Sailing Grenada

Most Grenada charters start on the southwest coast, where the island's main marinas cluster around the capital, St. George's. Port Louis Marina is the largest and busiest charter hub, with deep-water berths and easy access to the Carenage and the open sea. Nearby, Grenada Marine and Clarkes Court Boatyard & Marina offer haul-out and repair services if you're bringing your own boat rather than chartering.

From the southwest corner, the classic route runs south along the coast to Prickly Bay and Mount Hartman Bay, where Secret Harbour Marina and Spice Island Marina sit inside protected lagoons. These are good overnight stops before a longer passage, with restaurants, fuel docks, and easy provisioning. Further east, Le Phare Bleu Boutique Hotel & Marina is a smaller, more laid-back option with a sheltered basin and a popular beach bar.

The real sailing destination is the island of Carriacou, about 20 miles north of Grenada's main island. Carriacou Marina is the main stop there, with moorings and a small yard. The passage across the channel is straightforward in settled weather, and the anchorages around Hillsborough and Sandy Island are among the best in the southern Caribbean. Grenada Yacht Club in St. George's is worth a visit for its bar and regatta calendar, though it has limited berths and is more of a social stop than a full-service marina.

Trade winds blow from the northeast most of the year, so expect 15 to 20 knots of breeze and a short chop in the channels. The dry season from January to May is the busiest and most reliable for chartering. Hurricane season runs June through November, but Grenada sits far enough south that direct hits are rare, and many boats stay here year-round. Clearance into Grenada is straightforward at the main ports, and the local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, though US dollars are widely accepted at marinas and chandleries.