
Down Island Villa Rentals can arrange for a cooked meal to be delivered to Frangipani on your first evening so that you do not have to think about it on your arrival. They can also stock your villa with groceries in advance if you wish. After your booking is confirmed, Down Island will send out a provisions list so that you can choose what you require. The cost of the shopping will be added to your account. These services are subject to a service charge of up to 15%.
Getting to Carriacou
Getting to your villa in Carriacou can be a little complicated. The easiest access is probably via Grenada, from where there are about three daily flights on SVG Air. However the latest flight is at about 4pm, so (depending on your international connections) you may not be able to make the island on the same day. You might consider a two-centre holiday with a villa in Grenada. Another option is the fast ferry, the Osprey, which runs twice daily both ways between the islands. The last sailing to Carriacou from downtown St george's is at about 5.30pm.
Barbados is better served with international flights than Grenada and so it may be easier to route your journey via there. Inter-island flights are not ideal, but you can take a share charter flight to Union Island. From here there are two different options, a short hop by plane (be aware that the last flight usually leaves by about 4pm) or a water taxi ride from Union Island to Carriacou. Another option to consider from Barbados, the most direct of all, is to take a private charter in a small plane. This is obviously convenient and if there are enough of you, prices will be comparable. The option of a private charter probably gives you the best chance of getting to Carriacou on the same day. Contact SVG Air.
A couple of days a week there are also services from Carriacou via Canouan, which is not far away in the Grenadines. Canouan can be reached from San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Airport Meet & Greet
Down Island Villas will meet you at the airport or the ferry dock in Hillsborough when you arrive on Carriacou. They will take you to Frangipani, where the housekeeper will settle you in and answer any questions you have about the villa or about the island.
On departure, most guests drive themselves back to the ferry dock or the airport, but if you would prefer, Down Island will arrange transport for you free of charge.
Getting Around
A car is a useful addition to a Carriacou villa rental. You can explore the island, visit the beaches for the day, eat out when you do not want to cater for yourself and collect your groceries. We recommend a rental car with every Caribbean vacation villa rental and suggest that you make a reservation in advance through Down Island Villas, who use our recommended Carriacou car hire company, Martin and Wayne Jeep Rentals. Or you can do so through your travel organiser.
Down Island's delivery driver will bring the jeep to Frangipani so that you can complete the paperwork. They will then accompany you to the Police Station in order to get you your local Grenadian driving licence (price EC$30 for each driver), and give you an orientation tour of Hillsborough and the area at the same time. Be aware that at the height of the season between December and April, as well as during August and Thanksgiving (November), cars on island can be booked up, so it is a good idea to reserve one in advance.
Buses do run around the island, from Hillsborough past Snow Hill to Bogles and across to Windward. You will need to walk down to the main road. Services are unpredictable.
Frangipani offers bookings via the following villa rental agents:
-
Down Island Villas
A villa rental agency based on Grenada’s sister island of Carriacou, with over 17 years experience.
