Caribbean

Grenada

Known as the ‘Spice Isle’ or ‘Spice of the Caribbean’ for its piquant cuisine and spice and herb production, Grenada is also famous for its world-class diving, with bright reefs, thrilling drifts, and dramatic shipwrecks all in ample supply, plus an underwater sculpture park that provides a home to prolific marine ecosystems.

Hikers love Grand Etang National Park with its towering mahogany trees, shivering ferns, and colourful flowers, criss-crossed by a network of trails for all levels, some passing the park’s central crater lake. Also wonderful to visit is Levera National Park, a wetland and mangrove swamp providing a habitat for all manner of seabirds across the Caribbean.

For an adrenaline buzz, it doesn’t get much more thrilling than a tubing adventure on the Balthazar – Grenada’s ‘Great River’. Swirling in the current, you’ll get in-your-face views of some of the island’s indigenous plant and animal species before relaxing with a swim in a natural pool.

Grenada also offers an array of exceptional high-end hotels, super-friendly, welcoming inhabitants, and unique activities, including chocolate factory and rum distillery tours. And it has some of the best sailing conditions in the Caribbean: days out by catamaran, monohull, or chartered yacht are a glorious way to spend some of your time here. Lovely spots to venture to include tiny Sandy Island 3km from the mainland, with incredible snorkelling, and Petite Martinique with its very own Whit Monday Regatta.

The Spice Isle

Grenada is known for its spices, which are deeply entrenched in Grenadian society and culture. The island is the world’s second-largest exporter of nutmeg, after Indonesia, as well as producing mace, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaves, pepper, ginger, and vanilla. Head to any local market and you’ll see Grenadians busy buying all their spices, which they put to wonderful use in much of their food and drink, including jams, jelly, pepper/hot sauce, ice cream, teas, and rum punch. Or visit the Garden of Bayleaf, an old nutmeg-processing station transformed into a tea room, with tea tastings, spiced ice creams, and hand-crafted buns.

When to visit

Grenada has 365 days of sunshine annually, making it a year-round destination, but there are also some great events to consider coinciding your visit with.

Carriacou’s Carnival/Kayak Mas: 1st –13th February

Carriacou is an island just north-east of Grenada, and in February it plays host to a pre-Lent carnival offering people the chance to give into temptation before a period of abstinence, as well as celebrating tradition and culture. Grenada is one of the very few places in the world that hosts two carnivals a year. Carriacou Carnival’s highlight is its unique Shakespeare Mas, a ‘battle’ using lines from some of the Bard’s plays, performed by people dressed and painted in bright colours.

Grenada’s Independence: 7th February

Grenada is fêting 50 years of independence this year, and its cultural and culinary celebrations are an opportunity to experience Grenada’s fantastic foodie scene. Everyone on the island cooks Grenada’s national dish, ‘Oil Down’ - a one-pot staple named for the fact that the oil from the coconut milk is ‘cooked down’ or absorbed by the ingredients, which include breadfruit, green bananas, ground provision, callaloo, turmeric, and other vegetables and some meat.

Turtle Nesting Season: usually April–June

This is one of the amazing experiences you can be a part of on the island, either as a spectator or a volunteer. Communities throughout Grenada have historically relied on turtles as a source of food and income, but as species of turtle become increasingly threatened, Ocean Spirits is working with local communities to make the most of this natural resource through means other than consumption. Among ways to show your support apart from through the voluntourism programme are buying Ocean Spirits merchandise and donating funds.

Grenada Chocolate Festival: 17–19th May

2023 saw the tenth year of the Grenada Chocolate Festival with its events and tastings, including rum and chocolate pairings. Grenada now boasts no fewer than five chocolate factories and it’s also one of the few places in the Caribbean where you can see a full ethical tree-to-bar production process in action. During the festival, you can learn about cocoa farming and chocolate making, experience local food and drinks, and enjoy entertainment all over the island. You can also visit the cocoa fields and go behind the scenes of sustainably run, cottage-style chocolate factories and small-scale modern factories.

Spice Mas/Grenada’s Carnival: Second week of August

Grenada comes to life during this celebration of colour and culture by masqueraders and other revellers. Unique to Grenada’s Spice Mas is J’ouvert with its unique ‘Jab Jab’ element. The name of this street party is derived from the French ‘jour ouvert’ (daybreak or morning); it often starts before dawn and lasts until sunrise. The traditional Jab-Jab bands – blackened with stale molasses, tar, grease, creosote or mud, and wearing little more than their horned helmets – emerge from the darkness of the night to parade freely through the town.

Spring

26°C

Summer

28°C

Autumn

26°C

Winter

25°C

Interesting fact

In 2021, Grenada was named the World Food Travel Association (WFTA)’s first Culinary Capital for its noteworthy food culture and heritage. The association was set up to honour artisans, family-owned eateries, chefs, street-food maestros, and others crafting unforgettable dining and drinking experiences.

Interesting fact

In 1999, the Grenada Chocolate Company created the first bean-to-bar chocolate made in a cocoa-producing country when Mott Green achieved his ambition of producing organic, Fair Trade, sustainable chocolate.

