Swimming in Town: Tyrrel Bay and Hillsborough Beaches Compared

Not every Carriacou swim needs a taxi and a cool box. The island's two main settlements both sit on beaches: Hillsborough, the only town, along Hillsborough Bay on the west coast, and Harvey Vale, wrapped round Tyrrel Bay further south, where most visiting yachts anchor. People who live there swim off them before work, after work and while waiting for the ferry.

Neither is the island's best beach, and both are working waterfronts with boats, jetties and everyday life. But each has its hours and its uses, and knowing them saves a lot of transport on a short stay. This piece compares the two on the things that matter for a swim: water, boats, shade, food and timing.

Hillsborough: the town beach

Hillsborough's beach runs along the bay in front of the town, with Main Street just behind and the town jetty; the ferry from Grenada has been docking at Tyrrel Bay, so check where it calls before you travel. The sand is narrower than at Paradise Beach and the shore has more going on: fishing boats pulled up, people waiting for boats, children swimming after school and the occasional market-day bustle. The water faces west and is usually calm.

It is a practical beach rather than a scenic escape. It works best for an early-morning swim if you are staying in town, or for cooling off on a travel day when you have an hour to fill and a bag at a guesthouse. Away from the jetty the water is generally clean and clear, though less so after heavy rain, when run-off from the town and the hills reaches the bay.

Swim away from the jetty and from any boat moorings. Ferry and cargo movements stir the water, and small boats come and go close to the shore without expecting swimmers. Shade comes from whatever trees and buildings stand behind the sand, and food is a few steps away on Main Street.

Tyrrel Bay: the yacht harbour beach

Tyrrel Bay is a large, sheltered bay on the south-west coast, one of the best natural anchorages in the southern Grenadines, and for many visiting boats it is the first stop after clearing in. The village of Harvey Vale lines the shore, with a long, narrow beach, waterfront restaurants and bars, a boatyard and the services a sailing community needs. At the northern end, the mangroves of the Oyster Bed form part of the Sandy Island Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area and serve as a hurricane hole when storms approach.

As a swimming beach, Tyrrel Bay is calm and gentle, with a sandy, shallow edge. Its drawback is the number of boats. With dozens of yachts at anchor in season, the water in the inner bay is not as clean as on open beaches, especially near the busiest moorings and the boatyard. The quieter, less built-up ends are better for a dip than the stretch in front of the dinghy landings.

The bay took heavy damage from Hurricane Beryl in 2024, when many boats were wrecked and shoreline buildings destroyed. Clean-up and rebuilding have continued since; the waterfront you find may be in transition, so check which places are open.

Head to head

Water clarity. Hillsborough is usually clearer away from the jetty; Tyrrel Bay is calm but more affected by anchored boats. Both cloud after heavy rain.

Boats. Hillsborough has the town jetty, water taxis and fishing boats. Tyrrel Bay has yachts, dinghies and boatyard traffic. In both, swim close in and away from landing points.

Shade and comfort. Neither has much organised shade. Tyrrel Bay's waterfront bars give you a roof if you buy something; Hillsborough has the town at your back.

Food and drink. Tyrrel Bay has the more concentrated row of waterfront places aimed at visitors and sailors. Hillsborough has shops, snackettes and the supermarket for picnic supplies.

Atmosphere. Hillsborough feels like a town, with everyday comings and goings. Tyrrel Bay feels like a harbour village, livelier in the evening in the sailing season.

Best use. Hillsborough for a morning swim or an hour in town. Tyrrel Bay for an afternoon dip followed by an early dinner and the sunset over the anchorage.

Timing your swim

Both beaches change with the day. A few patterns hold through most of the year:

• Before 8am. The calmest water and the time residents swim. Hillsborough is at its best now, before the jetty gets busy.
• Ferry arrival and departure times. Avoid swimming near Hillsborough jetty when boats are coming and going; the ferry from Grenada has been docking at Tyrrel Bay, so check where it calls before you travel.
• Late afternoon. Tyrrel Bay comes into its own, with the light low over the anchored yachts and the bars filling up.
• After heavy rain. Give both bays a day to clear before swimming near the shore, especially close to drains and gullies.
• Regatta and festival weeks. Around the Carriacou Regatta in early August and other festivals, the town waterfront gets crowded and boat traffic increases.

Pitfalls on town beaches

Town beaches have their own risks, different from remote coves:

• Swimming across the dinghy lane in Tyrrel Bay. Dinghy drivers look for other boats, not for heads in the water. Wear a bright swim cap or tow a float if you swim laps.
• Diving or jumping off jetties. Depths change, boats move and there may be lines in the water.
• Walking through town in swimwear. Hillsborough and Harvey Vale are communities; cover up off the sand.
• Leaving clothes and phones on the beach in front of a busy road or waterfront.
• Assuming the inner harbour is as clean as an open beach. Use the quieter ends.
• Treating the Oyster Bed mangroves as a swimming spot. They are a protected nursery area and soft, muddy underfoot.

A swim as part of the day, not the whole day

The real value of the town beaches is that they fit around everything else Carriacou asks of you. Ferry days involve waiting; the Osprey can run late in rough weather, and luggage has to be somewhere. Many guesthouses in Hillsborough will hold bags for a few hours, which turns a dead afternoon into a swim and a meal on Main Street. In Harvey Vale, a swim at the quiet end of Tyrrel Bay fits neatly between a morning dive and an evening by the anchorage.

Both are also where you see everyday island life at the water's edge: fishermen sorting nets, schoolchildren racing into the sea, boats being repaired on the sand. That is worth something on its own. Treat these as places where people live and work, keep a little distance from anyone working on a boat, and they become one of the more relaxed parts of a Carriacou stay rather than a second-best beach.

Judging the water for yourself

Look at the colour. Clear turquoise over sand is a good sign. Brown or milky water near the shore after rain means run-off; wait a day.

Check for a sheen. A rainbow film on still water near moorings or the boatyard points to fuel or oil. Move to a cleaner stretch.

Watch where residents swim. Local swimmers pick the cleanest, safest spots out of long habit. Following their lead is rarely wrong.

Mind the drains. Avoid swimming near gullies and outflows, especially in the rainy season from June to December.

Protect cuts. Keep open cuts or scrapes out of harbour water, and rinse off with fresh water afterwards if you can. Coral and barnacle scrapes from jetties and rocks infect easily in the heat, so clean them properly the same day.

Ask if unsure. Guesthouse hosts and bar staff know when the bay has been murky or when a boat has been pumping out nearby. A quick question saves an unpleasant swim.

Frequently asked questions