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Pearls Airport in Grenada is a quirky attraction that we visited multiple times during our 6 months stay in Grenada. It is an old abandoned airport with two planes slowing falling to pieces that you can have a look inside.
Usually in the Caribbean, people only think of visiting white sand beaches and sipping a cocktail on the beach. So this is not a very usual attraction. But it is totally free to enter and well worth visiting if you are in Grenada.
Visitors FAQ
🎟️ No entrance fee
🕐 Open daily from 9am to 5pm
🚗 Own transport needed
Pearls Airport History
Pearls Airport was opened in 1943 and was the first airport ever in Grenada. But it was never a full-scale commercial airport.
One of the reasons was that because of the location next to hills and strong winds large aircraft could not land here. So the airport was only used occasionally with a few flights per week.
It operated until 1983 when the United States invaded Grenada during the Cold War. When the Americans arrived at the airport there were two aircraft there.
One was a Cuban airplane that had bought two Cuban officials into the country the day before. The other was another aircraft gifted to Grenada by the Soviet Union. Because the United States had very tense relationships with those two countries at the time the planes were not allowed to return home.
At the time of the invasion, the new international airport was already being built in the south of Grenada near its capital St George. This meant that Pearls airport was abandoned soon after the invasion and the planes were of no use to Grenada.
Today they still sit next to the old runway and are slowly falling to pieces. But it is super cool to have a look inside them!
How to get to Pearls Airport
Pearls Airport is located on the east coast of Grenada just north of its second biggest city Grenville. It is a 40-minute drive from St George to get to Pearls Airport.
If you drive to Pearls Airport from St George I recommend taking the road that goes through the center of the island. This road will take you through the middle of Grenada which is a beautiful drive.
The middle of the country is very lush green and mountainous. In the center of the island is the Grand Etang National Park which is a nice place to visit on the way to Pearls Airport.
You could do the hike to Mt Qua Qua or visit the Seven Sisters Waterfalls which are one of the best waterfalls in Grenada.
Driving on the Old Runway
Just before arriving at Pearls airport, you will drive down Old Airport Road which will take you to the start of the old runway. When you arrive at the airport it will really feel abandoned.
You will see a whole lot of tires lined up on the runway because the runway apparently was used as a dragstrip for cars after it was abandoned!
I am not sure if it is still used for races as it is not a very smooth surface but apparently locals come here to practice driving. Locals also use the sides of the old runway to graze their animals. So will see lots of cows and goats on the side which is quite funny 🐮
To find the abandoned planes you need to drive about three-quarters of the way down the runway. You will then see the planes in a small park to the right.
Exploring the Planes
The area around the planes is quite well maintained with a few picnic tables and a security guard to watch.
There are two planes at the site and most of the insides have been gutted. The security guard on site said that after the aircraft was abandoned all the valuable parts were slowly taken by locals so the insides of the planes are mostly empty.
But it is still interesting to have a look through the windows. One of the planes still has a couple of seats inside which looks cool.
You should definitely also look inside the cock pits of both planes. You can still really see all the old machinery and controls inside while nature takes over.
It is also fascinating to see the material the propellers were made out of. Because they are falling to pieces you can really see all the layers of material they are composed of.
Now you know all about Pearls Airport
Pearls Airport is definitely an unusual attraction in Grenada. It is not something you expect to see on a Caribbean island but it is a fun place to check out.
It is only a tiny place so will not take you long to check out. So I recommend checking out other local attractions at the same time such as Mt Carmel Falls, Belmont Estate, and Bathway Beach. Hopefully, you enjoy this fun little spot!
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Really cool, I’m not much of an avgeek, but going to an abandoned airport is something I have always wanted to do.
We feel you! Especially great to see how nature takes over.