Grand Anse
Grand Anse is the tourist centre of the island of Grenada, with a classic Caribbean vista of palm-lined beach. It's in the southwest of the island, just south of the capital St. George's, and stretches out to the airport.
Understand
Grand Anse originally referred to the attractive bay and beach south of St George's harbour, and the little settlement behind it. Separate communities along this strip included Belmont, The Lime and Morne Rouge. It was always the tourist centre, but until 1984 the airport was a small strip at Pearls on the east coast. Then the new airport opened at Point Salines, Grenada became a mass tourist destination, and facilities mushroomed. The villages coalesced in a single sprawl between the capital, the airport, and the more rugged south coast. For practical purposes therefore Grand Anse nowadays means this larger area and is so described on this page.
Grand Anse is part of the parish of St George, however the capital and points east to the watershed are described elsewhere as part of St. George's.
Get in
1 Maurice Bishop International Airport is on the peninsula two miles west, see Grenada (island)#Get in for facilities and flight connections.
Grand Anse is midway along the main road from the airport to St. George's. Minibuses and taxis stop at the roundabout near the beach.
Get around
A stream of taxis and minibuses ply between the airport, beach strip and town. For more distant sights such as Grand Etang and the distilleries, hire a taxi to take you around - they know the poorly signposted turn-offs and worst potholes.
Rental cars: see Grenada#Get around for companies and licence rules, they'll pick up / drop off anywhere around the island. You're only likely to want one if you have out-of-the-way accommodation, heavy sports gear or extended family.
There are taxi ranks at the airport and Spiceland Mall. Firms include Sweet Grenada Tours[dead link] (+1 473 533 5001), Ace Ventura (+1 473 459 4941), Grenada Taxi and Tours (+1 473 417 5854) and Fresh Rides (+1 473 418 6043).
See
- Grand Anse Beach is the one in all the tourist brochures, a magnificent two mile sweep of white sand, backed by hotels. However it's narrow, having suffered erosion, and at high tide (though the range is only about two feet) the waves may break across it.
- 1 Quarantine Point is the breezy peninsula at the west end of Grand Anse. The quarantine station was in use from mid 19th to early 20th century; there's not much left of it.
- Morne Rouge Beach west of that is smaller and usually quieter. Locally it's always called BBC Beach for the long-gone Blanco's Beach Club.
- Magazine Beach is the next section west. It's mostly sandy but punctuated by rocky outcrops, with the east near LaLuna Hotel known as Groom's Beach, and the west near Sandals called Pink Gin Beach - the sand is tinged pink from iron oxide.
- 2 Memorial to the Cuban Internationalist Martyrs is a litmus of island politics. 24 Cuban workers building the new airport were killed in the 1983 US invasion. They were lightly armed and under instruction to resist, so were they combatants or what? This monument was installed in 2017 under the NNP government, which was conservative but pro-Cuba. In 2022 they were replaced by the centre-left NDC, who might endorse the monument or studiously neglect it.
- 3 Laura Herb and Spice Garden, Laura Rd, Epping Forest, St David, ☏ +1 473 443 2604. M-F 8AM-3:30PM. Across the boundary into St David but easily accessed from Grand Anse, this garden displays the culinary and medicinal roles of the island spices.
Do
- Scuba diving: the island's facilities are concentrated here. Dive shacks along Grand Anse beach include Native Spirit Scuba, Eco Dive, Aquanauts and Dive Grenada. Aquanauts and Scuba Tech also have shacks in L'Ance Aux Epines. They all offer training, kit hire and trips for suitably qualified divers.
- Molinere Reef is the usual destination. Its upper shoals rise to 6 m, simple novice or off-gassing territory.
- The underwater sculpture park off Molinere Point is a ring of statues within snorkel depth. Their faces are distorted by colourful coral, as if the Elephant Man had taken a pratfall at Chelsea Flower Show.
- Bianca C was a liner that suffered an explosion and fire at St George's in 1961. It began sinking and so was towed clear of the harbour, then the tow-line broke and down she went. She sits on her keel in 50 m on Whibbles Reef a mile off Grand Anse. Lives have been lost in penetrating the cavernous interior, and this risk is growing as the ship corrodes; the stern has broken away. The superstructure is at 30 m and swept by currents, so it's done as a drift dive - you need to be a competent qualified diver here.
- Surfing: the most reliable spot is Prickly Bay to the south at L'Ance Aux Epines.
- Cinema: Movie Palace is within Excel Plaza 200 yards south of Spiceland Mall.
- Golf: Grenada GC is nine holes. It's half a mile inland from the beach strip on, you guessed, Golf Course Road.
- McDonald's Amusement Park, Calivigny Gardens Rd, Woburn, ☏ +1 473 440 6272. Sa Su 4PM-8PM. Kiddy-oriented small funfair plus the inevitable burgers.
Buy
- 1 Grand Anse Shopping Centre, ☏ +1 473 409 2222. M-Th 8AM-7PM, F Sa 8AM-8PM. Prices are higher here than elsewhere.
- Grand Anse Craft and Spice Market is by the beach 100 yards east of the Radisson. It's a good place for local food and drink, open M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 9AM-9PM.
- 2 Spiceland Mall, The Lime, ☏ +1 473 439 9070. M-F 9AM-5PM. This is the main retail mall, with some 30 stores.
- IGA Supermarket is attached to Spiceland but keeps longer hours, M-Th 8AM-9PM, F Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 8AM-7PM.
- Le Marquis Shopping Complex is a small mall just east across Morne Rouge Rd from Spiceland, open M-Sa 9AM-6PM.
