Grenada

Things to see and do in Grenada:

Attractions: Learn all about one of the island’s most important spices and biggest exports, nutmeg, at the Gouyaye Nutmeg Processing Station on the West Coast.  Here you will be given a comprehensive guided tour to learn first hand about the processing of the island’s nutmeg from the storage, cracking, sorting and grading.  For a taste of pure Grenada, explore the 450 acres of sheer beauty at the Levera National Park, famous for its stunning secluded beaches and nesting sea turtles.   The leatherback turtles (which grow up to 6 feet long) lay their eggs between March to October and a night-time tour during this time makes for an unforgettable experience.  Grenada has some beautiful waterfalls including the Annandale Waterfalls, which is just outside St George’s and is one of the most accessible waterfalls on the island with a pool deep enough for a quick swim.  One of the highest falls on the island is Royal Mount Carmel, two miles south of Grenville, which has two falls which cascade over 70 feet into the pool below.   The hike to get to the falls is about 30 minutes.

Events/festivals: The Grenada Sailing Festival takes place between January and February.  There is something for everyone during this popular regatta and the fun also continues off-shore. March welcomes the Grenada Drum Festival when the Tivoli Drummers, who have a unique style of choreographed drumming, spread their drum culture throughout the island with drumming displays and workshops. In early August, you can’t fail to get into the party spirit during the Grenada Carnival (called Spicemas) with its colourful parades, steel pan orchestras and vivid costumes.

Sports: Cricket is Grenada’s national sport and there is no better place to catch a match than at the National Cricket Stadium.  Make the most of the island’s stunning waters the endless watersports available including scuba diving, snorkelling, deep sea fishing and wake boarding.

Nightlife: There is more to do after dark on this sleepy little island than you may think. The capital St George’s offers the liveliest nightlife, in part thanks to the international students studying at the capital’s university.  The most popular nightspot is called Bananas and is in walking distance from the university and has a nightclub with DJ at the weekends.  Elsewhere on the island, in the village of Beaulieu (a short drive from St George’s), there is a cultural centre called The Spice Basket which stages a dinner show every Tuesday in peak season and live music and comedy performances on various other nights of the week.  In the fishing village of Gouyave, the locals put on an informal ‘Fish Friday’ street party where locals and tourists can buy local fish dishes such as shrimp kebabs and grilled snapper, washed down with some cold Carib beer.

Eating/Drinking: The locals eat lots of local seafood, fish and fruit and they flavour many of their dishes with local spices including nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. Most hotels also offer a wide range of international food.  The national dish is ‘Oil down’ which is a deliciously hearty one-pot dish of salted meat, chicken, dumplings, breadfruit, callaloo and other vegetables.  It will come as no surprise that the most popular beverage is rum!

Shopping: The best shopping can be found in the capital St George’s.  Popular tourist items include spices, crafts, rum, perfume and crafts.

When to go

The high season winter months between January to April offer the best weather, when it is driest and least humid.  May and June are also a good time to visit when the costs come down and the weather is often nearly as good.  Grenada is on the hurricane belt and does get affected by storms, the worst months being September and October.  The last time it was directly hit by a hurricane was 2004.