Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park Molinere Bay Grenada

The Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, Grenada: Art That Becomes Reef

In 2006 a British sculptor named Jason deCaires Taylor sank a series of concrete figures into Molinere Bay, on Grenada’s west coast, and waited to see what would happen. Within a few years the sculptures had been colonised by coral polyps, sea fans, and encrusting sponges, and the fish had followed. The park is now both an art installation and a functioning artificial reef, home to sea turtles, parrotfish, brain coral, and several species that were not there before the concrete arrived.

The park became the world’s first dedicated underwater sculpture park and is now listed among National Geographic’s 25 Wonders of the World. That designation has brought crowds, which matters when you are planning your visit.

What You Will Find in the Water

The collection spans around 800 square metres of seabed in Molinere Bay, at depths ranging from roughly 3 to 8 metres. The original 65 works have been joined by newer pieces. In 2023 Taylor installed the Coral Carnival series: 25 sculptures inspired by Grenada’s Spicemas carnival, created in collaboration with local artists and depicting carnival characters, masquerade figures, and cultural symbols specific to the island. This addition makes the collection more grounded in its location than the earlier, more generic humanoid forms.

The most photographed original work is the circle of standing figures titled Vicissitudes, depicting 26 children holding hands in a ring. Over nearly two decades of colonisation, each figure has developed a different encrustation profile, so the circle now looks like 26 different sculptures despite being cast identically. It is the kind of transformation you cannot plan for, which is what makes the project worth taking seriously as more than a gimmick.

Fees and How to Visit

Since May 2025, every visitor to the park pays a USD 3.50 Marine Protected Area (MPA) entry fee per visit, plus a USD 10 per-person activity fee. These fees cover snorkelers, divers, and glass-bottom boat passengers alike. Fees are paid when booking through a tour operator or at the point of access; all reputable operators include them in their pricing. Note that fees are scheduled to increase to USD 7 for the MPA component from October 2026.

Access is by boat only. There is no beach entry to Molinere Bay. Departure points are along Grand Anse Beach, where multiple operators offer daily trips. Options include:

• Snorkel tours: USD 55 to USD 100 per person depending on duration and whether additional sites are included. Dive Grenada runs afternoon trips departing at 12:45pm.
• Diving tours: USD 75 per person and upward for certified divers.
• Glass-bottom boat tours: USD 45 per person for non-swimmers, providing views of the sculptures without entering the water.
• Longer sailing excursions combining Molinere Bay with Flamingo Bay: around USD 120 to USD 130 per person for a half-day.

There are no rental facilities at the bay itself. Collect mask, snorkel, and fins from a dive shop on Grand Anse Beach before boarding. Most tour operators provide basic equipment in their package.

Timing Matters

Morning light enters the bay at a clean angle that makes underwater photography significantly better and visibility cleaner than afternoon visits. The water surface also tends to be calmer before midday. Book a departure time before 10am if you have the option. Grenada’s dry season runs December through May; sea conditions are most consistent during this window. Open-ocean swells occasionally affect afternoon conditions, which is worth asking your operator about when booking.

The sculptures are covered in live coral and sponge growth. Touching them is illegal and causes real damage. This is not a rules-for-rules-sake situation: two decades of growth can be dislodged by one hand placement, and the marine life that has colonised the park is the whole point.

Beyond Molinere Bay

Grenada rewards spending more than a day or two on the island. From St. George’s, the capital, the hike to Seven Sisters Falls in Grand Etang National Forest takes around 90 minutes each way through dense rainforest and ends at a series of cascading pools suitable for swimming. Grand Anse Beach, a two-mile crescent of white sand, is the island’s main beach and consistently ranks among the best in the Caribbean. Fort George, overlooking St. George’s harbour, provides context for the island’s colonial history, and the Grenada nutmeg and mace cooperative offers a concrete explanation for why this island was once strategically important enough to invade.

Getting to Grenada

Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) in St. George’s receives direct flights from New York, Miami, Toronto, and London, as well as regional connections via Trinidad and Barbados. The airport is 10 minutes by taxi from Grand Anse Beach; fixed-rate taxis charge around USD 20 to USD 25 for this route.

Where to Stay

Grand Anse Beach is the most convenient base for accessing Molinere Bay. Spice Island Beach Resort is the island’s most established luxury property, with all-suite accommodation directly on the beach. Silversands Grand Anse is a more contemporary option, opened in 2019 and positioned at the quieter southern end of the beach. Both are at the higher end: rooms from USD 500 per night and upward in season.

Coyaba Beach Resort and the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort offer comfortable mid-range alternatives on the same stretch of beach, with rooms from around USD 180 to USD 280 per night.

For something with more local character, the neighbourhood of True Blue, south of Grand Anse, has smaller guesthouses and self-catering apartments at lower prices.

Eating Well in Grenada

The Aquarium Restaurant, at the southern end of Grand Anse Beach, does good fresh seafood at mid-range prices with tables that face the water. Dodgy Dock at True Blue Bay Resort is more casual and operates as a waterfront bar-restaurant with Caribbean grilled dishes and rum cocktails.

For local food at lower prices, the Grenada Market Square in St. George’s has vendors selling roti, oil-down (the national dish, a one-pot stew of breadfruit, callaloo, and coconut milk), and fresh fruit. This is the meal you remember over the hotel restaurant.

Book your morning snorkel tour before arriving in Grenada: the better operators fill up several days ahead, particularly from December through April.