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Grenada Travel Guide
Grenada is sugar, spice and all things nice: a trio of tiny islands where old cacao and sugarcane plantations meet modern day nutmeg groves, volcanic peaks slope into charming beaches and jungles and botanical gardens burst with colour and life.
Beaches in Grenada
There are forty-five beaches in Grenada alone. The volcanic, hilly nature of the island has created gorgeous bays and coves: both big ones and tiddlers with sands of bright white, ashy grey and everything in between. Hop on a kayak, paddleboard, sailboat or water taxi and the list goes on, from tiny, deserted islets to the swoon-worthy sands of Carriacou.
Best Beaches in Grenada
Grand Anse Beach, south-west coast
The most popular stretches of shore sit on the southwest of Grenada, within easy reach of the capital and cruise port and graced by the calm, clear, reef-carpeted Caribbean Sea. Grand Anse takes top spot – a stunningly beautiful spread of white, sugary sand and gin-clear water. Hotels and activity centres line the sand, but considerately - built lower than the palms to keep Mother Nature at the fore. Magazine Beach and Morne Rouge are two other nearby beaches, just as easy on the eyes and often quieter too.
Levera Beach & Bathway Beach, north coast
To really see nature in all her glory, head north to the protected beaches – Levera and Bathway – in the Levera National Park, where turtles nest and mangroves burst with birdlife. Or to the south, La Sagesse has incredible pale grey sand, rugged rocks and rolling hills that’ll make your jaw drop.
Black Bay, west coast
Some beaches demand a spot of delicious adventure, like hikes through rainforest and scenic coastal paths – our favourite being Black Bay with its volcanic sand.
Paradise Beach, Carriacau
Wowza, the word paradise is thrown around a LOT in the Caribbean but whoever christened this beach got the name spot on. In L’Esterre bay, Paradise Beach is probably exactly what you’d imagine it to be: white sand, shallow turquoise sea, brightly painted fishing boats bobbing on the water and a teeny-weeny islet just offshore. The beach is popular by Carriacau standards - in that you might actually see a couple of other people there. By Caribbean standards it’s gloriously quiet. Changing facilities and a cool beach shop are at hand, and boats will whisk you over to Sandy Island if you fancy exploring.
Anse La Roche, Carriacou
Hidden away La Roche can be reached by a half mile hike along a forest trail or a boat ride. Trust us when we say it’s worth the journey, with very soft sand, very turquoise sea and very likely no one else there. The North Range stretches overhead giving you sights to ogle every which way. Don’t forget the views beneath the water – bring your snorkel to can explore the technicolour reef just offshore.
Grenada geography
Grenada history
Wildlife in Grenada
Activities in Grenada
Watersports
Diving in Grenada
There are dozens of incredible dive sites surround Grenada and Carriacou, reaching 8-45m deep with visibility of up to 30m and temperature around 27°C. Corals come in every colour and form - brain, finger, pillar – brushing up against sea fans and sponges and visited by turtles, sharks, seahorses and all kinds of exotic fish.
Grenada’s southwest coast is diving central: Grand Anse beach is dotted with diving operators (like Dive Grenada and Native Spirit Scuba) providing PADI courses and tours to several nearby sites and reefs. There’s a brilliant collection of wrecks hidden beneath the sea here, including the famous Bianca C - the ‘Titanic of the Caribbean’ - and King Mitch, a sunken minesweeper. The Marine Protected area has some beauties to dive amongst, including Flamingo Bay and Dragon Bay where you can experience a bundle of bright corals, volcanic rock and tropical fish. This is also where you’ll find the Underwater Sculpture Park, which is scuba and snorkel friendly with submerged sculptures of figurines that have become coated in corals.
The name Carriacou is Carib for ‘land of the reefs’, which gives you a good idea of how awesome things are under the water here. Companies like Deefer Diving (based on Main Street in Hillsborough) and Arawak Divers (in Tyrrel Bay) provide lessons, equipment and tours. There’s some incredible snorkelling to be had in the Tobago Cays Marine park, where you can spot turtles and rays in a protected environment. For newbie scuba divers, shallow beginner spots include The Barrel and Jack Iron Point – popular sites for stingrays, nurse sharks, eels and colourful corals. Drift dives range from the easy, shallow reef at Black Sand Beach to the incredibly colourful Garden site where you’re contending with a current. For experts, The Rose wreck, Gun Point and the Sisters Rocks are spectacular.
Surfing in Grenada
These islands aren’t as big in the surfing community as Barbados and there’s more by way of bodyboarding than surfing… But that’s not to say you can’t ride here, and if you bring your board Grenada has some good surf spots to session where students and locals speed to when the swell’s up. Best of all, thanks to a wonderfully warm sea temperature, wetsuits can stay at home. Grenada’s gorgeous Grand Anse has a beach break where you can ride short right handers in the winter months, but the top spot is taken by the point break at Prickly Bay where you can find consistent 3-6 footers. Cherry Hill’s also worth mentioning - not consistent by a long stretch, but when it’s good (high tide, NE swell), it’s really good thanks to a right-hand point break. Impromptu surf events and competitions are hosted here when the waves look promising, and if you manage to catch this rare but remarkable happening it’s a blast.
Paddle boarding is much more prolific, with SUP Grenada based on BBC / Morne Rouge Beach providing lessons, rentals and tours from Le Phare Blue to Secret Harbour, stopping off at Hog Island. The paddling conditions around Carriacou are nigh on perfect, with still, clear waters and colourful reefs beneath you as well as the Tyrrel Bay mangroves and Tobago Cays to explore.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Grenada
Though these islands have beautiful bays and consistent conditions, the crowds haven’t caught onto the nations kiting and windsurf potential just yet. We didn’t find many shops offering equipment hire for kitesurfing last time we checked (people tend to bring their own), but Derek from SUP Grenada is an IKO kitesurf instructor if you need any pointers or supervision. Windsurfing gear’s easier to find, with big hotels and companies like Eco Dive (based in Grenada’s St George’s) providing rentals.
