Grenada is rich in rain forests,

waterfalls, and beaches.  It also has

the Caribbean's best rum punches,

thanks to the fresh nutmeg. 

The lushness of Grenada reminded early Spanish sailors of their beloved green hillsides above their home port, so they named it Granada .

However, the French and British later corrupted the name to a different spelling and pronunciation which has caused endless confusion ever since. The Spanish city of Granada is called "Grah-NAH-dah," while the deep Caribbean island of Grenada is known as "Greh-NAY-dah."

Located 158 miles southwest of Barbados and 100 miles north of Venezuela, Grenada is only 12 miles wide and 21 miles long, yet its mountainous interior provides some of the Caribbean's most scenic--as well as most accessible--hiking. I rank the Mt. Qua Qua hike as one of the Caribbean's best.

Grenada began protecting its natural resources well before the concept of eco-tourism was invented, so the landscape is wonderfully unspoiled.

Also called the spice basket of the Caribbean, Grenada produces 12 different spices, including cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and mace. Early sailors claimed they could smell their sweet fragrance as much as 20 miles out at sea.

Grenada's most important spice is nutmeg, and touring the nutmeg estates and production facilities are a must do daytrip.

It's said that nutmeg was introduced to the island in 1843 as a surprise addition to the rum punch at a local bash. Since then, no one in Grenada would consider drinking rum punch without it.

The main port city of St. George's, a horseshoe-shaped harbor known as the Carenage, is very photogenic. Its Saturday morning market is incredibly lively and colorful, perhaps the best open-air market in all the Caribbean, with mounds of papayas, yams, oranges, bananas, plantains, exotic roots and vegetables piled atop display tables.   

Grenada 's high mountains receive more than 160 inches of rain a year, creating a verdant forest with 450 species of flowering plants, and 85 different types of trees. Most of the island's 150 types of birds, especially the rufous-breasted hummingbird, live in the main sanctuary, the Grand Etang National Park.

Grand Etang also offers an extensive system of hiking trails, among the Caribbean's most scenic.

The wreck of the Bianca-C is Grenada's most famous dive. More than most, Grenada's diving is impacted by runoff.

Detailed Background Facts & Map
Courtesy of the CIA

Grenada Arrival Briefing
What you need to know if you go

Getting Married in Grenada
Takes less than a week and fees are modest

Major Attractions

St. George's Walking Tour
Few places are prettier to walk around

Annandale Falls
Just 15 minutes from St. George's

Carib's Leap/Leaper's Hill
Give me liberty or give me death!

Carriacou
A miniature of Grenada

Concord Falls
One of Grenada's most popular spots

Diving
A good place to get wrecked

Fisherman's Birthday Celebration
Blessing of the Fleet on St. Peter's
Birthday

Grand Etang National Park
Park Overview

Hikes of Grand Etang National Park
Morne LaBaye Trail
Grand Etang Shoreline Trail
Mt. Qua Qua Hike
Concord Falls from Mt. Qua Qua
Finding a Hiking Guide

La Sagesse
A day of snorkeling & hiking

Lake Antoine National Landmark
A perfectly shaped crater lake

Levera National Park/Bathway Beach
Popular with sea turtles and people

Marquis River Waterfall
Not a place everyone finds

Mt. Rich Amerindian Remains
The island's largest group
of petroglyphs

Nutmeg Spice Tour
See how it's grown and produced

River Salee & Boiling Springs
More evidence of Grenada's volcanic heritage

Scuba Diving
Go see the "C"

Seven Sisters Falls
Worth the extra effort

Old Grenadian Proverb:
"If you have patience, you will see ant's belly."
(If you wait long enough, you'll get what you want)