New Marinas Overseas

As promised I have now received further details on the exciting new marina on Grenada, which is being devloped byPeter de Savary, well known for other major projects in the Caribbean. This one is no less exciting!

The heart of the devlopment will ofcourse be the village and marina, which will be able to accommodate yachts up to 360 feet, for those of you who have one, but if you do, I would suggest getting in early, as there is only one berth of this size as far as I can tell from the plans. This is followed by seven at 240 feet, and then a variety of berths for mere mortals, ranging in size from 80 feet down to the smallest at 40 feet which have optional finger piers. In total there will be around 300 berths when the marina is complete. Berth depths vary dependant on the location but the maximum is 26 ft. Some of the berths will be for sale on a freehold basis, so if you prefer to own, rather than lease or rent, again I would suggest you get in ealry.

The development itslef will eventually evolve into a complete village, and one of the focal points will be the re-birth of a five star landmark hotel “The Islander” which was originally known as the The Santa Maria. In the 1950’s this world famous property was a huge draw to the rich and famous, and was the location for the movie “Island In The Sun” with James Mason, Harry Belafonte and Joan Collins.

At the moment I am still waiting for property prices to become avilable, but as soon as they do I will post them here. Grouped around the marina will be a mixture of town houses ( 17 ), luxury apartments ( 66) , and villa lots (3) up to 4500 sq ft. Overlooking both the marina and Pandy beach on the hillside will be a further development of luxury hillside apartments ( (22). With the limited availablility of waterside properties by the marina I would reserve one as soon as possible, as Grenada is set for growth in the next 5 years, and this development will only fuel the inevitable price increases.

Those of you who recognise the name of businessman, property developer and entrepreneur Peter de Savary, will immediatley be aware of three things. Firstly that he is a keen sailor in his own right having led the British team in its challenge to win the America’s cup in 1983, secondly that anything he does is on a big scale, and finally that his developements offer exceptional investment returns. The marina resort being planned in Grenada will be no exception to the rule, in my view.

Grenada is one of the Southern most of the Windward islands stretching from Antigua in the North, to Trinidad and Tobago in the South and is typical of the Windwards in its tropical beauty. The island is often referred to as the spice island due to the pungent aroma from the many spices grown on the island, but sadly this export market is now in rapid decline. Lush and green, it has towering mountains covered in dense rainforests, and the coastline is dotted with inlets and bays lined with palms and white sand beaches. Grenada’s capital St George’s is the prettiest harbour town in the whole of the Caribbean ( in my opinion!!) Along with the Grenadines these islands are among theworld’s top sailing destinations. The islands are extremely beautiful, dramatic yellow and grey green with schools of dolphin to keep you company. Next year the Grenada sailing festival takes place on the 25th - 29th January, when crews from around the world compete in a variety of events.

Unlike many other destinations in the Caribbean, this is truly an all year round getaway, as (unlike many other destinations), the island lies outside the hurricane belt. Temperatures hover around the mid 80’s throughout the year, and with the cooling trade winds the climate is one of the most desirable in the world - very different to some of the Northern Caribbean islands. Grenadians have chosen to retain the best of their strong French and British influences whilst preserving all that is distinctive from their own West Indian heritage. Facilities are modern and efficient as can be expected from such a progressive country, built today on education and stability.

The develepment itself is costing in excess of 500 million US dollars and is based on the marina resort model, so popular in the Caribbean and the Far East. In this case it is planned to have an “Italian twist”, as the development has been modelled on the stunning port of Portofino in Italy ( if you have never been please do go - you can sit and watch the celebrities as they arrive for lunch on the waterfront in theis superyachts!) . Based around the capital St George’s, those lucky enough to live here will have panaromic views to Pandy Beach, the white sandy beaches of Grand Anse Beach, and breathtaking sunsets over the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.

The marina itelf will have between 300 and 350 berths, and will be able to accomodate mega-yachts up to 100 metres in length. The marina has been designed within an exisiting lagoon providing a safe and secure anchorage. The development includes a variety of 3000 sq ft luxury waterside appartments, hillside apartments with spectacular views, and 34 luxury villas of 6000 sq ft plus, along with many shop, restaurants, a 35,000 sq ft spa facility, and several 5 star hotels.

As with many other islands which are now looking to encourage inward investment, the Grenadian authorities have designated this development a freeport, which will therefore provide the opportunity for tax free shopping.

Getting there is very easy, with direct internatinal flights from Europe and from North America arriving at Salines airport on the Southwestern tip of the island. With St Georges only 10 kms to the North, you should be on your boat within the hour, assuming you don’t stop off at one of the many waterfront bars for a rum punch en route.

As always, as the development takes shape I will update the site with more information as it becomes available, and remeber if you are looking to finance your boat or yacht please have a look at my other site - yacht boat finance