The verdict on Magazine Beach
- Who it suitsCouples and snorkelers who want the calmest, clearest water in Grenada and a quiet sunset dinner by the sand, well away from the buzz of the Grand Anse strip.
- Best spotThe Aquarium end at the southwest corner for the reef snorkel, with a table at the beach restaurant a few steps from the water for the sunset that follows.
- One thing to knowSundays draw a busy barbecue crowd, so come on a weekday for the peaceful, private version, or book ahead if you want to join the Sunday scene.
Published 18 February 2026. Last reviewed 13 April 2026
If you want the quiet, romantic side of Grenada rather than the famous one, Magazine Beach is where we would send you. It sits at Point Salines on the southwestern tip of the island, tucked behind the hill at the airport, and while that address sounds unpromising the reward is a calm, clear, west facing bay that most visitors rush past on their way to Grand Anse. Their loss is your gain, because this is often the clearest water in Grenada and one of the most peaceful stretches of sand on the island.
The water is the whole story. It is calm and shallow with little wave and less current, so the swimming is soft and easy, and at the southwestern corner, known as Aquarium Beach, the sand slides into rock and reef just a few strokes out. Snorkel there and you find elkhorn coral, waving seafans and shoals of surgeonfish in water clear enough to read, all close to shore and gentle enough for a nervous swimmer. It is the kind of reef you can share as a couple without a boat, a guide or a long swim.
Then the light turns, and the beach earns its second act. Magazine faces roughly west, so the sun sets over the water rather than behind the hills, and the beach restaurant behind the sand puts a table within a few steps of the shore for an unhurried sunset dinner. Come on a weekday evening and you can have the calm bay and the colour almost to yourselves, which is a rarer thing on a small island than it sounds.
The honest caveats are simple. Sundays bring a busy barbecue crowd to the restaurant, lively and fun but not the quiet you came for, so pick your day. Shade is limited to what the restaurant offers, and the beach is short, so it fills faster than the long strips when a cruise ship is in. Come for calm, clear water, an easy reef and a quiet sunset, and if you want length, facilities and buzz instead, our Grand Mal Beach guide and the wider Grenada calm water beaches guide point you to the honest alternatives. For verified places to eat and drink, use the Grenada beach clubs directory.
The beach restaurant on Magazine Beach
Magazine is a public beach with a single well known beach restaurant behind the sand rather than a row of daybed clubs, and we never invent venues, prices or opening status. Menus, hours and the Sunday barbecue schedule shift through the season, so we keep the verified details on the directory. For what we can confirm in Grenada, use the Grenada beach clubs directory.
Public beach access at Magazine
The sand is open public beach, free to walk on and swim, reached by taxi or car from the airport road at Point Salines. There is no gate and no fee, which is the value case, and the Aquarium end has the reef snorkel close to shore, so bring your own mask and shade.
The beach restaurant and Sunday barbecue
A well known restaurant sits a few steps from the water for drinks, seafood and a shower, with easy sunset dinners on quiet evenings and a lively barbecue on Sundays. Prices and hours change through the season, so we treat the specifics as to be confirmed and keep the current details on the directory.
Magazine Beach, Point Salines, Grenada
Magazine sits at Point Salines on the southwestern tip of Grenada, behind the hill at the international airport, which makes it an easy first or last stop of a trip. Most people arrive by taxi or hire car in a few minutes from the airport or the south coast hotels, and the beach restaurant behind the sand is the landmark to aim for. There is roadside and restaurant parking, and the walk down to the water is short and flat.
Bring a mask if you want the reef, since the snorkeling is the reason to come, and pack your own shade and water because natural shade is limited to a few trees and what the restaurant provides. The water is usually calm and clear, but there is no record of regular lifeguard cover, so treat that as to be confirmed, mind the reef rock underfoot at the Aquarium end and keep children close. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
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Magazine Beach FAQ
Is Magazine Beach good for snorkeling?
Yes, it is one of the easiest snorkels in Grenada. At the southwestern end, known as Aquarium Beach, the sand gives way to rock and reef close to shore, with elkhorn coral, seafans and shoals of surgeonfish in shallow, clear water. The sea is usually calm with little current, so it suits confident and cautious snorkelers alike, though conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Magazine Beach better than Grand Anse?
For calm, clear water and quiet, yes. Magazine has some of the clearest water on the island and stays far quieter than the famous Grand Anse strip, which makes it the better pick for couples, snorkelers and anyone who wants a peaceful day. Grand Anse wins on length, facilities and buzz, so the honest answer depends on whether you want a scene or a calm swim.
Where is Magazine Beach in Grenada?
It sits at Point Salines on the southwestern tip of the island, tucked behind the hill at the international airport. That location makes it an easy first or last stop of a trip, a few minutes from the airport by taxi or car, and the beach restaurant behind the sand is the landmark to aim for.
Is Magazine Beach good for couples?
It is one of the quieter romantic picks in Grenada. The water is calm and clear for a slow swim or a snorkel together, the west facing sand catches the sunset, and the beach restaurant a few steps from the water makes an easy unhurried dinner as the light goes. Come on a weekday evening for the calmest, most private version away from the crowd.
Is Magazine Beach busy on Sundays?
It can be. The beach restaurant is known for a Sunday barbecue that draws a lively local and visitor crowd, so the sand is busier and tables get booked up. Come on a weekday for the quiet, clear water version, or reserve ahead if you want to join the Sunday scene.
When is the best time to visit Magazine Beach?
The dry season from roughly December to May brings the calmest, clearest water and the most reliable sunshine, which is prime time for snorkeling and a sunset dinner. Weekday mornings and evenings are quietest, while Sundays are busiest around the barbecue. Sea conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so still read the water on the day.