Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park: A Snorkeling & Diving Adventure
The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park is an unusual attraction that has grown to be one of the most popular things to do in Grenada.
The sculptures were created by an English artist with a passion for protecting our oceans. The project aimed to create an attraction for tourists while also helping to protect the local ecosystem.
The sculpture park can easily be visited on a tour from Grand Anse Beach, the most popular tourist beach in Grenada. So keep reading to find out the best way of seeing the underwater sculptures of Grenada! 🐠
Why is there a Sculpture Park in Grenada?
The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park was opened in 2007 and was created by a British artist named Jason deCaires Taylor.
Jason is an artist with a passion for the ocean. So he came up with the idea of creating art that could combine his skills with his passion.
He decided to place the sculpture park in Molinere Bay Grenada. He chose this spot because this area was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Hurricane Ivan caused massive damage to the whole of Grenada and nearly wiped out the reefs at Molinere Bay.
His idea was that sculptures could provide a habitat for sea life to replace the reefs that had been destroyed by the hurricane.
He also thought that if tourists visited the sculpture park there would be fewer tourists visiting the reefs which would give them more time to recover.
Jason’s efforts were successful as the park is attracting many tourists. The success of the park even encouraged the government to set up a marine park where the sculpture park is.
This means that money from trips to the sculpture park helps to pay for the maintenance of the marine park. Park rangers patrol the area and make sure that there is no overfishing and that rules are followed.
Some of the money you pay to visit the park will help to pay the rangers. So visiting the park helps to preserve the bay, it is not just some statutes sitting on the bottom of the ocean! 💛
How the Park helps the Ocean
All 75 statues at the sculpture park are made from ph neutral cement that will last a very long time underwater. This means that it will not degrade and cause damage to the area.
The surfaces of the sculptures are grooved to allow coral and other creatures to attach themselves. Jason also made sure that the sculpture park is placed in an area in which currents will bring sea life to attach themselves to the sculptures.
Because the statues have been in the ocean for more than 15 years you can see the efforts have been successful. The statues are covered in coral so it is awesome to see nature starting to take over 🪸
Due to the success of the Grenada Sculpture Park Jason also created the Underwater Museum at Cancun. He also has many other projects worldwide including a statue in the Bahamas that weighs 60 tons!
Below is a Ted Talk from the creator of the sculpture park. In the video, he talks about his philosophy behind creating the park and his other projects. Inspiring!
Read also: How to see turtles in Grenada while helping protect them 🐢
How to Visit the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park
To visit the sculpture park you have to book a tour and choose between:
- Scuba diving (best option)
- Snorkeling (2nd best option)
- Glass bottom boat (3rd best option)
The sculptures are 5-8 meters (16-26 feet) underwater and not all visible from the surface. So on a glass-bottom boat, you won’t see them all and if you decide to snorkel you have to be able to dive down 🤿
Option #1: Go on a Budget Snorkel Tour
If you are looking for a budget snorkeling tour there are a few dive shops on Grand Anse Beach you can book with. We did a tour with Eco Dive for 60 USD per person.
Eco Dive has good reviews but we were not the biggest fan of their tour. The guides were all a little too relaxed and didn’t really tell us what was happening. The tour also seemed a little bit unorganized.
If you go on a budget snorkel tour companies will put you on a small boat with other people going scuba diving. You will then have a separate guide to show the snorkelers around the park.
They also didn’t tell us anything about the sculpture park. Everything I wrote about the park I found out while writing this article. So I suggest looking for other tour operators which I have linked below.
The visibility can vary at the sculpture park. If there is a lot of swell the water will be very hazy and it will be much harder to see the sculptures so if possible plan accordingly 🐠
Option #2: Go on a Sailing Snorkel Tour
There is also a tour on Viator which looks great. For 129 USD per person, you can go on a sailing and snorkeling tour of the underwater sculpture park.
It is double the price of the dive shops. But you will be on a much nicer boat with a buffet lunch included. People also seemed to really enjoy the trip.
So if you want to save money I suggest heading to the dive shops. But if you want a really nice experience I suggest booking a sailing trip with Viator.
