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
is on the peninsula two miles west, see Grenada (island) 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 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 (+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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

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.

Buy

 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

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 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.

Drink

 * Joan's and Esther's are in the Craft & Spice Market.
 * 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.
 * 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.



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.