Highlights
Beaches
The beaches of Grenada are envied across the Caribbean for their sublime settings of soft, powder-white sands and clear, cerulean seas. Grande Anse is the island’s trademark, a stunning, two-mile strand bordered by tropical greenery and a backdrop of lush, rolling mountains. Other beaches to note include Morne Rouge, La Sagesse and the exclusive grains skirting the shores at Calabash and Laluna. In total, Grenada’s indented coastline showcases over forty-five beaches, some only accessible by foot or boat. Sailing trips to tropical hideaways Carriacou and Petit Martinique bring even more blissfully pristine sands.
Scuba-diving
Grenada’s teal-green seas are a magnet for diving and snorkelling, with mysterious wrecks, plunging walls and spectacular reefs. Unique to the region is the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, showcasing an extraordinary display of coral-encrusted human statues anchored on the sea-bed – a surreal experience to add to your logbook. Top pick of the wrecks is The Bianca C, the biggest shipwreck for miles around and ranked in the world’s top ten. Others to note include King Mitch, Fiona and Buccaneer. From wrecks to the wonderful reefs at Flamingo Bay and Grand Mal, there’s a site for every ability promising amazing undersea encounters.
Culture
Grenada has a delightfully vibrant mix of African, French, British and East Indian cultures, shaping many aspects of the island’s lifestyle, including food, music, language and architecture. Plan a visit around one of the island’s many festivals; in January, perhaps, to join captains and crews for international yacht racing at the Grenada Sailing Festival, or in February for Independence celebrations. During the summer months, there’s the Grenada Drum Festival, the utterly delicious Grenada Chocolate Festival and the Spice Mas Festival, a time when Grenada struts its stuff in a colourful carnival of pageantry, song and dance; a bumper-sized party of island heritage and highlight of the cultural calendar – it’s not-to-miss!
History
Unravel Grenada’s colonial past and tour the island’s centuries-old forts, with their rambling, underground passageways and colossal cannons. Fort George (today’s police HQ) commands a prime spot above St. George’s town and harbour, as do Fort Frederick atop Richmond Hill and Fort Matthew, the island’s biggest stronghold. The Grenada National Museum exhibits historical artefacts and rare collectibles. Rewind even further and visit the petroglyphs of Duquesne Bay and other archaeological sites showing evidence of Arawak settlement. Other gems include the Belmont Estate, a 300-year-old working cocoa plantation and the River Antoine Rum Distillery, which produces this favourite Caribbean tipple the old-fashioned way.
Waterfalls
Allow time to explore this charming Caribbean isle and head inland away from the coast to the wonderfully wild and lush mountainous zones, sprinkled with spectacular, fast-flowing waterfalls. Seven Sisters Falls is a beauty, where the water fills a pool large enough for a refreshing dip in show-stopping surroundings. Another hotspot is Concord Falls, again with pools for freshwater bathing. Or seek out Royal Mount Carmel Falls, where two crystal-clear waterfalls plunge over 70 feet into a pool – not deep enough to swim in, but the scene is magnificent to watch.
Food
The ‘Spice Isle’ is famous for exotic spices, used to flavour traditional dishes. Tuck into the national dish of ‘oil down’, a concoction of breadfruit, salted meat, turmeric, dumplings and callaloo greens slow-cooked in coconut milk. Other culinary delights include spicy chicken stew, pumpkin mash and nutmeg ice-cream. Sample these and more in local restaurants and in our featured hotels, where menus showcase the finest international cuisine with a Grenadian twist. The rickety tables of St. George’s Market are heavily laden with goodies – a great place to pick up spices. Grenada is also a rich producer of cocoa and Grenada’s Chocolate Company makes high-quality, organic dark chocolate that’s won various awards.