This past July I had the good fortune of finding Bayaleau Point Cottages, and the pleasure of absorbing its peaceful atmosphere on the island of Carriacou. My young family blossomed in the bliss that our week long stay at Bayaleau provided, and we were particularly moved by our immediate acceptance into the entire culture and Grenadian "isle of spice" life. Upon arrival, we were enthralled by the easy comraderie which followed the owner, David Goldhill, and his entire family. Upon departure, we were still surrounded by the same warmth and wanted nothing more than to begin plans for our return trip. In between, we experienced countless moments of calm in the comfortable cottages and honest care from our hosts. For example - we were inspired the entire island's launch of Bayaleau's brand new boat and the joy our personal invitation to this amazing occasion brought; we were given great guest space to meander in the sunshine at our own pace; we received spot on suggestions and ideas for everything from in-town markets to outlying islands; we were treated to tea like kin and borrowed kayaks with no bother; we were even eventually mistaken for Bayaleau family members by other islanders, which, considering our quick connection to the place, cottages, and people, seemed like a perfectly natural mistake to make. Do not make the mistake of missing out on this wonderful world in the West Indies - your stay at Bayaleau Point Cottages will stay with you for a lifetime.

My wife and I have just returned from 3 weeks in Grenada for our honeymoon. As part of this, we decided to book a week in Carriacou at Bayaleau Point. We based this on the Trip Advisor reviews. It would seem that this is the first time we have been let down by Trip Advisor, as having been there I frankly cannot believe these people are talking about the same place.

So, the good points first: The cottages are pretty in a Gingerbread way- very well designed and constructed. Paradise beach is also very pretty and fairly unspoiled.

Now, to the myriad of bad points!
Although the cottages themselves are pretty, the surrounding areas are not. Some of the surrounding places resemble scorched earth and rubble is piled up everywhere. The local 'town' is full of rubbish and rotting ships The beach is itself at the accommodation is not one you would want to spend any time at, being untidy and full of jetsam. I cannot believe the review that says that people took kids here- what would they do, we wondered apart from get bored incredibly quickly? Aside from the untidy beach, there really isn't anywhere nice to sit in the sun, save for a few plastic chairs. The facilities in the actual cottages are rustic, sure, and fine enough if you like cooking equipment from the mid-1970s.

There is in short, almost nothing to do. This is fine if the areas are pretty enough for you to lie back and just relax, but sadly they're not.

Being bored beyond belief, we decided to head back to Grenada. If you want somewhere really special for your honeymoon, etc then you must go to Le Phare Bleu. They looked after us so well, and really went out on a limb. And no, I don't expect the same level of service from somewhere cheaper, but it was the little things they did to help us out.

Having decided to leave (we stayed two nights), we informed the owners, and a couple of hours later Dave popped round to settle up. Two extra charges had magically appeared, bumping our bill up by about 20%. "They're clearly marked on the website" said Dave. Having later asked where (as they are NOT on the cottage/pricing page) he pointed me to another part of the website. This left a rather sour taste in our mouth especially as Grenadian law dictates that all taxes should be included in the quoted price (from irdgrenada.com)

Dave made a point about us not paying our deposit (thankfully!)- the reason being that I refuse to handover my credit card to an unknown person in the Carribean! I said I was willing to pay by Paypal or another secure method, but he never took us up. How that is relevant to having to pay hidden fees I do not know.

What was even more amusing (now, not then) is that we had to pay a service tax! Considering we did not have a cleaner in the two nights we stayed, and that actually the fridge was fairly dirty, it seemed a bit of a joke. We were ripped off essentially.

Who would find this place suitable?
Families with kids? nope, too little to keep them amused.
Travellers on a budget? Basic in facilities, but expensive in price.
People seeking quality accommodation? Facilities aren't good enough.

So, in summary a massive disappointment and in comparison to the wonderful people and facilities of Le Phare Bleu a total rip off. Avoid!

Secluded, quiet, charming and informal these pretty colourful cottages are for travellers who want to experience the simplicity and warmth of caribbean life without the usual tourist industry hype. The owners, David and Georgie are well-known all over the island and have lived on Carriacou for many years. They provide free use of canoes, windsurfers and provide boating trips catering to those who want to explore, snorkel, fish etc. Bus service is excellent and very cheap throughout the island so a car is not required. For those who love traditional wooden boat-building this is truly a mecca.
Utterly relaxing and highly recommended. We went there with our three young girls and they loved it too.

I just returned from Carriacou and had to write a review for Bayaleau right away. My family and I (2 children ages 7 and 11) had the time of our lives while on Carriacou. We stayed in the little green cottage. I could tell from the photos on the website that it was going to be quaint, but the photos do not nearly do it justice. It is like sleeping in a clubhouse in paradise. It made me feel like a kid again on a big adventure. I loved everything from the brightly colored walls to the ladder leading to the loft bed for the kids. The whole cottage is decorated with fun and funky carribbean art. At night we slept comfortably listening to the island breeze and the rustling of the palm fronds. We kept all of our windows and doors open and it truly felt like we were living and sleeping outside. I had never taken my children on a vacation like this before and they were thoroughly enthralled by all the beautiful natural surroundings. They spent their time feeding the birds, combing the beach, telling stories, and taking photos. Not once did they mention television, phones or anything electronic. The cool showers were invigorating after a hot day in the sun. I can't say enough good things about the owner Dave his family. he was very kind to us, taking an intertest in us and our children. He took the time to find out what we would like to do while on the island and made some nice suggestions which we followed. We had the good fortune of booking a day of snorkeling on Dave's boat the Mostly Harmless. I can say that it was inequivocably the best day of all of our lives. The expedition took us out to the Tobago Cays where we snorkeled with sea turtles, marooned ourselves on a deserted island and had the most delicious lunch lovingly prepared for us by Dave's staff. Our captain Andy was kind and competent. He had an excelllent way with my children which made them feel safe and also left them feeling like they had a new friend, A trip on Mostly Harmless is an absolute must and worth every penny! Even more!!! We were very sad to leave Bayaleau, but I know that we will return, hopefully many times. It truly felt like home.