Grenada

Tucked away in the southern most arc of the Caribbean islands, Grenada is a perfect little gem of an island: lush, scenic and friendly. As ever, I was there for the radio shows, but I had time to see the island, experience some of the island’s renowned diving and settle into the slower pace of island life. And did I mention the friendliness of the people?

The Spice Island

Never did a place better justify its nickname than Grenada – The Spice Island. It seems that you can grow just about anything on this island. A combination of rich volcanic soil, plenty of rainfall and varying altitudes has meant that Grenada has always been a cornucopia. But it is the range of spices that the island produces that makes it so special. And in particular that fragrant spice we call nutmeg and its cousin, derived from the same plant, mace.

What these photos can’t convey of course is the wonderful aromas that they produce – many of the trails around the island are surfaced with crushed nutmeg shells that release a heavenly scent as you hike. And now cacao joins the produce, with its strange alien-like pods, Grenada is now producing chocolate to die for!

Plantations and Distilleries

To see where many of the spices come from (as well as the rum, of course!), I visited some of the plantations that grace the island.

Dougaldston Spice Estate offers both an education into how spices are processed and also a trip into the past. Set amidst glorious scenery above the west coast, the Estate continues to produce the finest spices and much more besides.

Belmont Estate offers an eco-friendly taste of Grenada, its history, culture, flavours and traditions. And I do mean ‘taste’: I enjoyed a gracious lunch here as the mists roiled around the surrounding hills, all capped off with nutmeg ice cream – delicious.

The River Antoine Rum Distillery has changed little over the last 200 years and is the oldest functioning water-propelled distillery in the Caribbean. It’s truly amazing that the age-old waterwheel and processes are still producing the local firewater.

Island Tour

The island is sufficiently diminutive that it is possible to tour it in a day – although there’s lots to see along the way. I started with what I suggest is the prettiest town in the whole of the Caribbean: the national capital of St.George’s. The market hums with life: colourful, loud, pungent and a great place to meet the locals.

Grenada is a land of waterfalls as the rainforest rivers cascade their way down the steep mountainsides. I spent some time at Concord Falls, which are just as you would envision a tropical waterfall, complete with lush vegetation and a pool at the base that is just made for a romantic shower under the cascade.

Dive Grenada

I don’t often get a chance to flash my PADI dive card, so I jumped at the chance to experience the famous undersea world of Grenada. With the professional guidance of Grenada Dive (see http://www.divegrenada.com ), I got to explore one of the famous submarine sights of the island: the Underwater Sculpture Park.

This is a series of sculpted figures and faces that has been placed 20 feet down amidst the reefs and sands of a sheltered bay. It’s a magical, mysterious place to explore for a diver, as the sponge-encrusted faces peer out at you from the sandy sea bed and coral overhangs…like exploring Atlantis and an ancient, sunken world.

Hotels

This is not an all-inclusive hotel destination. This is an island of small boutique-style accommodations that provide a personal accent to your stay in Grenada. It’s good to have an alternative to the mega, 1,000 room all-inclusive resorts that insulate the traveller from the place he has travelled to.

My two favourites were Mount Cinnamon (http://www.mountcinnamongrenadahotel.com ), a chic resort that whispers ‘barefoot luxury’. Its restaurant is superb and the view toward St. George’s over Grand Anse Beach is incomparable.

And True Blue Bay Resort (http://www.truebluebay.com ) is a colourful, funky collection of villas and pastel-painted rooms scattered on a slope overlooking True Blue Bay that lives up to its name: the turquoise coloured waters of the Caribbean lap at the dock built out in to the bay – even though the name really is derived from the former indigo plantation that was situated here. Friendly folk, two contrasting pools and a view over the Caribbean from every room. And there’s something very pleasant about broadcasting the radio shows back to a freezing Canada from the sun bathed dock beside the warm Caribbean…

You can check out all the accommodation options – as well as the other island attractions - on the excellent Tourist Board website at http://www.grenadagrenadines.com .