Grenada Travel Information & Planning Guide

Standard Time Zone: UTC/GMT -4 hours

Official Languages: English (official), French Patois.

The Eastern Caribbean Dollar, linked to the US Dollar, is the local currency; US$ is accepted.

There is an eight percent government tax on hotels and restaurants. Most also add a 10 percent service charge. Additional gratuities are at your discretion.

Maurice Bishop International Airport, formerly known as Point Salines International Airport, is located in the parish of St. George’s at Point Salines, the most southwestern point of the island. The town of St. George’s is about 5 miles north of the airport.

British Airways, BWIA, Virgin Atlantic,, JetBlue, American Airlines, and SVG Airways all have offices at the airport. Trolleys and porters are available; porters expect to be paid EC$1 per bag.

Upon your arrival at Grenada Airport, there are several ways to get to Port Louis Marina. Options include:

Transfers

The taxi service, run by the Airport Taxi Union, Tel: 444 4296, is on a stand-in line basis. Taxis meet almost every incoming flight and ferry in the region and are easy to find standing by at Maurice Bishop International Airport.

Rates from the airport are published on a board outside the Arrivals Hall. They are shown in Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC$) and are approximately as follows (subject to change without notice). Taxi fares for 1-2 persons are $25 USD, and if it has more than 2 people arriving, everyone will pay $10 USD each. It is a 15-minute ride from the airport to the base. There is a surcharge on cab rides between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am as well as for trips outside of St. George’s.

Sunsail can assist with arranging your airport transfers.  Please send us your travel details where required.  Please note: Guests arriving separately should each bring a copy of the charter contract/invoice.

Car Rental

There are car rental companies at the airport, including Y&R Car Rentals.

All the major car rental companies are represented in Grenada.

To obtain a local driving permit, a bona fide driver’s licence must be presented at the traffic department at the Central Police Station on the Carenage. The cost is approximately EC$30.00. Most car rental firms also issue local permits.

There is a network of approximately 650 miles of paved roads, and most of the main roads are in good condition.

Please note that driving is on the LEFT.

On Arrival

Boarding starts at 6 pm, and disembarkation at 11 am, with briefings held at 9 am on the day of departure. All Skippers are required to attend the briefings. The boat briefing will take place on the yacht once you have boarded and are ready.

Staff stay late for late arrivals.

All charters end at 11 am, at which time the boat must be returned and ready for debriefing and checks.

Coolers

Coolers are available at the base on a first-come, first-served basis at no additional charge. Please sign these out and return them clean and undamaged; otherwise, you will be charged for replacement. Only one per boat.

Fuel

Fuel is available at the base and costs approximately US$ 1.15 per liter.

Cell Phones

Your cell phone may work in the Caribbean. Check with your service provider for international roaming. Please leave your cell phone number with customer service before casting off.

Music + iPods

Most yachts have fusion stereos with Bluetooth and no CD players.

Electricity

The standard voltage on all yachts is 12 volts DC, and for yachts with a generator, 110 volts AC using the standard US 2-pin plug. On boats without a generator, you will need an inverter suitable for use in a cigarette lighter to operate plug-in electronics. Electricity in Grenada is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. You may need an adaptor in order to use electronic equipment on the island.

The use of flying drones may be restricted in some areas. For current drone regulations in this destination, please visit https://drone-laws.com/drone-laws-in-grenada/

Please ensure your passport is valid for the period of travel and for six months after you return.

Your passport name must match the name on the flight ticket; otherwise, you may not be able to travel, and insurance may be invalid.

It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure relevant visas are obtained where necessary. Sunsail cannot be held responsible for refusal of entry or travel due to a lack of visas. If you are in any doubt, please contact your Embassy for full details.

Please note that country entry/exit requirements are subject to change. Please check online for the latest information before you leave.

Sunsail is not accountable for any requirement changes.

Swimming is often a fun and important part of a vacation. However, local rules, flag systems, currents, and where swimming may be permitted can be different and vary from country to country. Snorkel vests, Life Jackets, and Diver Down flags are all available on board.

Children

• Talk to children about water safety at the start of a vacation, making them aware of the potential dangers.
• Accidents can happen at any time on vacation, but often they happen on the first and last day, so keep watch and do not get distracted when your children are playing by, or in the water.
• Children in or near water should always be supervised by an adult and never left unattended. 
• Get in the water with them; it is easier to keep an eye on them, as well as good fun. Floatation devices are highly recommended for children, but are not a substitute for supervision.

Be aware of your surroundings

• Check warning flags and signage on the beach and only swim where it is permitted. 
• Beware of dangerous currents, these can be very powerful. Not all beaches have lifeguards and/or warning flags.
• Beware of underwater hazards, such as reefs, rocks, sudden changes in depth, and marine life.
• Never swim where a sign says not to, e.g., in zoned areas for jet boats or jet skis.
• Never swim at night or after drinking alcohol.