- Excel Plaza 100 yards south of Le Marquis is a small mall with a cinema.
- 3 CK's Super-Valu, Sugar Mill Roundabout, ☏ +1 473 444 1800. M-Th 8AM-5:30PM, F Sa 8AM-7PM. This is a cash and carry for bulk food and drink, so use it to stock your apartment or yacht (they deliver to the boatyard) not for top-up shopping.
Eat
- Grenadian Grill and Asiatic are within Silver Sands Resort, north end of the beach.
- Dexters a block inland from Silver Sands Resort is open M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 4PM-9PM.
- Coconut Beach[dead link] is open daily 12:30AM-10:30PM.
- 61° West next to Coconut Beach is open Tu-Su 7AM-10:30PM.
- Fish Pot in the craft market is open Tu-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su noon-9PM.
- Rick's in the shopping centre opposite the Radisson serves pizza and similar fare Tu-Sa 11AM-9:30PM, Su 4PM-9:30PM.
- GrillMaster cooks to order but is slow even for that. Open daily 7AM-9:30PM.
- Marquis Complex has Nick´s Donut World, Le Chateau, De Vino wine bar, Carib Sushi and Le Boulangerie.
- Spiceland Mall at the Grand Anse has a local fruit, Soup joint, IGA Supermarket, Grill Master, Ritual's Coffee House, Fruit smoothie Shop and a Chinese take away and a KFC.
- Dodgy Dock (within True Blue Resort), ☏ +1 473 443 8783. Daily 7AM-11PM. This serves Caribbean and Mexican cuisine on a wooden platform over the water.
- Aquarium, Magazine Beach (near Royalton), ☏ +1 473 444 1410. Tu-Su 10AM-11PM. Carved into a cliff with beach views, they're best known for their Sunday BBQ, but earn good reviews across the menu.
Drink
- Joan's and Esther's are in the Craft & Spice Market.
- Umbrella's Beach Bar (below IGA), ☏ +1 473 439 9149. Su–Th 11AM-10PM, F 11AM-9PM, Sa 11AM-11PM. Lively beach spot with US-style food.
- Junction Bar is in Lance Aux Epines at the turn-off for Calabash.
- Clarke's Court Rum is on Woodlands Main Road above the golf course and offers distillery tours.
- Blue Light Gin is a micro-distillery at Egmont on the south coast.
- Westerhall Distillery is a mile or so further east in St David parish. They nowadays import the cane sugar but the rest of production is local.
- West Indies Beer Company is a pub and micro-brewery in Lance Aux Epines, with a good range beyond the standard lagers. It's open Su-W 8:30AM-midnight, Th-Sa 8:30AM-2AM.
- Carib beer is brewed along the airport highway. No tours.
Sleep
Grand Anse is expensive. Prices quoted here are those offered to individual travellers, but most are here on packages - in effect paying the same room rate but getting a free long-distance return flight.
- 1 Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach, ☏ +1 473 230 0180. Smart chain hotel with restaurants, conference centre and golf. B&B double EC$600.
- 2 Coyaba Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach, ☏ +1 473 444 4129. Good hotel, some facilities tired. B&B double EC$1000.
- Allamanda Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach (next to Coyoba), ☏ +1 473 444 0095. Great value and comfort, close to amenities. B&B double EC$500.
- 3 Spice Island Beach Resort, The Lime, Grand Anse Beach, ☏ +1 473 444 4258. Midway along the beach, with great reviews for comfort, service and dining. B&B double EC$2600.
- 4 Siesta, Morne Rouge Rd, ☏ +1 473 444 4646. One of the few mid-range options, comfy and spacious rooms 5 min from beach. B&B double EC$300.
- Blue Horizons Garden Resort, Morne Rouge Rd (next to Siesta), ☏ +1 473 444 4316. Pleasant informal hotel 5 min from beach. B&B double EC$600.
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- 5 Mount Cinnamon, Morne Rouge Rd, ☏ +1 473 439 9900. Splendid upscale place west end of the main beach. B&B double EC$1800.
- 6 LaLuna Hotel, Portici Beach, ☏ +1 473 439 0001. Relaxed but luxurious small hotel. B&B double EC$1800.
- 7 Royalton, Magazine Beach, ☏ +1 473 444 3333. Pleasant 4 star close to the airport. No aircraft noise but some find the music intrusive. All-inclusive double EC$800.
- 8 Sandals Grenada, Pink Gin Beach, ☏ +1 888 726 3257. Rave reviews for this resort hotel, but it depends what you're looking for - the Sandals experience cocoons you so you seldom venture out. It's close to the airport but there's no bother from aircraft noise. Couples only, no children. All-inclusive double EC$3000.
- 9 Calabash, Main Rd, L'Anse aux Epines, ☏ +1 473 444 4334. Plush place (part of Relais & Châteaux group) on southern peninsula, great for couples, less so for children. B&B double EC$3000.
- 10 Reef View Pavilions, Turtleback Drive, L'Anse aux Epines, ☏ +1 473 417 6541. Secluded accommodation in two villas, each with a swimming pool. B&B double EC$400.
- 11 True Blue Bay Resort, Old Mill Rd, True Blue Bay, ☏ +1 473 443 8783. Small hotel near the University but some distance from other facilities. B&B double EC$400.
Connect
As of Jan 2023, Grand Anse has 4G from Flow and Digicel. 5G has not rolled out in Grenada.
Go next
- St. George's the historic capital is a short ride away.
- The airport has flights to Carriacou and other neighbouring islands.