As well as having the sobriquet of ‘The Spice Island’, so evocative of heady tropical scents, to many people Grenada is altogether the archetype of the utterly beautiful island. The volcanically sculpted hills of the island’s heart are buried under wonderful greenery full of buzzing tropical life. They tumble down to a shoreline combining intricate inlets and long, lazy beaches fringed with coconut palms. The small but wellmaintained road network lets you visit everywhere worth visiting. There’s a road round almost the whole coast. The main tourist development is around St George’s and the S end of the island, where you’ll find many medium and luxury hotels. The restaurants benefit from the island’s agricultural riches as well as those of the sea. And the local, often simple, restaurants, unlike those of the big hotels with their classic menus, have spicy and often quite original regional specialities.

Saint-George’s

This small capital with 20,000 inhabitants, tucked away in its natural haven, is one of the most interesting Antillean towns. This is thanks not least to the port itself (the Carenage), with its French Mediterranean style quays and old, painted brick warehouses which have recently been restored.

The quays themselves are always lively with the loading and unloading of small local transports which are still called ‘schooners’ after the old originals. Immediately E of the Carenage’s entrance is a jetty for cargo ships whilst to the W a long jetty welcomes cruise liners. Further S, The Lagoon is the mooring area reserved for yachts.

The majority of shops and restaurants line the Carenage on Wharf Road.

More about the island…