A Taste Of The Caribbean In Grenada

Referred to as the Spice Island, Grenada offers a taste of Caribbean travel with beaches and rainforest beside rum and nutmeg. Sitting in the southeastern Caribbean Sea of North America, island life doesn’t get much more ideal…

Get your walking boots on and hike to the precious inland waterfalls cascading down from the mountains of Mt Qua Qua, Mt Granby and Mt St Katherine. Grand Etang National Park is a sure bet for adventure, with a range of terrains including woodland, mountain, rainforest and the Grand Etang Lake. Towering mahogany trees lay home to many species of birds, and the park also reserves a safe place for frogs, lizards, armadillos, mongoose and Mona monkeys, away from the coastal towns. The best way to get to the centre of the island is on a jeep tour, and then trekking deeper into the rainforest to pick fruit, see the flora and fauna, and come across the refreshing springs and waterfalls.

While the interior of Grenada is a green and leafy utopia of peace, the coast is where the island really comes to life. Beach bars, seafood restaurants, local people and public street events turn this otherwise desert island into one that welcomes you with a warm and friendly smile.

The region of St George is particularly captivating with food fairs, markets, holiday villas and a wide range of cuisine. The town itself provides an outlet for local craftspeople to sell their goods including art, jewellery and leather, and offers you your first taste of tapas-style Grenadian dishes at Patrick’s Local Homestyle Restaurant including Callaloo Soup, Oildown and crawfish.

South St George is where you’ll find the must-visit bars and restaurants taking advantage of the many bays and beaches. Grand Anse boasts the major shopping centre, supermarket, vendors market and beach, where you’ll find The Owl Sports & Beach Bar and Umbrellas, serving meals and drinks with spectacular views of the ocean. Further down the coast are The Aquarium Restaurant, serving a lobster BBQ every Sunday; Grenadian, which offers an array of Oriental cuisine from Indian to Japanese; and Dodgy Dock, famous for their live music by the waterfront. When it comes to accommodation, encompassing the authentic atmosphere of Grenada takes prime importance. Kalinago Beach Resort boasts views of the ocean and hillsides, and enjoys the shallow waters of Morne Rouge Bay, while the seven solar-powered villas of Maca Bana have possibly the most exquisite privacy you’ve experienced.

Speaking of experiences, the coast is just as adventurous as the inland. The entire coastline of Grenada offers pristine beaches, the more popular of which are in South St George. If you’re on the west coast, make sure to visit the stretch of beach along Great River Bay, the longest on the island. Sauteurs in the north holds the most exceptional platform for turtle-watching, and looks out towards the nearby islands. Due to the underwater formations, snorkelling is a big pastime in Grenada, and there are over a dozen companies that can take you to some stunning spots. The Underwater Sculpture Park is quickly becoming world-famous, revolutionising the reef experience. Manmade sculptures made largely out of concrete and rebar have enabled marine life to develop, simply enhancing the natural colours and beautiful-yet-haunting atmosphere beneath the water.

This wouldn’t be the Island of Spice without the gardens and plantations that make it so. As soon as you land at the airport, the smell of nutmeg washes over you, and you can tour the gardens that grow it. Laura’s Herb & Spice Garden in the St David region is a prime example of the trees, herbs and spices grown in Grenada, while in the north of St Andrew is the Belmont Estate Spice Garden, providing an enriching lesson in the traditions and flavours of the island, as well as a chance meeting with monkeys, parrots and tortoises. Another slice of Grenada’s culture can be had with a visit to an old rum distillery. The oldest in the whole of the Caribbean, River Antoine Rum Distillery in St Patrick takes you back to the 19th Century, demonstrating how little has changed in the making of this sweet, rich liquor during a tour that costs just US$2pp.

Whatever flavours you’re after, you’ll be hard pressed to not find something to your liking in Grenada. Beckoning you to explore to its very depths and soak your feet in the warm waters of its beaches, this island is so glorious, it even has a town named Paradise.

Images courtesy of Mark Stevens, Dpursoo, Maca Bana and Discover Grenada.