Read also: These are Grenada’s 7 best beaches 🏖️
Option #3: Go Diving at the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park
If you would like to go diving at the sculpture park then you book at the same dive shops that offer the snorkeling tours. Most of them are on Grand Andse Beach.
I went snorkeling with a group who dove with Eco Dive. They paid 80 USD per person. This included diving at the sculpture park and snorkeling at Flamingo Bay.
The group I was with was not overly impressed with the dive instructors. There was not much info given about what they would see or what to expect. But if you want a cheaper option you can book with them.
Otherwise, you can also book a tour with ScubaTech. They have many good reviews on TripAdvisor and a tour with them costs 112 USD per person.
The cost includes 2 dives, pick up and drop off from your hotel, and snacks and drinks. All of which isn’t included at Eco Dive and diving schools on the beach. So it is slightly more expensive but you do get some extra benefits and 2 dives.
If you want to go diving you will need a PADI certification. You could learn how to dive and get your certification at several diving schools in Grenada.
We can recommend the diving school Aquanauts Grenada at True Blue Resort. Katharina went wrack diving with them with her friends and was super happy.
Read also: How to find the hidden Black Bay Beach in Grenada 🤫
Option #4: Go on a Glass-Bottom Boat Tour
Besides snorkeling and diving, you can visit the underwater sculptures park by booking a glass-bottom boat tour which costs 45 USD per person.
I recommend only going for this option if the visibility in the water is not hazy, which will depend on the season and on the day.
❗️When we went (snorkeling & diving) the water was quite murky, so I doubt we would have seen a lot from the surface.
Sculpture Park FAQs
Find here an answer to your question about visiting the sculpture park or leave us a comment with your question down below 🙂
Where is the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park?
The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park is located in Molinere Bay on the west side of mainland Grenada and a 15-minute drive north from its capital St Georges.
How do you get to the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park?
To visit the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park you have to book a tour. Most tours start at Grand Anse Beach which is just a 15-minute boat ride away.
How to see the underwater sculptures in Grenada?
To see the underwater sculptures in Grenada you have the following options:
How much does the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park cost?
The costs of visiting the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park depend on the tour you book. The entry to the marine park is included. All prices are per person.
- A budget snorkel tour costs 60 USD
- A sailing snorkel tour costs 129 USD
- A 1-tank diving tour costs 80 USD
- A 2-tank diving tour costs 112 USD
- A glass bottom boat tour costs 45 USD
How deep is the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park?
The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park is up to 9 meters (30 feet) deep and the closest statue to the surface is 5 meters (16 feet) deep.
How many underwater statues are in Grenada?
There are 75 artworks at the Grenada Underwater Park covering an area of 800m2 (8611 sqft). The statues are based on a variety of inspirations by the artist.
Why was the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park built?
The sculptures were created by the English artist Jason deCaires Taylor to reinhabit the reef at Molinere Bay that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
What is better: Snorkeling, Diving or a Glass-Bottom Boat?
The sculptures are 5-8 meters (16-26 feet) underwater so if you have a scuba diving license I suggest you book a diving tour. The second best option is to go snorkeling but you will have to be able to dive down to see all of them.
We have not been on a glass-bottom tour but the day we went it would not have been a good idea because the water was hazy which due to the strong currents will happen quite often.
Read also: 20 unique things to do in Grenada ✨
Have fun exploring the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park!
When I first heard about it, visiting the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park seemed like a super touristy thing. But in the end, I was glad that I visited it.
It was interesting to see the sculptures slowly being taken over by nature. Also after learning the reason behind the creation of the park, I think it is a really cool idea that could be implemented in many places around the world.
Let me know in the comments below if you are going to visit the sculpture park and how you like it!
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Hi, I am Allan, a travel, health and fitness fanatic from New Zealand. I'm a former lawyer who turned into a full-time nomad in 2020. For the last 4+ years I've been traveling the world. I'm always on a hunt for good food, activities on a budget and workouts on the go. I hope you find my tips helpful and get inspired to travel more!
