Rain or shine, Grenada is an island of irresistible charm. In the dry season — the high season for winter travel — the dazzling white beaches, turquoise ocean, brilliant sunshine and relaxed way of life make Grenada a perfect getaway. Even in the wet season — June to November — Grenada’s attractions are hardly diminished by the rain that falls on its bountiful mountains and valleys, preserving the lushness which makes the island an abundant source of high-quality produce. The Spice Island, as it is called, produces one-third of the world’s nutmeg, as well as cloves, cinnamon and mace. The island’s farmers also cultivate cocoa, sugar, bananas and many varieties of vegetables and fruit.
Situated on a promontory, with the ocean at its feet and mountains at its shoulders, St George’s, Grenada’s hilly capital, is one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful port cities. To the south of the capital is the main resort area, with the stunning Grand Anse Beach as its focus. Heading north from St George’s is the island’s verdant, mountainous interior, where a massive crater lake, splendid waterfalls and dense forest replace the sand, sea and sun of the coast.
Grenada’s sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are the gateways to the Grenadines, a paradise for sailors and divers.
Join us on this photographic journey of the great little package that’s Grenada. For more details, read our Grenada Fact File.
VISITORS’ GRENADA
AIRLINES
• BWIA Express serves Grenada from Trinidad and Barbados, connecting with BWIA’s international services to and from New York, Washington, Miami, Toronto and London, and with BWIA Caribbean services (Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia, St Maarten, Tobago, Guyana, Caracas).
AIRPORT
• Point Salines International, 7 miles/11.2 km from St George’s (Carriacou: Lauriston). Served by taxis, with fixed fares to most destinations
• Departure tax EC$50
• Passport and onward tickets required by all entrants (though citizens of UK, US and Canada may enter with two documents proving citizenship, at least one of which bears a photograph (of yourself)
AREA
133 square miles (344 sq. km), about twice the size of the District of Columbia; 21 miles long, 12 wide. Rugged mountainous interior with narrow coastal plain
CLIMATE
Tropical, with average temperature of 27°C (81°F). Rainy season June to December; January to March are generally the coolest months
CURRENCY
East Caribbean dollar (approx. 2.67 to US$). Major credit cards are widely accepted
HIGHEST POINT
Mount St Catherine, 2,756ft (840 metres)
LANGUAGE
English, with traces of patois
PER CAPITA INCOME
US$3,418
POPULATION
102,632 (approx. 6,081 in Carriacou and Petite Martinique); about 29% aged 14 or under
RELIGION
64% Roman Catholic, 22% Anglican; Methodist 3%; Seventh Day Adventist 3%
TAXES
8% government tax at hotels and restaurants; 10% service charge
TIME
Atlantic Standard Time (EST+1, GMT-4)
UTILITIES
• Electricity 220v/50 cycles
• Telecommunications include international direct dialling, USA Direct, Home Direct, credit card calling, phonecards, cell-phone and pagers; international access code 473
CONTACTS
Grenada
Grenada Board of Tourism
Burns Point, PO Box 293
St. George’s
Grenada, West Indies
Tel.: (473) 440-2279/2001/3377
Fax: (473) 440-6637
E-mail: gbt@caribsurf.com
www.grenadagrenadines.com
United Kingdom
Grenada Board of Tourism
1 Battersea Church Road
London SW11 3LY
England
Tel.: 020 7771 7016
Fax: 020 7771 7059
E-mail: grenada@cibgroup.
co.uk
Carriacou
Grenada Board of Tourism
Patterson Street
Hillsborough, Carriacou
Grenada, W.I.
Tel.: (473) 443-7948
Fax: (473) 443-6127
E-mail: carrgbt@caribsurf.
