Grenada

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Saint George's

Population

89,500

Government

Constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Languages

English, French patois

Calling Code

+1473

Nationality

Grenadian

Contributors

• Utrecht (51%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
• dr.pepper (26%)
  from Tea Blog
• Peter (16%)
  from My Shout

as well as breaker (6%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

Fishing Boat

© All Rights Reserved trevgibbs

Grenada, along the southeastern reaches of the Lesser Antilles, is a home to numerous resorts, like most of its Caribbean island neighbours. But in Grenada, these resorts are not nearly as widespread as elsewhere. Travellers can easily stay at smaller, locally owned hotels where they will not feel like part of the crowd. That, coupled with a slow, dreamy pace of life, makes Grenada the ultimate relaxation island.

Which is not to say that there is little to do here. You can head to the beach and dive, swim or snorkel in the water; stay dry and go on a sailing trip to one of the smaller nearby islands; or hike inland through dense rain forests. Excellent, cheap Creole food, accented by spice, winds every day up with a happy stomach.

Brief History

Geography

Regions/Parishes

Grenada is organised into 6 parishes.

• Saint Andrew
• Saint David
• Saint George
• Saint John
• Saint Mark
• Saint Patrick

Carriacou and Petite Martinique, two of the Grenadines have a status of dependency.

Cities and Towns

• Saint George's, the country's capital
• Hillsborough on the island of Carriacou
• Grenville

Sights and Activities

Grand Etang National Park

Grand Etang National Park is Grenada's finest natural reserve. It is located in the central highlands and is centered around the Grand Etang Lake. It is a crater lake and functions as the starting point for several walking trails into the lush surrounding forest. There are walks for everyone, from short leisurely strolls to full day strenuous hikes. If you want to go for a longer hike, you can arrange for a guide at the visitor centre by the lake.

Annandale Falls

Annandale Falls is the perfect getaway for a romantic daytrip. The waterfall is not that high, about 9 meters, but the surrounding area is just great. The waterfall plunges into a green-ish pool where you can take a refreshing swim after the walk to the falls. Around the pond there is beautiful green lush vegetation. There is a big chance you won't be alone, especially on cruiseship days.

Grand Anse Beach

Grand Anse Beach is Grenada's main resort area. It is a fine white sand beach fronted by turquoise water and backed by hills. Unfortunately, it is also packed with hotels, bars and eateries. The beach is a popular place for water sports and although it might not be everyone's cup of tea, it sure is not ugly or boring here.

If you'd prefer somewhere a little quieter, there are better beaches elsewhere. Just cross the peninsula of Quarantine Point to Morne Rouge Bay, which is beautiful as well, at least the parts that have recovered since the 2004 Hurricane Ivan.

Northern Carriacou

Carriacou is Grenada's smaller sister island and most parts are much less developed than the main island. Still, the northern part of Carriacou is even better and more secluded than the southern parts. It used to be a plantation area for sugarcane, but nowadays most of those plantations are used for growing other crops or cattle. The area has some nice deserted beaches and picturesque villages. This actually makes Northern Carriacou one of the most quiet places in this part of the Caribbean.

Fort George

Fort George is the oldest and best known fort in Grenada and was built by the French in 1705. Near St. George's, the views from the top to the harbor and the lagoon and Grand Anse Beach are perfect. You can find the courtyard where Maurice Bishop was executed inside the inner fort - the bullet holes made by the firing squad can still be seen. This is one of the cultural highlights of Grenada.

Other sights and activities

• Grenada National Museum. St George's.
• La Sagesse Nature Centre. A bay that great for swimming, relaxing, hiking and birdwatching.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Grenada has a hot and humid tropical climate with average daytime temperatures between 28º C and 30º C and average nights around 23º C. Most rain falls between June and October with a chance of hurricanes from August onwards. Therefore, the drier (and slightly cooler) December to April period is the best time to visit weather-wise. Unfortunately prices rise sharply during this period and the months of November and May still have good weather. So budget-wise these later months may be a good option as well.

Getting there

Plane

Point Salines International Airport is where international flights depart and arrive. Airlines serving Grenada directly are Air Jamaica from New York (sometimes via Montego Bay in Jamaica]] andCaribbean Airlines from several islands in the Caribbean like Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. British Airways flies there directly from London while Condor has weekly flights to and from Frankfurt. Toronto is served by Air Canada.
Virgin Atlantic has flights to Grenada via Barbados or Trinidad and Tobago. Other airlines flying to Grenada are American Eagle (San Juan) and SVG Air (Saint Vincent).

Boat

From Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines there are ferries to and from the island of Carriacou, Grenada. The M.V. Jasper travels from Union Island to Carriacou at 6AM on Mondays and Thursdays. In the other direction, it leaves Carriacou on the same day around noon. The costs is about EC$20.00, which is around 7.50 USD. In addition, various fishing boats leave Union Island at 7.30AM and will drop passengers in Carriacou for about the same price. Expensive watertaxis ply the same route between Carriacou and Union Island.

From October 2009 onwards, BEDY Ocean Lines, will provide new ferry services for residents only between Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

Getting around

By Plane

SVG Air flies between the main island of Grenada and the island of Carriacou. Planes land here at Lauriston Airport (CRU).

By Car

Roads on Grenada are mostly tarred but narrow and winding. There are many rental agencies, both international and local ones and the latter have better daily deals but insurances are not as good. Driving is on the left. You need to buy a local Grenadian driver's permit, which you can buy at the rental offices or police station. Minimum age usually is 25.

Drive carefully and watch out for the buses.

By Bus

Buses are fun to get around in Grenada, and they are cheap but slow. It's good way to meet locals though.

Connections include services on the main island of Grenada to Annadale, Concorde, Grand Anse, Grand Etang, Grenville, Gouyave, La Sagesse, Sauters, Victoria and Westernhall, all from Saint George's. Even the longest trips don't take much longer than an hour or slightly more. On Carriacou, buses run from Hillsborough to Harvey Vale and Windward and minibuses run between Hillsborough, Windward and Tyrell Bay.

You can flag buses down or get of the bus everywhere you want. Note that on Sundays, services are limited.

To most other places where buses don't run, get a taxi which have fixed rates. Still, negotiate before you leave. Some taxis or minibuses double as tours/guides, and Mandoo's Taxi Service is recommended.

Boat

Ospreylines has ferry services connecting several islands in Grenada, including the main island, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Services between Grenada and Carriacou and Carriacou and Petit Martinique usually are twice a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon.

Red Tape

A visa is not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, the British Commonwealth countries, Caribbean countries (except Cuba), most European countries, South Korea, and Japan. For the first three countries, even proof of citizenship with a photo, is valid.
You can find the complete list at the Grenada Consulate website. Other can apply for one at the nearest embassy or consulate of Grenada.

Money

The currency of Grenada is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, or EC$. It has existed since 1965 and is used by 7 other states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States as well. Only the British Virgin Islands (the ninth member) doesn't use it, but uses the US$ instead. The EC$ is subdivided into 100 cents and has been pegged to the United States dollar at US$1 = EC$2.7 since 1976. The EC$ comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents and a coins of 1 dollar. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post