St. Andrew is the biggest parish and the working heart of the island's east. This is agricultural Grenada: nutmeg and cocoa country, with the Atlantic on one side and the forested interior on the other. It is less polished than the tourist south, and that is exactly the point. This is the island getting on with life.
If you want to see how Grenada actually works, not how it is packaged for visitors, this is the place to come. The market is real, the food is authentic, the people are busy, and the landscape is green and wild. It rewards the journey east with waterfalls, forest hikes, and a genuine sense of discovery.
Grenville town
Grenville is the second town of Grenada and the commercial hub of the east. It is sometimes called Rainbow City and has the character of a working port: busy, a bit chaotic, colourful, and entirely unpretentious. The main draw is the market, open daily and busiest on Saturday mornings. This is not a tourist market. It is a real one, with fresh produce, spices, meat, fish, and the kind of crowd that makes a place feel alive. Come hungry or early, and bring cash. The market is a slice of island life that most visitors miss.
Seven Sisters Falls and the interior
The Seven Sisters, also called St. Margaret's Falls, is one of Grenada's best adventures: a chain of seven waterfalls linked by a forest trail, with pools to jump in between. The trail winds through cocoa and nutmeg, green and shaded and cool. A guide is worth it, both for safety and for the stories they tell about the land. The walk takes about an hour to the upper falls, and the water is cold and clear. This is what the interior of the island feels like: wild, alive, and rewarding.
Just inland from the east coast, the Grand Etang forest reserve rises into the hills: cool, densely forested, with a crater lake at the centre and hiking trails for those who want to go deeper. The contrast between the coast and these green hills is one of the island's defining features.
The Atlantic coast
The coast here faces the Atlantic, so it is rougher and wilder than the calm south coast. It is excellent for a walk and a view, and it gives you the sense of standing on the edge of something. The beaches here are not the calm, sandy Caribbean postcard. They are dramatic and worth seeing for a different reason. Swimming is better on calmer days.
Getting there and getting around
St. Andrew is a real drive from the south coast, about 45 minutes to an hour from Grand Anse. Make a full day of it. The best plan is to start early, hit the market first thing on a Saturday morning, then drive out to the Seven Sisters in the late morning. Have lunch on your way back. Rental car is useful, but a guide for the falls is essential. Taxis from the south coast to Grenville can be arranged, though costs add up.
The businesses below are the St. Andrew spots worth knowing. Every one is on Island Link, so you can find them on the map and get directions before you head east.
This is part of our guide to Grenada by parish. For the falls, see waterfalls and hikes in Grenada.