A Local's Guide to Grenada: 12 Questions With Marcus, a Gouyave Fisherman
Marcus Williams has lived in Grenada his entire life — 37 years, all in the fishing village of Gouyave on the west coast. He fishes yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi from a 20-foot open boat, helps his wife run a small guest house, and volunteers at the Friday night fish fry that's become one of the island's biggest draws. I sat with him on the Gouyave harbor wall on a Tuesday afternoon with two Carib beers and a plate of lambi (conch) fritters between us.
Tell me about growing up in Gouyave.
Gouyave is a fishing town. Always has been. My father was a fisherman, his father was a fisherman. When I was seven or eight, I'd go out with my dad at 4 AM. We'd come back by noon and sell at the market.
The town smells like nutmeg — the processing station is right here in the middle of everything. When the wind blows from the hills, you smell cinnamon and cocoa too. People from St. George's think Gouyave is too quiet. I think St. George's is too loud.
What's the one thing tourists get wrong about Grenada?
They stay at Grand Anse Beach and never leave. Look, Grand Anse is beautiful — I'm not going to argue with that. Three kilometers of white sand, gentle waves, you can walk to bars and restaurants. It's lovely.
But it's not Grenada. Grenada is the fishing villages, the nutmeg estates, the waterfalls up in the mountains. It's sitting in a rum shop in Sauteurs and watching the sun go down over the spot where the Caribs jumped off the cliff rather than surrender to the French. That's real Grenada.
Rent a car. Drive the island. It takes 2.5 hours to go around the whole thing. Stop everywhere.
Where should visitors eat?
Okay, this is where I get passionate. Do not eat at the Corniche restaurants near the cruise ship terminal in St. George's. That food is made for people who are on the island for six hours and don't know better.
For local food:
The Saturday market in St. George's — get there early, 7 AM. Buy a plate of oil-down for EC$15 (~US$5.50). It's breadfruit, callaloo, salted pig tail, dumplings, all cooked in coconut milk. It's heavy. It's perfect.
BB's Crabback in St. George's — crab backs and lambi. Sit upstairs for the harbor view.
Any roadside roti stand between Gouyave and Grenville — the chicken roti for EC$12 (~US$4.50) is always good.
And the Friday night fish fry in Gouyave — of course I'm going to say this, I help run it. But honestly, grilled lobster for EC$25 (~US$9)? Fresh snapper, conch, and crayfish straight from the boats that morning? You won't beat that value anywhere in the Caribbean.
The fish fry — is it worth the hype?
Every Friday night, our little town transforms. The main street fills with smoke from grills. Music playing. Kids running around. Locals and tourists together — not separate areas, not a "tourist section." Everyone gets the same lobster from the same grill.
Get there by 7 PM for the best selection. The lobster goes first. The lambi fritters are my wife's recipe and I'm biased but they're the best on the island. Bring cash — no one has card machines.
What about the Underwater Sculpture Park?
It's special. I'm not a diver — I fish above the water, not below it — but I've snorkeled over it and it's unlike anything else. Jason deCaires Taylor put those statues down in Moliniere Bay and the sea has been making them its own for years. Coral growing on concrete faces. Fish swimming through the sculptures.
Snorkel trips from Grand Anse cost US$40-50 and take you right there. If you dive, US$70. Go in the morning — the light hits the sculptures differently before noon.
Where do locals go that tourists don't?
Bathway Beach in the northeast. It's remote, there's a natural rock pool that's safe for swimming even when the Atlantic side is rough, and on a weekday you might be the only person there. Bring food — there's nothing nearby.
Concord Falls — not the first waterfall you reach (everyone stops there), but the second one, 45 minutes further up the trail. Bigger, more dramatic, and usually empty because most visitors don't want to hike.
The Esplanade Mall — just kidding. But seriously, the little rum shops that don't have names on the outside? Those are where the best conversations happen. Buy a round of Clarke's Court rum and you'll have friends for life.
Is Grenada safe?
Very. I leave my boat unlocked at the harbor. My wife walks home from the fish fry at midnight. Crime against tourists is rare — petty theft happens, don't leave your camera on the beach, that kind of thing. But violent crime? Not really a factor here.
The bigger danger is the road from St. George's to the east coast. Narrow, steep, no guardrails. If you rent a car, take it slow and drive on the left. We inherited that from the British.
Best time to visit?
January to May. Dry season. Grenada sits south of most hurricane paths — we've been hit (Ivan in 2004 was devastating) but it's much rarer than the islands further north. The water is calmest March-May and the diving visibility is at its best.
I'd avoid the cruise ship schedule though. When two or three ships dock in St. George's, the town gets crowded fast. Check the schedule and plan around it.
What should tourists buy as souvenirs?
Nutmeg. Real Grenadian nutmeg, not the pre-ground stuff. Buy a bag of whole nutmegs at the Gouyave processing station for almost nothing and grate them at home. The difference between fresh-grated Grenadian nutmeg and what you buy in a supermarket is like the difference between a fresh tomato and ketchup.
Also: chocolate. Grenada makes excellent bean-to-bar chocolate. The Grenada Chocolate Company and Jouvay are the best. A bar costs EC$10-15 (~US$4-5.50) at local shops.
And a bottle of Rivers rum from River Antoine Distillery. It's 150 proof. It will strip paint. It's been made the same way since 1785. One bottle will last you years if you sip it. Hours if you don't.
What do tourists get wrong?
Besides staying only at Grand Anse? A few things:
They don't learn any Creole. Even "wha gwan" (what's going on) or "tanks" (thanks) makes people smile.
They don't try oil-down. It looks strange if you're not used to it, but it's the national dish for a reason.
They don't visit during Carnival (August). SpiceMas is smaller than Trinidad Carnival but it's ours and it's joyful in a way that's hard to describe.
What's changing about Grenada?
More visitors each year. More hotels being built south of Grand Anse. A new marina development. It's good for the economy — don't get me wrong, tourism feeds families here. But I hope we don't become another Barbados or St. Lucia where the resorts take over the best beaches and price locals out.
