Best Marinas in the Grenadines: Complete Guide for Charter Sailors
The Grenadines run on moorings and anchorages more than marinas — Blue Lagoon on St Vincent is the main charter base, with Port Louis in Grenada as the southern gateway. Here's where to berth, moor, and what it actually costs.
Blue Lagoon, St Vincent
Blue Lagoon Marina, on St Vincent's south coast near the airport, is where nearly every Grenadines charter begins and ends. It's home to the region's main bareboat and crewed operators — Barefoot Yacht Charters, Sunsail, TMM Yacht Charters, and Horizon Yacht Charters all run fleets from here. Facilities are solid rather than luxurious: fuel dock, water, a chandlery, a couple of restaurants, and easy provisioning nearby in Kingstown. Most crews spend one night here at the start and end of the charter and are on moorings or at anchor every night in between.
Union Island & Canouan
Union Island, at the southern end of the Grenadines chain, has a small marina at Clifton and is the main customs and immigration checkpoint for onward passage to Grenada. It's also the jumping-off point for the Tobago Cays, just a short sail away. Canouan has a marina associated with its resort development, more polished than most Grenadines stops, useful for a fuel and provisioning top-up mid-charter.
Port Louis, Grenada
For charters that start or end in Grenada rather than St Vincent, Port Louis Marina in the capital, St George's, is the main base — home to The Moorings' Grenada operation. It's a full-service marina with a lively marina village, and it opens up longer one-way itineraries north through Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Union Island and the Tobago Cays, rather than the round-trip pattern typical from St Vincent.
Moorings & anchorages
This is the real story of Grenadines cruising: most nights are spent on a mooring ball or at anchor, not alongside a marina berth. The Tobago Cays Marine Park — five uninhabited cays inside a horseshoe reef — is the highlight, with moorings provided to protect the reef from anchor damage (anchoring is prohibited in parts of the park). Mustique, Bequia's Admiralty Bay, and Sandy Island off Carriacou are other well-moored, well-loved stops.
| Location | Type | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lagoon, St Vincent | Marina berth | Included in charter base fee | Start/end of most charters |
| Tobago Cays | Mooring ball | ~$15/night | Marine park fee also applies; protects the reef |
| Sandy Island, Carriacou | Mooring ball | ~$15/night | Popular day-stop, idyllic sandbar |
| Port Louis, Grenada | Marina berth | ~$0.70–$1.73/ft/night | Full-service; Moorings base |
| Bequia, Admiralty Bay | Anchorage/mooring | Free–$15/night | Mix of free anchoring and moorings |
Practicalities: licence, customs and provisioning
Bareboat charter in St Vincent & the Grenadines requires a valid sailing qualification — an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) or equivalent national licence — confirmed with your charter company before booking; skippered options are available for those without one. Customs and immigration clearance is required when crossing between St Vincent and Grenada, typically handled at Union Island or Hillsborough (Carriacou) heading south, and at Blue Lagoon or Wallilabou heading north.
Provisioning is straightforward at Blue Lagoon — most charter companies offer pre-provisioning to a shopping list, and Kingstown's markets are good for fresh produce. Once underway, options thin out to small island shops, so stock up before departure. Rod rental (~$55/week) and snorkel gear (~$15/week) are worth arranging at the base if you don't bring your own — trolling a line between islands for fresh fish is a genuine Grenadines tradition.