Where is the best place to enjoy Grand Anse Beach?

[CaribbeanBound]

I understand that there are several vendors and bars along Grand Anse Beach. Where is the best place to hang out, and why?

[IslandStar]

I understand that there are several vendors and bars along Grand Anse Beach. Where is the best place to hang out, and why?

 

Personally my favourite has to be Umbrellas. :) It is a good 20minute walk along the beach once you arrive via water taxi. Normally I recommend folk either get the water taxi and then walk or get a bus from town, go via the forts for top photo opportunities and then drop you at Umbrellas (more expensive but less strenuous), Cheaper I think if there is a group of you..

 

Good food, good drinks, reasonable prices and locals all go there so it must be good. Also it is my favourite part of the beach as the sand just seems nicer (whiter/softer) for some reason, although that could be the rum talking :D

 

post pics and a review if you go and have a fab time wherever you end up

[CaribbeanBound]

We loved umbrellas and look forward to a return trip when it's not raining.

 

8:00am - 5:00pm. On our last trip here we enjoyed Mandoo Tours 4-hour half-day "Spice Plantation Route" tour. This trip we hoped to take it easy on Grand Anse Beach, a non-snorkeling 2-mile crescent stretch of sand not too far from the ship. Most folks take a water taxi to Grand Anse Beach for about $6 per person each way. The water taxi is about 1/2-block to the left of the ship (as you face the island). We opted to take a local bus ($1 US). The bus depot can also been seen from the ship. Just look for the 2-deck parking garage with a hundred mini-vans another half block from the water taxi dock. It's easy to catch a water taxi or bus in either direction to and from the cruise pier. If you take the bus, you want the Zone #1 bus to Grand Anse (and back to St. George). It's clearly written on the windshield. The bus holds about 14 passengers and the driver (working with a conductor) will work to keep it as full as possible throughout the trip. You will not save time taking the bus. You take it because you want to get a better flavor of the island and it's residents.

 

 

If you take the water taxi, upon arrival you'll get swamped with offers for chairs and umbrellas (among other things). I suggest you walk away from the dock, past the spice market, and settle in an area away from the heavier crowds. If you arrive by bus, get off at the Spiceland Mall, cross the street and walk 1 block down a driveway where you'll find yourself at a great beach bar and grill called Umbrellas. It's an airy, clean, comfortable restaurant with great food. Don't panic when you read the menu. The prices are in Eastern Caribbean Dollars and $1 USD = $2.70 ECD. We enjoyed their grilled barracuda (two thick nicely grilled mild flaky white filets) with a side of "rocket and potato salad". Rocket is a non-bitter local leafy vegetable. Lunch was awesome. We also ordered a locally bottled ginger ale and a bottle of their local Carib Lager. There was plenty of food for two to share. With tip, the total was $58 ECD (about $22 USD). Upon exiting Umbrellas, you'll find yourself on the less crowded section of the beach (3/4 down the beach from the water taxi dock). When your beach day is done, reserve your steps and take either the bus or water taxi back to the ship.

 

The skies were cloudy and it rained most of the day (sometimes torrentially). I estimate that there were no more than two dozen folks from the ship on the beach, and they outnumbered everyone else, except the vendors at the spice market. We had a great adventure despite the lack of an intended sunny beach day.

Edited November 23, 2013 by CaribbeanBound

[IslandStar]

oh so sorry to hear you had a rainy day here :(

Tell us when you are coming back and I will do a sun dance to make sure the rain stays away :cool:

[CaribbeanBound]

Perfect!

 

We didn't let the lack of sun keep us from getting out and about. We just missed an opportunity for a beach day.

[sccoast]

Personally my favourite has to be Umbrellas. :) It is a good 20minute walk along the beach once you arrive via water taxi. Normally I recommend folk either get the water taxi and then walk or get a bus from town, go via the forts for top photo opportunities and then drop you at Umbrellas (more expensive but less strenuous), Cheaper I think if there is a group of you..

 

is Umbrellas the name of the beach? the name of a bar? or resort? i can't find it listed at Trip Advisor but it sounds like the place i want to go.

[carolslc]

Umbrellas:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147296-d2007817-Reviews-Umbrellas_Beach_Bar-St_George_s_Saint_George_Parish_Grenada.html

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Umbrellas-Beach-BAR-Grenada/167068716640196

 

We are planning to go here when in Grenada for the day on the Summit.

[carolslc]

Hi. Thought I'd let you all know that I wrote Umbrellas, and they recommended just taking a regular taxi from the port directly to them. They said it should cost $40-50 EC, which is about $14-18 USD. Using the water taxi for two of us would be $12, so you save a little, but then have a long walk.

[IslandStar]

Hi. Thought I'd let you all know that I wrote Umbrellas, and they recommended just taking a regular taxi from the port directly to them. They said it should cost $40-50 EC, which is about $14-18 USD. Using the water taxi for two of us would be $12, so you save a little, but then have a long walk.

 

Spoke with the water taxi guys today. It is US$4 per person each way so if you chose to go to beach and back for both of you via watertaxi it would be US$16 (equivalent to ec$42.72) just to give you the latest prices :)

[carolslc]

Spoke with the water taxi guys today. It is US$4 per person each way so if you chose to go to beach and back for both of you via watertaxi it would be US$16 (equivalent to ec$42.72) just to give you the latest prices :)

 

Thanks! It will probably just come down to how much we'll need the exercise by that point in our cruise. :D

[carolslc]

Hi. Just back from the Summit and wanted to report. We took a regular taxi from the port to Umbrellas. However, when we got there, there were no chairs in front of Umbrellas. Either they never have them, or we were too early. We ended up walking back up toward the spice market in the main area of the beach and got two chairs and an umbrella for $15 right in front of Native Spirit Scuba. It would have been better to take the water taxi, which is what we did to go back. If you're walking from the water taxi, this is still past the spice market.

 

We did a 1 hour Hobie Cat ride/tour with Thayne from Native Spirit which was awesome, for only $30. Very nice people there. We did have one woman who brought us drinks to our chairs early in the day and offered us a lunch menu but we weren’t ready for lunch yet. Then we never saw her again. To eat, we just got some snacks from vendors in the spice market area and brought them back to our chairs. We never made it back down to Umbrellas as it was a pretty long walk.

 

As for the chairs, you just pick what you want, and a guy comes and collects your money. After Native Spirit, it appeared between there and Umbrellas the chairs were all for just the resorts. But where we were, there were plenty for rent.

Edited January 27, 2014 by carolslc

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

Carolslc, approximately how long was the ride on the water taxi, to reach the cruise port? Is the cruise port close to where the water taxi drops you off? We're taking a private tour, and Grand Anse Beach is the last stop, and if time permits, we want to stay longer on the beach, and find our own way back to the ship.

[carolslc]

Hi. I'd say the ride from Grand Anse to the ship is about 15 minutes. It drops you off a 5 minute walk to get back on the ship. You see the ship right in front of you. They do wait to fill up the water taxi before it leaves. At the time we left, they were running them very frequently - it looked like they had 2 going back and forth constantly- so about every 20 or so minutes. I just wouldn't want to be the last ones on the beach and have them not want to leave yet because the boat isn't full! This was our favorite beach - it really is nice. Have fun!