diff --git a/yt/frontends/amrvac/data_structures.py b/yt/frontends/amrvac/data_structures.py
index 7fb9787e84d..dfed3efe9c2 100644
--- a/yt/frontends/amrvac/data_structures.py
+++ b/yt/frontends/amrvac/data_structures.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from more_itertools import always_iterable
 
 from yt.config import ytcfg
-from yt.data_objects.index_subobjects.grid_patch import AMRGridPatch
+from yt.data_objects.index_subobjects.stretched_grid import StretchedGrid
 from yt.data_objects.static_output import Dataset
 from yt.funcs import mylog, setdefaultattr
 from yt.geometry.api import Geometry
@@ -52,17 +52,18 @@ def _parse_geometry(geometry_tag: str) -> Geometry:
     return Geometry(geometry_str.lower())
 
 
-class AMRVACGrid(AMRGridPatch):
+class AMRVACGrid(StretchedGrid):
     """A class to populate AMRVACHierarchy.grids, setting parent/children relations."""
 
     _id_offset = 0
 
-    def __init__(self, id, index, level):
+    def __init__(self, id, cell_widths, filename, index, level, dims):
         # <level> should use yt's convention (start from 0)
-        super().__init__(id, filename=index.index_filename, index=index)
+        super().__init__(id=id, filename=filename, index=index, cell_widths=cell_widths)
         self.Parent = None
         self.Children = []
         self.Level = level
+        self.ActiveDimensions = dims
 
     def get_global_startindex(self):
         """Refresh and retrieve the starting index for each dimension at current level.
@@ -142,6 +143,40 @@ def _parse_index(self):
         dim = self.dataset.dimensionality
 
         self.grids = np.empty(self.num_grids, dtype="object")
+        meshlist = self.ds.namelist["meshlist"]
+        if (stretch_dim := meshlist.get("stretch_dim")) is not None:
+            assert isinstance(stretch_dim, list)
+            assert len(stretch_dim) >= self.ds.dimensionality
+            stretch_baselevel = meshlist.get("qstretch_baselevel")
+            if "qstretch_baselevel" not in meshlist:
+                # compute default values dynamically, just as done in AMRVAC
+                stretched_dims = [bool(k) for k in stretch_dim]
+                assert sum(stretched_dims) == 1  # exactly one stretched direction
+                stretched_dim = stretched_dims.index(True)
+                _sbl = [
+                    1.0,
+                ] * self.ds.dimensionality
+                _sbl[stretched_dim] = (
+                    meshlist[f"xprobmax{stretched_dim + 1}"]
+                    / meshlist[f"xprobmin{stretched_dim + 1}"]
+                ) ** (1.0 / meshlist[f"domain_nx{stretched_dim + 1}"])
+                stretch_baselevel = tuple(_sbl)
+            elif isinstance(stretch_baselevel := meshlist["qstretch_baselevel"], list):
+                assert len(stretch_baselevel) >= self.ds.dimensionality
+                stretch_baselevel = (
+                    float(b) for b in stretch_baselevel[: self.ds.dimensionality]
+                )
+            else:
+                assert isinstance(stretch_baselevel, float | int)
+                stretched_dims = [bool(k) for k in stretch_dim]
+                assert sum(stretched_dims) == 1  # exactly one stretched direction
+                stretched_dim = stretched_dims.index(True)
+                _sbl = [
+                    1.0,
+                ] * self.ds.dimensionality
+                _sbl[stretched_dim] = stretch_baselevel
+                stretch_baselevel = tuple(_sbl)
+
         for igrid, (ytlevel, morton_index) in enumerate(
             zip(ytlevels, morton_indices, strict=True)
         ):
@@ -152,7 +187,14 @@ def _parse_index(self):
             self.grid_left_edge[igrid, :dim] = left_edge
             self.grid_right_edge[igrid, :dim] = left_edge + block_nx * dx
             self.grid_dimensions[igrid, :dim] = block_nx
-            self.grids[igrid] = self.grid(igrid, self, ytlevels[igrid])
+            self.grids[igrid] = self.grid(
+                id=igrid,
+                index=self,
+                level=ytlevels[igrid],
+                filename=self.index_filename,
+                cell_widths=_cell_widths,
+                dims=self.grid_dimensions[igrid],
+            )
 
     def _populate_grid_objects(self):
         # required method