Public Buses in Grenada

Is it safe to travel on buses in Grenada? What is the cost? Where do you find them?

We took a bus from the cruise terminal to Grand Etang a few weeks ago. I felt quite safe as far as crime was concerned, but you should know that the roads are narrow and wind around blind curves with steep dropoffs. My seat did not have a seat belt. On the other hand, the van was so full of people that I probably wouldn't have bounced far!

The cost was US $2 per person, each way. We exited the cruise mall and turned left on the main street (parallel to the coast). Walked about three blocks and the bus terminal was on our left. It's a big hangar-like building with bus lanes leading to a parking lot full of buses... you can't miss it. There was an information booth inside, where we asked the lady which bus went to Grand Etang. She said #6, we found #6, sat down, waited until the bus was full, and off we went.

To get back, we just waited by the side of the road until #6 went by and waved. The first #6 was full and kept going, the second one stopped and took us back to the terminal. We only had to wait about 15 minutes.

Susan,

Thanks so much for the bus information. Did you pay an entrance fee or need a guide in Grand Etang? How long did you hike? I'm still trying to talk my husband into this hike. He hates mosquitoes, who love him! Where you bothered by insects?

Jill

Hi Jill,

We paid a US $2 per person entrance fee at Grand Etang. We did not need a guide-- the interpretive center is small but informative, and the trails are in good shape and very well marked (except for the Fedon's Camp turnoff). We hiked around the lake on the Shoreline Trail for about 1/2 hour, then we did the big hike up Mt. Qua Qua (1.5 hours each way). Beautiful views!

There is also a shorter "Morne LaBaye" hiking trail if you're not up to the strenuous one up Mt. Qua Qua. Or, if you're in better shape than we are, you can also continue to Concord Falls and/or Fedon's Camp from the Mt. Qua Qua trail. I found accurate information about the trails here before our trip:

http://www.guidetocaribbeanvacations.com/grenada/GrandEtangNP.htm

Mosquitoes adore me, too, so I always carry insect repellent with DEET in the Caribbean. I actually didn't use it while we were walking around Grand Etang, and I wasn't bothered. As we headed up into the rainforest on the Mt. Qua Qua hike, I heard mosquitoes whining in my ear and put on my DEET, and wasn't bitten.

There are some picture of our day at Grand Etang here:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562161850VeJFgY

and here (Mt. Qua Qua hike):

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562148660RdWCgX

It was a great day in a lovely setting, and it hardly cost anything! If you are even a little active and interested in nature, I would heartily recommend Grand Etang. Take some bread to feed the fish and some candy for the monkeys (they were NOT impressed by our trail mix).

Hi Jill,

We paid a US $2 per person entrance fee at Grand Etang. We did not need a guide-- the interpretive center is small but informative, and the trails are in good shape and very well marked (except for the Fedon's Camp turnoff). We hiked around the lake on the Shoreline Trail for about 1/2 hour, then we did the big hike up Mt. Qua Qua (1.5 hours each way). Beautiful views!

 

There is also a shorter "Morne LaBaye" hiking trail if you're not up to the strenuous one up Mt. Qua Qua. Or, if you're in better shape than we are, you can also continue to Concord Falls and/or Fedon's Camp from the Mt. Qua Qua trail. I found accurate information about the trails here before our trip:

http://www.guidetocaribbeanvacations.com/grenada/GrandEtangNP.htm

Update:

The trail to Mt Qua Qua is still in pretty good condition, but may have some muddy or slippery patches. The razor grass is also encroaching on the trail in several places, so beware.

The last time I did the Shoreline Trail around the lake, it was a muddy bog.

Most importantly, do NOT, under any circumstance, attempt to take the trail down to Concord Falls or Fedon's Camp without a qualified guide and plenty of time (7+ hours). The trail is basically abandoned, overgrown, and unmarked.

In 2009, some people from a Princess cruise headed down WITH a guide, and didn't make it out before dark, and missed their boat.

Here is a video of the trail:

http://vimeo.com/17776393

To be honest, that's an EASY section of the trail.