Printable destination guide

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Boutique hotels in Grenada

Holiday in Grenada - Caribbean

Grenada Overview

Caribbean

Coastline
Verdant spice island
Coast Life
Uncommercial, uncrowded, uncontrived

Our tip – get to Grenada before the rest of the world does. Somehow, this nutmeg-scented island has remained untouched by major tourism and has the real-deal kick-back Caribbean vibe.

With no OTT heritage trail spoiling the island, visitors are free to explore the lush rainforest and waterfalls of the interior, 45 heavenly beaches and buzzing harbour city of St George’s. The community feel is the stuff of nostalgic fantasy for Brits, with schoolchildren in pristine pressed uniforms walking home together along the side of the road in the afternoons.

Genuinely Grenada

Help charity REACH Grenada do good for the local community just by buying cacao. Or even better, volunteer as a cacao farmer for a day? Or take part in one of the yoga holidays taking place at Laluna; find out if Grenada's most stylish boutique hotel is running an Eco Chic Retreat - see the article on our blog for more information.

Local knowledge

Taxis
Ask the hotel to arrange an airport pick-up. The ride to the hotel will give you a feel for how bumpy the roads can be.

Tipping culture
10 per cent service charge is added to the bill at most restaurants. Further gratuities are at your discretion.

Packing tips
Leave your watch at home, go with the flow, and feel the stress drift away on the breeze.

Recommended reads
Tide Running or Buxton Spice by Oonya Kempadoo, English-born and Guyana-raised, now resident in Grenada. Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner.

Cuisine
Fresh fish and seafood in abundance, with bananas, mangoes, coconuts and spices filling in the gaps. Grenada’s national dish is called ‘oil-down’. Adored by islanders, it gets its name from the way the oil in the coconut milk used sinks to the bottom layer of breadfruit. Take your chances and report back to us… Fish Fridays take place weekly in Gouyave, when locals hang out from 4pm, often with live music and entertainment, until the fish, rum and beer run out. It’s best to share a cab from the hotel, since it’s a 25–30-minute drive up the coast.

Currency
The US dollar is accepted in most places, but the best way to fit in with the locals is to use the East Caribbean dollar.

Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time zone, so GMT -4 hours.

Dialling codes
The international dialling code for Grenada is +1 473.

Do go/don't go
The average year-round temperature is around 25˚C, so it’s lovely all year, with tropical breezes to keep you cool. The rainy season lasts from June to December, but showers are short and don’t fall every day.

Don't go home without

Stopping to chat with the locals. Grenada is a warm and welcoming place. And make sure you have a sackful of chocolate – the cacao plants here produce the finest quality chocolate, some say in the world.

Grenada Hotels

€ £ $

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Grenada


Laluna

Grenada, Caribbean

Style
Balinese-boho beach cottages

Setting
Green hills, white sands

A Little Italy outpost on Grenada’s flawless beach, laid-back boutique hotel Laluna mingles Balinese architecture, Sicilian culinary flair and effortless Caribbean cool.

View hotel
Doubles from:

(USD 415)

A 30-minute massage each and a bottle of prosecco on arrival Member offer

7 nights for the price of 5 Special offers

Book now


Getting there

Holiday in Grenada - Caribbean

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Planes
There are weekly direct flights from London to Point Salines International Airport on British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Golden Caribbean (www.goldencaribbean.co.uk), XL Airways (www.xl.com) and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com). LIAT (www.liatairline.com) is your best bet if you’re island-hopping; it offers daily flights to Grenada from 22 Caribbean destinations.
Boats
The Osprey Shuttle catamaran takes 90 minutes to reach neighbouring islands Carriacou or Petit Martinique (+1 473 440 8126).
Automobiles
There are many small rental companies on Grenada. The easiest thing is to have the hotel organise a hire car whenever you want to go exploring; that way it’ll be delivered to and picked up from the hotel. If you get lost, stop and ask a local – it’s no generalisation to say the people are extremely friendly.

Boutique hotels in Grenada

Holiday in Grenada - Caribbean

Grenada Activities

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.

Worth getting out of bed for

Grenada itinerary
More…

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
We love the nutmeg-inspired prints on the dresses, bags and crafts at Veronica's Visions in St John's (+1 473 437 8154; www.veronicasvision.com). 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. Sunsation (+1 473 444 1594; www.grenadasunsation.com) will take you on island tours, 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. Charity REACH Grenada helps support the local children. To find out more about this charity, go to www.reachgrenada.org

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).

Boutique hotels in Grenada

Holiday in Grenada - Caribbean

Grenada
Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Grenada.

Cafés

(+1 473 440 2539)

Nutmeg

An old-time harbour-view first-floor favourite, where you’ll lunch on roti or curried conch, and wonderful nutmeg ice-cream.

The Carenage, St George’s, Grenada

Restaurants

(+1 473 439 0001)

Laluna Restaurant and Sunset Bar

Hotelier Bernardo Bertucci imports cheeses, cured meats, olive oil and wine from his native Italy. The Sicilian head chef turns out wonderful pasta, meat and seafood, served in a bay-view dining room; you can recline on day-beds in the lounge bar at sundowner time.

Morne Rouge, St George’s, , Grenada

(+1 473 444 4334)

Rhodes Restaurant

Gary Rhodes has a house on the island. His Caribbean menu at this veranda restaurant runs from shrimp and callaloo tartlet to warm lobster salad with mango mayonnaise.

Calabash Hotel & Villas, St George’s, Grenada

(+1 473 439 5640)

Carib Sushi

A sushi bar serving up fresh local fish – mahi mahi, snapper, tuna – Japanese-style.

Marquis Complex, Grand Anse, Grenada

(+1 473 444 4644)

Coconuts

An island institution at the town end of the beach. Book a table on the sand for dinner, when the moonlit, phosphorescent water laps right up to your feet.

Grand Anse, Grenada

(+1 473 444 6305)

The Water’s Edge

A luxy spot with wraparound veranda, balmy patio and upstairs lounge with big ceiling fans and mahogany/rattan stylings – all have peachy ocean views. The modern Caribbean menu features rum-flamed chicken with ginger cream.

Bel Air Plantation, St David’s, Grenada

(+1 473 444 4455)

The Beach House

This secluded, locally run beachside restaurant near L’Anse aux Epines has white wood and plantation shutters. Callaloo soup or lobster bisque are a must, and the seafood crêpe is a delicious starter. The bar is famous for its dirty martinis, piña coladas and cosmopolitans, enjoyed along with the waves and moonlight.

(+1 473 444 2400)

Västra Banken

On board old lighthouse ship Le Phare Bleu Marina and docked in Petit Calivigny Bay, Västra Banken offers fine dining overlooking Calivigny Island. The menu features grilled swordfish with roasted watermelon and toasted cashew pesto, and rum-poached banana ice-cream.

Bars and clubs

(+1 473 444 1979)

Dr Grooms

A stumble from Laluna, this is a perfect local watering hole for drinking late into the night, with pool tables, live music and bar food.

Point Salines, Grenada

Fantazia Disco

An air-conditioned, state-of-the-art club, with disco lights a-go-go, where you can dance to pop hits, soca and reggae. The busiest nights, with live shows, are Friday and Saturday and, of course, carnival time is bonkers. Expect a small cover charge.

Morne Rouge Beach, Grenada

(+1 473 444 4662)

Club Bananas

A recent addition to Grenada’s roster of nightlife fixtures, part of True Blue restaurant, and a reliably jumping place with great music – international as well as West Indian – and young regulars.

St George’s, Grenada


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