This Is What Winter Looks Like in Carriacou

You reach Paradise Beach on foot, coming out from Hillsborough where the road narrows and the view opens. The sand begins white and compact near the waterline, cool enough to walk on comfortably. The sea runs parallel to you, close and steady, sliding up the beach in narrow sheets before pulling back again.

This is winter in Carriacou. You walk.

On the Sand

The shoreline stretches ahead in a long, gentle curve. Near the edge of the water, the sand holds firm, shaped smooth by the tide. Each step lands easily. Your feet sink just enough to leave a print, then lift cleanly. Farther up the beach, the sand grows softer and warmer, but you stay close to the water where walking takes less effort.

The sea stays clear. You can see the bottom through shifting light, small ripples etched into the sand below the surface. The color changes gradually as the depth drops, pale turquoise giving way to darker blue. Nothing interrupts the line between shore and horizon.

A few small boats sit offshore, tied loosely, moving only when the water moves them. Their reflections stretch and shorten as the surface lifts and settles.

Sound and Motion

The sound stays low and consistent. Waves slide in and spread thin across the sand, then retreat with a soft pull. Wind moves through the palms behind the beach, steady enough to hear but never sharp. From time to time, a boat engine passes in the distance, present for a moment and then gone.

Your own movement becomes noticeable. Sand shifts underfoot. Water reaches your ankles when you drift closer to the edge. When you step back, your feet dry quickly in the sun.

Passing the Paradise Beach Club

Farther along, the Paradise Beach Club comes into view, set just back from the sand. Tables sit beneath the roof and along the edge facing the water. A few glasses rest on tabletops, catching the light. The bar opens directly toward the beach, with nothing between it and the sea.

Music plays low from inside. Someone stands at the counter looking out toward the water. Another moves behind the bar, rinsing glasses. As you pass, the sound of the waves continues unchanged, and the smell of salt carries briefly through the air before the beach opens wide again ahead of you. You go back for a glass of Westerhall. It was the right decision. 

You keep walking.

Along the Walk

Paradise Beach stays close to town without feeling enclosed by it. Hillsborough remains visible inland, but the beach keeps its space. Fishing boats come and go. Nets lie spread near the shade of trees farther back from the water. Someone walks past you heading the other direction, barefoot, carrying nothing. A greeting passes quickly, and then the space between you returns.

Footprints appear ahead of you, then fade as the water reaches them and smooths the surface again. Nothing remains marked for long.

You walk until you feel like stopping, then stand still for a moment, watching the water arrive and leave. When you start again, the rhythm resumes without effort.

Light on the Water

The light remains even and bright, reflecting off the water without glare. The sun warms the sand but doesn’t press down. Looking out to sea, the horizon stays clear and uninterrupted. Boats cross it slowly, never close enough to draw focus away from the shoreline.

As you continue, the sense of distance grows. The curve of the beach keeps revealing more sand ahead, each section opening gradually as you move. The water stays shallow for a long stretch, clear enough to step into without planning to.

You wade in briefly, water cool against your legs, then step back out and keep moving.

Where You Are

Paradise Beach runs just outside Hillsborough, close enough that daily movement remains visible without spilling onto the sand. Houses sit farther inland. The road stays quiet. The beach connects naturally to how the island moves rather than sitting apart from it.

Details appear as you walk and pass behind you just as easily. A cooler rests beneath a tree. A bucket stands near the water’s edge. Someone rinses gear farther down the beach and leaves it to dry in the sun.

Nothing lingers. Nothing needs to.