Offshore winds and obstacles make the conditions here best for more experienced kitesurfers. Most kiters launch from the jetty on Coral Cove, south Grenada, while in Carriacou there’s Watering Bay’s huge lagoon and Sandy Island’s loved for its reef-protected water and easterly breeze.
Grand Anse’s calm, reef-protected waters are spot on for beginner windsurfers, while for waves we like Levera Beach on the Atlantic side.
Sailing in Grenada
Grenada has sailing in every shape and form on the southwest end of the island. Here you’ll find multiple marinas, a big yearly festival, bareboat and crewed charters and all-inclusive cruises. There are two sailing schools - LTD Sailing and Blue Water - on either side of St George’s harbour, where you can join ASA and RYA courses from basic skills to bareboat cruising. Grand Anse beach is the place to be for Hobie sailing, with the bigger hotels and companies like Native Spirit Scuba and Eco Dive providing hire. An isle known for its boatmaking, sailing’s a huge part of life on Carriacou. The Carriacou Regatta is one of the biggest events of the year, and Tyrrel Bay is home to Carriacou Marine which provides service, storage and all the usual facilities. There isn’t a marina on Petite Martinique, but you can dock on the northwest side of the island.
Fishing in Grenada
Part and parcel of island life, fishing is a trade, sport and hobby throughout the nation. It’s celebrated yearly at the Spice Isle Billfish Tournament in St George’s, where anglers from all over the Caribbean come to compete over four days. Sailfish, blue marlin, white marlin and spearfish are common catches in the deep - as little as fifteen minutes out to sea - while inshore reefs are teeming with wahoo, kingfish and mackerel. You can fish year-round here, but generally November – June see the most successes. Grenada’s capital has a cluster of companies offering deep sea trips from the harbour. It’s also possible to bonefish off Levera beach and fish for tarpon in Levera pond or from the beaches in Carriacou. Carriacou’s ‘hurricane hall’ mangrove lake is also good for fly fishing. For casual trawling, speak to the locals in the fishing villages of Gouyave (Grenada) or Windward (Carriacou) who are usually happy to take you out for a few hours.
Canoeing & kayaking in Grenada
Eco-friendly and better yet, great fun, kayaking’s a super way to explore these islands. Based in Woburn Bay on south Grenada, Conservation Kayak run a range of group and private trips along the wonderfully wiggly coast and around Hog Island. They’re one of a few companies based in Grenada, with others including S&S Kayaking who use glass bottomed boats to show you the reefs and fish you’re padding over. You’ll also find outfits offering hire on Grand Anse beach, from the bigger resorts to the likes of Native Spirit Scuba, who’ll give you the gear and let you paddle at your own pace on local waters.
The word ‘kayak’ has two meanings on Carriacou – firstly as the way islanders refer to themselves, and secondly as a marvellous means to see the natural wonders that surround. When it comes to the latter, there’s lots to paddle: along the gorgeous coastline, over to Sandy Island or through the Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area with its mangroves and islets. For rentals, Arawak Divers in Tyrell Bay provide single and tandem kayaks to hire for a full or half day.
Land activities
Golf in Grenada
This is more of a place to spend a one-off afternoon round of golf than come for a full-on golfing holiday. The only golf course can be found on Grenada island, and it’s a 9-holer (that you can play twice for a full 18). Grenada Golf Club (par 34, 2673 yards) is about 15 minutes’ drive from the capital and opened back in 1936. Players have fine views of Clark’s Court Bay and Grand Anse beach, on a course made all the more pleasant by sunny climes and tropical birds and plants. You can hire clubs, balls and pull carts and pay for caddy service (a necessity for first timers).
Cycling & mountain biking in Grenada
We love exploring places on two wheels, but with plantations, rainforests and stunning coasts, these islands are especially good to cycle around. Grenada’s southern peninsular has undemanding off-road coastal paths, and you can ride from the west up to the Annandale waterfall for a refreshing dip before cycling back. Companies in the parish of Saint George (like Adventure Tours and Mocha Spoke) provide hire and guided bike tours, letting you choose between pedalling your own path or following the tracks of a local. Traffic barely exists in Carriacou, making it marvellous for road cycling, and there are also some super mountain bike trails around Anse La Roche and the High North National Park. For hire here, look up Breezy Wheelers who have a range of mountain bikes, road bikes and BMX’s and will provide guiding if you want it.
Walking & hiking in Grenada
These mightn’t be the biggest islands in the Caribbean, but they have tons to discover on foot. In Grenada, some of the best routes loop around lakes, like the Grand Etang, Lake Antoine and the Levara Pond up in St Patrick. For views, take the Morne Gazo trail which leads through nutmeg groves and rainforest and looks back over Grand Anse beach. There are also some gorgeous routes to waterfalls, like the Seven Sisters and Annandale falls.
On Carriacou, you can hike the High North National Park up to the isle’s highest point on a trail that’s completely quiet but for birdsong and opens up jaw-dropping views of the coast. Carry on through the woods here and you’ll find the stunning shores of Anse La Roche. Another good route is the one from Hillsborough along the coast to L’Estere, taking you along the coast to Lauriston Point, then on a footpath through mangroves.
Reachable by ferry from Carriacou, Petite Martinique is a lovely little island to explore a pied. You can walk around the island or hike up to the top of the Piton – the highest peak – for some stunning views over the Grenadines.
