Dec 5, 2025 – St George’s to Pearls Airport, Grenada

With a late start of after 11 AM, walked to the bus station and decided to go to Pearls airport near Grenville on the east coast.

Pearls was built in 1943 but its distance from St George’s, along with being surrounded by hills on three sides, doomed it. But, during the US invasion in 1983 it was taken by US Marines. Don’t ask me why. Today, it’s used as a construction site and a drag strip.

The buses here are just mini vans. The buses taken today had four rows of bench seats with four passengers per row and two more seats up front with the driver.

So, the “bus” held 19 people which includes the driver and the tout/money man. Babies in laps can add to the count. The vans usually don’t leave the station until they are full.

The steep, winding roads won’t allow the use of vehicles much larger that those vans. Grenada is hilly and the barely two lane roads, frequently with switchbacks, are often wet from rain.

Took a bus from St George’s to Grenville and then another to Pearls airport. There are two destroyed planes there, one Cuban and another, Soviet. Both were destroyed during the US invasion.

After looking at the planes and walking down part of the runway, headed back to the road and waited 20 minutes for a bus to come along toward Grenville.

But, ran out of patience and decided to start walking back. It is 3.1 km or about 2 miles to Grenville. About fifteen minutes into the walk a bus came up from behind. I waved and it stopped and picked me up.

Then, back in Grenville and took a bus back to St George’s. The trip from Grenville to St George’s took about an hour and fifteen minutes but it was an up and down, swervy ride. Interesting and cheap trip. My max fare was about $2.50 US or as I paid, 6 Eastern Caribbean dollars.

Back in St George’s it was to the grocery for dinner stuff of conch, little marlin steaks and pasta. Oh, and a Stag lager.

Cheers