Look out for others

• Never swim alone, ‘buddy up’ with others in your party, and use the snorkel vests provided.
• Know how and where to get help. If you see someone in difficulty, raise the alarm, preferably the emergency services. Ensure you know the correct number for the country you are in.

Do not overestimate your ability

• Even if you regularly swim in a pool, remember that open water swimming can be very different.
• Consider swimming lessons before you go if you think it would be useful to learn proper swimming technique.

• Even if you regularly swim in a pool, remember that open water swimming can be very different.
• Consider swimming lessons before you go if you think it would be useful to learn proper swimming technique.

All yachts are equipped with adult life jackets, harnesses, snorkel vests & diver down flags. You can see all this equipment demonstrated in our online safety briefing, and we strongly recommend that you make use of this equipment during your vacation. This safety equipment will be displayed in the saloon of your boat on boarding. If you have any questions, feel free to ask our base staff during your briefing.

We have a very limited supply of children’s life jackets on base, so we highly recommend that if you are traveling with children, you bring their own. This ensures that children have correctly fitting jackets that are comfortable for them.  

Children should not be allowed in the dinghy without a life jacket or buoyancy aid and should wear a buoyancy aid or harness whilst on deck. 

Children under the age of 16 should not operate an outboard engine and should be supervised at all times when in the dinghy.

Port Louis Marina

Kirani James Boulevard

Saint Georges

Grenada W.I.

The base is open between 8 am and 5 pm.

• Customs & Immigration 
• Fresh water 
• Electricity
• Wireless Internet Access
• Cable TV
• Night security
• Refuse disposal 
• Toilet 
• Showers
• Restaurant 
• Swimming Pool 
• Bar 
• Duty-free shopping
• Weather forecasts
• Fuel is available at the base and costs approximately USD 1.15 per litre.

Also nearby are the following facilities:

• Supermarket 
• Chandlery
• Yacht club 
• Fuel station 
• Cinema

To sail in this destination a formal sailing license is not mandatory, but you will need to complete our online sailing resume and achieve a Level 3 rating to ensure you have the necessary experience required to charter yourself. If our base staff are not confident in your ability when you arrive, they will arrange for a Sunsail skipper to travel with you – at your own expense

Level 3 
•  At least 20 days or 400 miles as skipper on an equivalent size yacht 
•  Level 3 destinations are our most challenging. Suitable only for confident, experienced sailors, Level 3 destinations offer long spells of open water sailing, broad tidal ranges, strong winds, and remote anchorages. 
 
Experience levels are based on sailing conditions and the length of passages within your chosen sailing area. View here for more information. 

Before leaving the airport, you will have to clear immigration and customs.

A landing card will be given to you on the plane, along with a customs declaration form. It is not possible to take fresh food into most Caribbean islands, and airlines will assume no liability for perishable articles that may be confiscated by customs.

Customers must clear customs as they pass through each country and, generally fees are associated with the clearing process. 

To do this, customers need to register on SailClear (US$25 subscription fee), the Caribbean’s electronic system to submit mandatory pre-arrival customs and immigration information.

Inward clearance must be completed by the skipper before any other crew member lands.

Outward clearance is also required from Grenada to ensure being able to clear into the next country to be visited. Yachts should depart within 24 hours of clearing out.

The Customs and Immigration offices are generally open Mon-Fri from 8 am-11.45 am and 1 pm-4 pm, and Sat-Sun from 8 am-1.30 pm.

There are no park fees in Grenada. Mooring Balls are priced around $60-$80 xcd / day.

There are mooring balls at: 

• right outside the marina 
• Dragon Bay 
• Carriacou 
  • Sandy Island 
  • Tyrell Bay 
  • Anse La Roche 
• Union Island, 
• Chatram Bay 
• Tobago Cays 
• Mayreau 
  • Salt Bay 
  • Salt Whistle Bay 
• Canoun 
• Bequia 
• St Vincent 

You might incur some costs while on charter such as mooring and docking fees or cruising taxes. We highly recommend bringing enough of the local currency (at least $800-$1000 xcd) to cover these costs as they are not always payable by USD, debit, and/or credit cards.   

Departure tax: Persons 13 years of age and older are required to pay $20. Departure tax for persons from 5 to 12 years of age is $10. Children under 5 years are exempt. Visitors remaining on island for less than 24 hours are not exempt from paying the departure taxes – only in-transit passengers are exempt. There is EC $1 per person departure tax when leaving by yacht. 

Customs costs: There is a cruising tax when entering Grenada, however, guests starting their charter in Grenada will not have to worry about it, as it’s good for 30 days.

