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Coral Cove is a group of eleven hacienda–style cottages and apartments set in the area of Lance aux Epines in Grenada, overlooking one of the many deep coves on the island’s meandering southern shore. They sit in a sloping 5-acre garden that leads down to a quiet and private, very attractive white sand beach, beyond which the superb view carries over the mountains on one side and over a reef to the Atlantic Ocean in the other. The rooms at Coral Cove are in a couple of formats - some are stand-alone cottages scattered around the gardens, others are apartments – but they all share the lovely setting in a secluded spot.
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Style: Latin ‘hacienda’ style Grenada accommodation, with white stucco walls and curved arches and red roof tiles
The Beach: Attractive white sand beach backed by sea grape and palms – very private with plenty of available shade
The Rooms: Eleven 1- and 2-bedroom cottages and apartments with a mixture of king and twin beds
Key features: Secluded, affordable Caribbean cottages and self-catering apartments, full kitchens, living and dining room, balcony/patio or veranda, ceiling fans, cable tv, phones and a central pool, barbecue, tennis court, a 5-acre garden and a pretty white sand beach, reef right off the jetty. Also viable option for longer-term Grenada house rentals. Owner managed.
Children: Children are welcome at Coral Cove. Rollaway beds are available. Two different sizes of cot are available.
Staff: Owner managed with friendly staff. Daily maid service included. Laundry and baby-sitting service available. Starter food packs for arrival organised on request |
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Review
Coral Cove is tucked away above its own very pretty beach at the limits of the L’Anse aux Epines peninsular in the south of Grenada. It is quiet, small (with just 11 cottages and apartments) and very low key, ideally suited independent travellers who are happy to cater for themselves and do not need a constant diet of entertainment or activities. The small resort takes its name from the pretty bay on which it stands – this was always referred to simply as the ‘coral cove’, after a reef right offshore in the bay, and the name stuck. If you like snorkelling, the reef can be reached in a few strokes from Coral Cove’s wooden jetty, which stretches straight as a dart into the bay.
L’Anse aux Epines is a residential area. As you wind your way around the turns of the tortuous coastline, passing smart Grenadian homes and some foreign-owned villas, you come to Coral Cove on a rise, where the view opens out to the east, over all the south coast and the Atlantic. The view is one of the key features of life at the small resort. All the bedrooms take advantage of it, with balconies looking east. As you enter the property, you find the Reception building to the left and to the right a tennis court. Next to the tennis court, standing on the crest of the slope, is the only large building on the property. It contains the six apartments on two storeys. From here the gardens descend to the shorefront. Half way down the slope, the cottages stand in a line across the lawns.
The view carries over the jade and translucent aquamarine water of Mt Hartman Bay, to furred green islands in the bay, and then beyond to the outstretched finger headlands of the South Coast and the slopes of Grenada’s mountains. Beyond the reef in the bay (really no more than darker patch on the colour of the water), you will see another reef in the distance, a line of silver breakers, that marks the transition between the bay and the deep blue of the ocean. This is what creates the calm water in the bay. Closer at hand, Coral Cove’s beach is shaded by coconut palms, sea grape and sea cotton trees. At its left hand end, striking out in a straight line into the bay for forty yards, is a wooden jetty. There is a covered deck part of the way along it, which is a lovely place to sit to read a book, or to swim and snorkel from. Or you can take a meal out there. Weddings have also been held on the jetty.
The architectural style of Coral Cove is a little unexpected for the Caribbean, but striking. It has hints of hacienda, a design that was popular in Grenada in the 1970s and 80s (you will see instances of it all over L’Anse aux Epines). The cottages particularly have white walls, rounded arches and terra cotta roof-tiles. Set in a line across the hillside, the cottages all have two bedrooms with a central living room and a screened balcony at the front. The theme continues inside, with rounded plaster walls and built-in bench seats . They are equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay – full kitchens, phone and cable TV, loungers for the balcony. Most people hire a car when staying at Coral Cove and each cottage has a car parking area.
The hacienda theme is there to a lesser extent in the upper building, in a run of rounded arches which frame the balconies. These offer a good place to sit out and to take in the view or the evening breeze. As they all face the ocean it is not necessary to air-condition the rooms. Instead natural ventilation is used and then whipped up by ceiling fan. The rooms up top are larger (abnormally large in fact for the Caribbean) and comfortable. They have red clay tile floors, white walls and Grenadian-made mahogany furniture.
The gardens at Coral Cove are open sloping lawns with occasional trees and bushes and, around the cottages, sprays of flowering plants. At the foot of the slope, near the left hand end of the beach, you will find the pool. It is oval in shape and about 25 feet long. There is a barbecue nearby so you can cook up in the daytime or evening.
Coral Cove is owner-managed, by Jill Evans and Esther Noel, who are very much in evidence on the property and who become an integral part of your stay. They are happy to give recommendations for restaurants and for things to do around the island. Many of the guests at the small resort are return visitors to Grenada, who love the island for what it is, but do not feel the need to be in the thick of the action at Grand Anse. They are happy to set themselves up here for weeks at a time, hiring a car for when they want to go off to explore but otherwise enjoying the calm and solitude of the small resort. Everything is very informal and it is quiet - even when it is full Coral Cove is quiet, and that is much of its charm. |
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Beach & Swimming
The beach at Coral Cove is a very pretty stretch of white sand about two hundred yards long. The crystalline sand is about fifteen feet across and shelves into the shallow bay - it remains shallow for quite a way offshore, making for nice swimming out in the bay. Close to shore it is slightly swampy underfoot as sea grass grows there, but it is not far to make your way out to the sandy bottomed water beyond, which is best for swimming. You can also walk out on the jetty to the swimming area.
