Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Grenada has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- As you drive north through lush rainforest along the road from St George’s, stop just before you arrive in St Andrew’s, at the peak of the hill, to look back on Grenada’s capital harbour city.
- Arts and culture
- A tour of the Dougaldston Estate, 10 miles north of Gouyave, where bananas, coconuts and spices are processed, is a suitably aromatic substitute for the usual museum schlep.
- Something for nothing
- The very air you breathe has aromatherapeutic properties, with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, mace, ginger, bay leaves and turmeric mingling with the salty tropical breeze.
- Shopping
- In St George’s, browse the Market Square (busiest on a Saturday morning) for local produce and spices, and the Esplanade Mall on Melville Street for local arts and crafts – try Figleaf (+1 473 435 9771).
- Daytripper
- Hire a boat and visit either Carriacou or Petite Martinique for the day (neighbouring islands in the Grenadines).
- Best beach
- A white-sand idyll on the northeastern tip of the island, Bathway Beach is a lovely spot with a natural swimming lagoon, perfect for a lazy day and a picnic of barbecued chicken. Magazine Beach is great for snorkelling. Closer to St George’s, Grand Anse is more touristy.
- Walks
- Hire a guide to take you to Annandale Falls or Seven Sister Falls, both challenging day-long hikes (wear jeans and trainers).
- Children
- This is a safe, friendly, healthy environment for children, and there are plenty of activities to keep them happy.
- Activities
- Grenada offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean, with 50 sites to explore, the biggest shipwreck in the region – the Bianca C – and the world’s first underwater sculpture park (www.aquanautsgrenada.com). Then there’s fishing, sailing or dolphin- and whale-watching catamaran trips. Alternatively, head into the rainforest for some rubber tubing. Adventure Jeep Tours (+1 473 444 5337; www.grenadajeeptours.com) will take you trekking or to secluded beaches for snorkelling.
- And...
- Grenada lies below the hurricane belt and tends to miss out on scary storms, though it was devastated by Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Emily, in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
Diary
January Grenada Sailing Festival (www.grenadasailingfestival.com). Annual Spice Island Billfish Tournament, attracting anglers worldwide. February Grenada Independence Day and Carriacou Carnival. March St Patrick’s Day Festival and Sugaring the Piton (traditional ceremony to bring rainwater). May Drum Festival and International Triathlon June Fisherman’s Birthday is an all-day celebration in Gouyave of Grenada’s patron saint, St Peter (also the patron of fishermen).