The skipper’s time is booked from 12:00 pm to 12:00 pm in 24-hour periods. If you have reserved him for the first day of your charter and have a 6:00 pm start, he will use this time to ensure he is happy with all aspects of the yacht and will be at the base to meet you upon your arrival. If you have reserved him for a later date on your charter, he will start at 12:00 pm on that day.

The skipper is responsible for the safety of the yacht at all times. He is not permitted to dive with you, nor leave the vessel overnight. He must conduct a safety brief with you before leaving the dock, regardless of the duration of his contract with you.

For “check out charters” (anything less than the full duration of the charter), the checkout skipper’s time is booked from 6:00 pm to 6:00 pm to allow for a meet and greet in the evening and go over basic systems, then a full day with you the next day. This skipper is required to give you a thorough briefing on all aspects of the yacht and dinghy, in addition to assisting you with planning an itinerary for the trip and advising you on how to contact the base, the return to base procedures, and the emergency assistance procedures. It is suggested that you attend the scheduled chart brief that will be supplemented by the skipper during his time with you on the yacht. It is also suggested that you make it clear exactly what you want to cover…anchoring, docking, etc.

The skipper will be required to give you as much information as you require concerning the yacht and its systems, sailing skills, and navigation in general.

The skipper’s fee does not include food or beverages for the skipper and is the responsibility of the client. It is suggested that you discuss this on the first day with the skipper and establish whether you will give the skipper cash for meals, whether you have included him in your provisioning, or whether you will accommodate him as part of the group for meals ashore.

The skipper must have his own cabin. We prefer not to put the skipper in the bow due to the shared head and size of the cabin. If you expect him to stay in the bow, please let us know well in advance so that we can choose the appropriate (small) skipper.

For a one-day check-out skipper, it is your responsibility to get the skipper back to the base. If you prefer not to come back to the base, you must pay for his expenses (ferry, taxi, etc.) to get him back to the base.

There are several different countries represented within the cruising grounds of the Windward Islands, and each of them requires customs/immigration clearance upon arrival and departure. Fees vary based on the country, yacht, number of passengers, itinerary, etc. All charters with a skipper are encouraged to provide the skipper with an initial $500 at the beginning of their charter. This money will be used to cover costs for customs fees as well as mooring ball fees for the duration of the charter. The total amount needed may be less, or it may be more. At the end of the charter, the skipper will return any remaining funds along with receipts for all money spent. ATMs are limited in the cruising grounds, so it’s important to plan ahead for these fees. More information on Skippered Charter Options.

Gratuity and industry expectations
A gratuity is expected and is typically given to the skipper at the end of the charter. The amount is entirely at your discretion.

Sailing lanes are generally open from Falmouth Harbor counterclockwise to St. John’s Harbor.

• The area around Soufriere and the Pitons in St. Lucia is a national park with restrictions on anchoring.
• All windward sides of the islands should be kept well clear of.
• The Tobago Cays are restricted from the south side due to the large number of coral heads in the channel, which are difficult to see.
• In all bays, anchor with caution to avoid damaging coral or seagrass beds.
• Anchoring is not allowed off Grand Anse Beach in Grenada.  Need to anchor at least 2 miles away from the beach.  
• Blue Lagoon in St. Vincent has a difficult entrance and is best avoided.

Further information will be provided in your sailing briefing.

Night sailing is not permitted; you must be moored at least one hour before sunset at all of our locations.

All the charts and pilot books you will need for the sailing area are on board the yacht.

There is a cruising tax when entering Grenada, which is valid for 30 days.

Provisioning

Provisioning is available in this location. All provisioning orders should be placed no later than 7 days prior to the charter start date. Visit store.sunsail.com to order.

Restaurants

Grenada offers tourists plenty of seafood, West Indian dishes, and French and Italian food. Favorite local dishes include fish stew, curried lambi (conch), and the ubiquitous roti. Pigeon peas with rice, plantains, yams, and callaloo soup are common side dishes.

Carib beer and Westerhall rum are the local brews; it’s also worth trying local nonalcoholic drinks such as sorrel juice, mauby, and ginger beer.

Victory Bar and Restaurant

Port Louis Marina

St. George’s

Tel: +1 473 435 7263

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Aquarium Restaurant and La Sirena Beach Bar

Tel: +1 473 444 1410, +1 473 444 1410 

Fax: +1 473 444 1410

aquariumrestaurant473@gmail.com

White sand and sea views and good food.

Coconut Beach Restaurant

Grand Anse Beach

St. George’s

Tel: +1 473 444 4644

Restaurants are generally closed during September to low season. If you are looking to travel in the low season, we would advise that you have a limited choice of restaurants to eat ashore and to provision accordingly. This would be a perfect time of year to enjoy a barbecue off the back of your boat.