There is a central pool at Coral Cove, set just behind the beach at the foot of the hill. It is oval in shape and about 25 feet long. It is surrounded by a terrace with loungers and a low wall, so you can be protected from the wind across the bay. |
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Sports & Recreation
The reef right offshore offers excellent snorkelling and it can be reached easily from the jetty. A large coral head protrudes from the sandy bottom of the bay, on which you will see tropical fish grazing over the corals. Snorkelling equipment is available through the Reception.
There is a tennis court on the property. You should bring your own rackets and balls.
This section of Mt Hartman Bay is probably the best area in Grenada for windsurfing and kite surfing. The bay is protected by from the ocean by the fringing reefs so the water is calm, but the winds are constant and blow basically onshore at anything between 15 and 25 knots. While there is no equipment for the sports at the resort (there are not many kite-surf rigs on Grenada anyway, so you will have to bring your own), Coral Cove are more than happy if you want to come and do them. They have quite a few surfers to stay. |
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Locality
Coral Cove is located on one of the many coves in the meandering coastline of the L’Anse aux Epines (pronounced Lansapeen) peninsular, a residential area with local and foreign homes, some of which are for rent as villas, and a couple of other small hotels.
A short drive or 25 minute walk will take you into the heart of L’Anse aux Epines with a variety of restaurants such as The Red Crab, Choo Light and Gary Rhodes at The Calabash. There is also something of a bar scene along this strip, with Kudos and the Boatyard Restaurant popular bars for a drink before heading out later in the evening.
The main activity of Grenada is not far off in Grand Anse, about fifteen minutes drive to the north. Here there are bars and restaurants along the excellent beach. Or you can head west along Point Salines (towards the airport), where you will find some excellent beaches and bars tucked into the lovely bays on the northern side of the peninsular. Heading east from Lance aux Epines you will quickly come into Grenadian countryside, where there are some equally lovely coves and some beach bars.
St George’s, the capital of Grenada, is the prettiest waterfront town in the Caribbean and is about 20 minutes drive away. |
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Staff
Coral Cove is owned by three families and managed by Jill Evans and Esther Noel, who are very much in evidence on the property and are happy to help out with anything you would like to know about the island. Another face that you will see around is Esther’s son Damien. They will make sure that one of them is available if you arrive in daytime. You will also come across the two live-in housekeepers, sisters Olive and Marjorie. The maintenance man and one of the gardeners have been at Coral Cove for 17 years.
Daily maid service to the rooms is included and baby-sitting and laundry are available on request. Also on request Coral Cove is happy to arrange for initial food to be bought for you before your arrival (by email list). This offer is useful because you are quite likely to arrive late in the day after the supermarkets have closed. |
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Dining
Coral Cove is a self-catering property and so there is no restaurant on the premises, though all the cottages and apartments have full kitchens. The owners and staff are happy to provide recommendations of places to eat out. There are no restaurants within easy walking distance. |
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Useful Hints and Things to be aware of
It helps to be fairly independent if you are staying at Coral Cove. While L’Anse aux Epines is a busy area, the resort itself is quite tucked away and secluded. |
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Rates
| | 16 Apr-14 Dec 2009 | 15 Dec-15 Apr 2009-10 | 16 Apr-14 Dec 2010 | | | Per Night | Per Week | Per Night | Per Night | Per Week | | 1-bed cottage/apt with A/C | 95 110 | 570 660 | 95 110 | 110 130 | 660 780 | | 2-bed cottage/apt with A/C | 125 150 | 750 900 | 125 150 | 150 190 | 900 1140 | All rates are quoted in US$ and are subject to 18 % Government Tax and Service Charge. From 1st February 2010 the tax and service charge will rise to 21%. Maid service is included. Groceries for your arrival, cooking and babysitting can be arranged at extra cost. Rates are subject to change without notice. |
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How To Book
Bookings can be made directly with Coral Cove Cottages via the email or web link at the top of the page. If you wish to telephone just click on the link and the telephone number will be revealed.
If you wish to book via a tour operator or travel organiser, please see below. |
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UK Tour Operators
The following UK tour operators feature Coral Cove Cottages and offer fully bonded flight inclusive holidays or accommodation only.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Airport Meet & Greet
Coral Cove does not offer collection at the airport, but they are happy to make sure that a taxi driver is there to meet you on arrival. The ride (based on two people and reasonable amounts of luggage) takes about 15 minutes and costs approximately US$10 by day and $15 by night. Alternatively, if you would like to be taken care of from the moment you arrive on Grenada, with a range of services that include airport transfers, a Concierge Service is available through Caribbean Horizons.
If you are travelling with a tour operator, the company’s representative should be at the airport to meet you but please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Hiring a car to explore the island is easily arranged and is a great addition to a stay in Grenada. You can travel to some of the remoter beaches and the island’s many excellent beach bars, and then eat out in the restaurants when you do not want to cater for yourself. You will have to collect groceries. Coral Cove is quite tucked away, so unless you are happy to go by taxi, it is very useful to have a car for this (Coral Cove will offer you a lift if they are going and have room, but it is an informal service).
If you will want a car for just a couple of days then this is easily arranged at Reception. Otherwise we recommend that you make a reservation in advance through your travel organiser or through Y & R Car Rentals, who will deliver the car to the property and issue your Grenadian driving licence (price EC$30). Vehicles can be returned at the airport or collected from the hotel. Be aware that at the height of the season between December and April cars on island can be booked up, so it is a good idea to reserve one in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the rate will be better. Taxis are easily available through Reception at the hotel. |
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