Grenada’s white-sand beaches and turqoise sea are just the icing on the cake on the Caribbean’s wild southern isle, discovers Emily Payne
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They say the only dangerous thing about Grenada is the local rum. Careering past boulders and bounding down waterfalls on a rubber ring along the Balthazar River, I begin to wish I had tested that theory. River tubing, a hair-raising yet hilarious activity in which you spiral down a crystalline watercourse through the island’s lush rainforest, is just the beginning of a thrilling week on the Spice Isle.
Grenada has oodles of white sand, rum punch and palm trees with a perfect curve, but it is rawer than many of its sister islands, and the waterfalls, lakes and endless greenery make it a little more charming too. I meet several Brits who spent time sailing around the Caribbean before settling on Grenada. Why? This is how the Caribbean was 20 years ago, they tell me; it’s an authentic West Indian experience.
Stay: Secluded luxury and affordable authenticity
The main cluster of hotels is along Grand Anse beach.
For an outright luxury fest, operators recommend Spice Island Beach Resort (review, page 55) and the five-star Calabash, with its calico chic, spa treatment rooms that overlook the sea and exquisite Gary Rhodes restaurant. Sandals has just taken over La Source on Pink Gin beach and will open in 2013 after upgrade work which will include the addition of 100 rooms.
For immediacy to the beach, the four-star Laluna is laid back yet swish, and has an Asian style wellbeing centre featuring Balinese massage and yoga instructor courses.
The four-star Mount Cinnamon excels in design and boasts arguably the most eye-catching rooms on the island (think Princess and the Pea-sized beds and citrus fruit colours). It’s perfect for an upmarket family holiday, and kids under 16 go free. Cinnamon Heights, the hotel’s beautiful three-room hilltop villa with its own Jacuzzi and infinity pool, will be available from December.
Those with smaller budgets should head to three-star, family-run Flamboyant, where the owners claim that all 67 of their rooms have the best views on the island. Check out beachfront bar The Owl, and the crab racing and karaoke nights. It’s also the first hotel in Grenada to offer underwater weddings.
Up in the rugged north – 90 minutes’ drive from the airport – a treat awaits those prepared to leave the tourist belt. Three-star Petite Anse is a low key yet stylish hotel on the Atlantic side, with views over Diamond Island, fishermen who deliver the catch of the day, a donkey called Darius and a goat called Darcey.
See: Underwater gems and overland adventures
Divers can expect to see a rainbow of pretty swimmers including damsel fish, clown fish, box fish, blue martin and yellow fish tuna. Many hotels including Spice Island and Laluna have their own dive shops. But there’s more than beautiful coral life on display – a boat trip out with Seafari cruises stops in Moliniere Bay at the underwater sculpture park, where there are even plans to build an underwater sculpture in honour of Grenada’s first Olympic gold medallist, reigning 400 metres track champion Kirani James.
These seas also play host to one of the world’s biggest sports fishing tournaments and international sailing competitions, and are a great place to whale-watch between December and April. It’s easy to charter sailing boats from St George’s and many hotels offer day trips to one of the many deserted islands. North of Grenada’s main island, the smaller sister island of Carriacou makes an idyllic stop-off – and serves fine lobster and duty-free rum.
Not for nothing is Grenada called the Spice Isle. Hundreds of stalls at Hillsborough Street market flaunt nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron, while tourists with a sweet tooth should visit Belmont Estate to trace the story of chocolate from bean to bar. Or if you want something stronger, the River Antoine rum distillery – the oldest of its kind in the world – is a fascinating look into the making of the nation’s favourite tipple.
Come the evening, channel James Bond with a suave dinner at Mount Hartman Bay Estate – a luxury hotel with underground rooms, a helipad and architecture that Bilbo Baggins would admire.
Many of the hotels have fantastic restaurants. These include La Belle Creole at the three-star, child-friendly Blue Horizons, while the Spice Basket, a cultural centre in St George’s, has theatre evenings offering traditional music and food.
Sell: How to package it
Differentiating Grenada from the other Caribbean islands is remarkably easy. While it has the universal appeal of being somewhere to get away from it all in a hammock on the beach, it feels less packaged. The marine life is abundant, dive sites are close to the major hotels, the people are friendly and it’s safe. And don’t forget the food: from the catch of the day to local favourite callaloo soup or tangy nutmeg cheesecake.
Caribbean lovers often opt for all-inclusive, but encourage them to go for bed and breakfast or half-board. For a longer stay, visitors may wish to combine a luxurious all-inclusive stay at one of the five-star properties with a week’s self-catering to maximise their time outside the resort.
Grenada can also be sold as an almost year-round destination. The wettest month tends to be July but you still get temperatures of 26C and about seven hours’ sunshine. Travel Counsellors’ Jakki Hatton advises: “The dreaded hurricane season is not really an issue here as it is so far south from the main belt of occurrence.”
It’s a fantastic honeymoon destination and sailors will love the marina and yacht charters. Grenada is also an easy place to travel. Jakki adds: “The language is English, the driving is on the left, the plugs are the same as the UK and the drinking water is safe – all real bonuses for British visitors.”