Interesting fact

Grenada also boasts several rum distilleries, one of which – the River Antoine Estate – has the oldest working waterwheel in the Western hemisphere, and still makes rum like it did back in the golden era of production.

Interesting fact

The world’s first underwater sculpture park was recently refurbished, with the addition of 31 new statues. Installed at depths of three to seven metres, to suit both snorkellers and scuba divers, the sculptures are based on traditional characters associated with Spice Mas. Grenada’s sister island Carriacou will soon also see a new sculpture park of its own.

Interesting fact

Grenada is the wreck-diving capital of the Caribbean, with the greatest number of naturally sunken wrecks and some of the healthiest reefs in the region. Wrecks include Bianca C for advanced divers – the largest diveable wreck in the Caribbean, at 181 metres, dubbed the ‘Titanic of the Caribbean’.

Explore the Grand Etang Rainforest

The Grand Etang rainforest is a lush paradise home to the highly photogenic mona monkey. Great things to do here include hiking up Mount Qua Qua and visiting Grand Etang Lake – a crater lake in the extinct volcano that was responsible for the formation of the island.

Hike to explore waterfalls

Visit some of Grenada’s 50-plus gorgeous waterfalls. Some of the best-known ones are Annandale, Concord, Golden Falls, and Seven Sisters. The adventure of Seven Sisters starts the moment you begin the four-metre hike to reach it, spotting nine-banded armadillos, mona monkeys, iguanas, and red-legged tortoises en route.

Kayak through mangroves

Choose between clear-kayaking or regular kayaking through the mangroves in Grenada. The tours in fully transparent kayaks allow you to peer down at colourful creatures, corals, and marine plants from a position of comfort and safety. You can even book a night tour, including a glass of wine and a food platter.

Discover Carriacou's islands

Catch a ferry or plane over to Carriacou for further island-hopping or head over to Saline Island, Sandy Island, or Mapion Island. You can also go diving with turtles and explore the Carricou oyster bed project, one of the few pristine ecosystems in the region, with fish, jellyfish, and birdlife, as well as oysters growing on the roots of the mangrove – a rare phenomenon here.

Relax and unwind on sun-kissed sands

Spend time on the beaches. Grenada is famous for its 40 white- and black-sand beaches, the most famous of which is Grand Anse, a superb three kilometre stretch of white sand.

Oil Down

Grenada’s national dish, Oil Down, doesn’t have a set recipe: its precise ingredients and cooking methods often vary from family to family and from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Ingredients also vary by season. As well as denoting the dish itself, Oil Down refers to social gatherings held in Grenadian parishes, where this dish is often the centrepiece.

Fresh Seafood

Tim’s Sunset Beach Bar at Anse La Roach on Carriacou serves the freshest lobster, fish, and chicken, plus speciality cocktails to sip as you watch the sun go down. Don’t miss the garlic butter lobster, garlic potatoes, and fried plantain.

Tropical Punch

Try the Rum Punch and Planter’s Punch from Esther’s Bar in the Grand Anse craft and spice market, or from Umbrellas Beach Bar just a few steps away from Grand Anse beach. Planter's Punch includes the addition of spice (often grated nutmeg or bitters) and is served long over ice.

Street Food

Dodgy Dock Grenada Bar & Grill host Street Food Wednesdays with an array of delicious things to try out. Popular dishes include stew chicken, lambi waters (conch soup), fried bakes with pulled pork, coleslaw and pineapple chow, macaroni pie, curry mutton, and wings.

Spice Island Beach Resort

Situated at the peaceful southern end of Grenada’s best beach, Grand Anse, this intimate all-suite, all-inclusive resort – is centred on a spectacular architect-designed spa set in tropical gardens, using locally grown herbs, organic chocolate, and spices in its luscious treatments.

Silversands

This member of the ultra-exclusive Leading Hotels of the World portfolio, also on Grand Anse Beach, is another chic and intimate retreat, including villas with private pools and up to four bedrooms. It’s centred on a vast, 100 metre-long infinity pool (the longest in the Caribbean), a beach club, and a spa with locally inspired treatments and rituals.

Sandals

Newly opened on the island, on Pink Gin Beach, this is part of the famous group of couples-only resorts tailor-made for romantic getaways, with water and land sports included, as well as gourmet dining in its ten restaurants, anytime snacks, and unlimited premium brand drinks.

Six Senses

Due to open in April 2024, the Grenada outpost of the super-luxurious Six Senses brand will be nothing less than spectacular. By a protected cove on the southern part of the island, it will consist of suites and villas extending across 38 acres, designed like a Caribbean village unfurling along the lagoon promenade and beach.

Calabash Hotel

Home to just 30 suites and five villas, this boutique Relais & Châteaux hotel is a great place for indulgence, with a holistic spa and fine-dining restaurant. It also provides an array of complimentary activities, including paddleboarding, kayaking, fitness sessions, and nature hikes.

Mount Cinnamon Resort & Beach Club

Tucked into the hillside overlooking Grand Anse Beach, this boutique beach hideaway of ocean-view suites and villas offers sailing, paddleboarding, fishing, and diving at an off-site centre, plus rum tastings and chef’s cookery demonstrations.

Caribbean

Grenada

The Spice Isle