• Coyaba Beach Resort, St. George, Grenada
• Allamanda Beach Resort & Spa, St. George, Grenada
• Spice Island Beach Resort, St. George, Grenada

Banking hours in Grenada are usually Mon-Fri from 8 am-2 pm.

It is advisable to exchange currency at the banks, as the most favorable exchange rates may not be obtained elsewhere. Please note that you can change money at the base.

Lots of variety, including wood carvings and paintings, ranging from native to sophisticated, jewelry, from natural materials to Emeralds and Gold.

Batiks in the fabulous colors of the Caribbean and, of course, spices, jams, jellies, and Grenadian plantation rum.  Duty Free in Havana House on The Carenage boasts a wide variety of Caribbean crafts, souvenirs, ceramics, spices, jams, jellies, compact discs, and small electronics.

Shops are generally open from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 8:00 am – 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Supermarkets and shopping centres are usually open from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm, and there are one or two that are even open on Sundays.  Often when cruise ships are in port, the craft and souvenir shops will open on a Sunday or Bank vacation.

There are 2 well-stocked supermarkets in the area.  There is Foodland, which is located in the lagoon. They have a dinghy dock, which makes provisioning very easy.  There is also an IGA supermarket in Grand Anse that caters to the expat community on the island; they carry most major American brands.

Walking

With its astonishing natural beauty and wide variety of ecosystems and terrain, Grenada offers some of the finest walking, hiking, and trekking opportunities in the Caribbean.

Water Toys + Sports

For your convenience, you can add water toys to your charter prior to arrival at the base. They will be waiting on your boat upon arrival. You are able to rent these at the base, but please keep in mind that we have limited availability.Fishing

Sports fishing is extremely popular in these waters, with Spanish mackerel, barracuda, marlin, tuna, and kingfish just some of the fish landed.  Licences are not required for trolling a line while underway.  Spearfishing is illegal to all non-residents.

You can contact True Blue Sport Fishing, located at the marina, to arrange a tour.

E-mail: yesayegrenada@gmail.com

Diving and Snorkeling

The scuba diving in Grenada is mainly off the south-western peninsula of the island, both on the ledge to its South (before the seabed drops away into the deep channel between the Caribbean and South America) and to its North, where there are reefs in the lee of the island, off Grand Anse and up the calmer western coastline.

The reefs, wrecks, and coral walls remain largely unspoiled by crowds, and many have yet to be fully explored. Divers will encounter deserted cays, sand bars, and lagoons teeming with sea life, including sea fans, gorgonians, sea horses, rays, turtles, dolphins, and stunningly colorful reef fish, as well as magnificently colored coral.

Scuba diving is not permitted in marine parks without a local dive operator. This applies to Moliniere, Dragon Bay, Sandy Island, and Tobago Cays.

For bareboat charters (where no staff from Sunsail are onboard the yacht) charterers are permitted to dive from the yacht. Sunsail does not provide such activities so you should ensure that any third parties that you engage with in order to dive should be through reputable third-party operators. Any diving activities are fully undertaken at your own risk and Sunsail shall have no responsibility or liability in connection with your participation in any diving activities, irrespective of whether this takes place from the yacht or an alternative location during your charter. Diving is not permitted under any circumstances whereby there is any skipper or other crew onboard the yacht which is provided by Sunsail.

Contact the Eco Dive Company on 001 473 444 7777 or visit https://www.ecodiveandtrek.com/contact/.

We have a range of fins available in various different sizes. You will find them in cockpit lockers in each yacht. We do have limited children’s sizes, therefore we recommend bringing your own to avoid disappointment. Please note that we do not provide snorkeling masks or snorkels on board.

• When snorkeling, the diving flag and buoy should be deployed and visible to all passing nearby
• Swim vests should be worn at all times whilst snorkeling
• One person should remain out of the water, keeping watch over the others in the water

The wind average is 10 knots in August-Nov and goes up to 14 knots for April and May. For most travelers, the best time to visit Grenada is from January to May, which are the driest months and and best wind speeds. The hurricane season runs from June to November, although Grenada is less affected than northern Caribbean islands.

At Sunsail, we’re committed to protecting the oceans we love through our OCEAN Promise – a sustainability initiative focused on reducing our impact and supporting coastal communities. Across all our destinations, we take steps to tread lightly: from minimizing waste and emissions to promoting responsible travel practices.

You can help too. Before you set sail, consider packing a reusable water bottle, choosing to support local businesses, and raising the sails whenever possible to reduce engine use. Together, we can make every voyage a little kinder to the planet.

Learn more about our OCEAN Promise