com
USA
Grenada Board of Tourism
317 Madison Avenue, Suite 1704
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel.: (212) 687-9554
Fax: (212) 573-9731
E-mail: noel@rfcp.com
Germany
Grenada Board of Tourism
Schenkendorfstrasse 1
65187 Wiesbaden
Germany
Tel.: 49 611 267 67 20
Fax: 49 611 267 67 60
E-mail:
grenada@discover-fra.com
Canada
Grenada Board of Tourism
439 University Ave. Suite 920
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Y8
Canada
Tel.: (416) 595-1339
Fax: (416) 595-8279
E-mail: tourism@grenadaconsulate.com
Austria
Grenada Board of Tourism
Discover the World
Stephansplatz 6/3/7
A-1010 Wein
Tel.: 01 512 86 86 40
Fax: 01 512 86 86 60
E-mail: Discover_vie@compuserve.com
BWIA West Indies Airways
• Point Salines International Airport Office
Tel.: (473) 444-4134
Reservations (473) 444-1221/2
Grenada Hotel Association
• Le Marquis Complex, Grande Anse, St George’s; Tel.: (473) 444-1353
Fax: 444-4847
E-mail: grenhota@caribsurf.com
grenadahotelsinfo.com
CALENDAR
January
• Spice Island Billfish Tournament
• LaSource Grenada Sailing Festival (31st–Feb. 4th)
February
• Independence Day (7th)
• True Blue Bay Resort Pursuit Race
• Carriacou Carnival
March
• Grenada Yacht Club Race (11th)
• St Patrick’s Day Fiesta (17th)
April
• Good Friday (13th)
• Easter Yacht Races, Gouyave Easter Regatta, Petite Martinique Regatta
• Grenada Triathlon
(21st–22nd)
May
• Labour Day (1st)
• One day International Cricket Match: West Indies vs South Africa (5th)
• Grenada Yacht Club Race (6th)
• Grenada Spice Jazz Festival (26th–June 4th)
June
• Whitsuntide Games (3rd)
• Corpus Christi (14th)
• Fisherman’s Birthday Celebrations (29th)
July
• LaSource Yacht Race
(5th–8th)
August
• Carriacou Regatta
(3rd–6th)
• Children’s Carnival Frolic (4th)
• Rainbow City Festival
(5th–6th)
• National Panorama Finals (11th)
• National Calypso Finals (12th)
• Grenada Carnival
(13th–14th)
• Showcase 2001
(16th–19th)
September
• Grenada Yacht Club Race (16th)
October
• Grenada Yacht Club Race (14th)
• Thanksgiving Day (25th)
November
• Grenada Yacht Club Race (4th)
December
• End of Hurricane Season Yacht Race (2nd)
• Carriacou Parang Festival (14th–16th)
• Christmas Day (25th)
• Boxing Day (26th)
DIRECTORY
Beaches
There are about 45 great beaches; best in the south-west are Grand Anse, Morne Rouge, Lance aux Epines; in the north-east Levera, Bathway
Birds
Good birdwatching, with over 150 resident species and another 100 more migrants. The Grenada Dove is endemic; hummingbirds, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-necked Pigeon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, wading and shore birds; Hook-billed Kite found only at Levera
Calendar
Holidays: January 1, February 7 (Independence), Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1 (Labour Day), Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, Emancipation Day (1st Monday in August), Carnival Monday and Tuesday, October 25 (Thanksgiving Day), Christmas Day, Boxing Day
Conferences
The Grenada Grand Beach Resort at Grand Anse has a conference centre overlooking its mini golf course. There are several other attractive meeting spaces, including those at the Rex Grenadian, the Flamboyant, and the Trade Centre at Grand Anse
Driving
Self-drive rentals in St George’s and at the airport. Drive on the left. Please note: A local driving permit is required (whether or not you hold a valid international driving permit)
Eco
• A National Parks system is being developed. Grand Etang National Park (8 miles from St George’s) has an Interpretation Centre (open 8.30–4.00, US$1), and hiking trails ranging from easy (15 minutes to Morne Labarge) to arduous (Concord Falls 3hrs, Fedon’s Camp 3.5hrs). Crater lakes at Grand Etang and Lake Antoine. Levera-Bathway National Park, 200 acres, covers mangrove swamp, beaches, forts, wildlife
• High forest receives 150ins of rain annually. Turtles nest on beaches near Levera
• La Sagesse, protected seascape area on the south coast, has beaches, mangrove, salt pond, reefs and historical sites
• Marquis Island and La Baye Rock (off south-east coast) are nesting grounds
• Wildlife includes frogs, lizards, iguana, armadillo, manicou, Mona monkeys, mongoose. Humpback whales migrate December/April (whale-watching tours)
• Other eco-sites include Bay Gardens (Morne Delice, flowers and trees), Mt St Catherine, and several attractive waterfalls — Marquis (Mt Carmel) Falls, Annandale Falls, Concorde Falls, Seven Sisters Falls, Victoria Waterfall
Food/drink
Local specialities include lambi (conch), callaloo, souse, pepperpot, pumpkin pie, oildown, seafood, goat, wild meat, nutmeg jelly/jam, ice-creams, rum punch, seamoss, beers (Carib, Guinness), rum (Clarke’s Court, River Antoine, Westerhall Plantation)
Marriages
Three working days’ residence is required before applying for a licence; allow two days for paperwork (unless there are special circumstances). Documents required: passports, birth certificates, proof of single status, parental consent if under 21 (all documents in English). Several hotels offer wedding and honeymoon packages
MEDIA
No daily papers. Weeklies include Grenada Today, Grenadian Voice, Grenada Informer. Radio includes GBN, Spice Capital, City Sounds FM. TV includes GBN-TV, Grenada Cablevision, Lighthouse TV (religious), MTV
NIGHTLIFE
Centred around larger hotels and a handful of discos and clubs (Dynamite Disco, Fantazia 2001, Le Sucrier, Island View, Casablanca)
REAL ESTATE
Real estate agents will help with purchase and rentals. Non-citizens are liable for 10% tax under the Aliens’ Landholding Act. Allow three months for paperwork. Required for licence: police clearance from home country, bank and character references. There are many foreign residents, especially from UK, US and Europe. Villa rentals and long-term home rentals available
SPORTS AND FITNESS
Grenada is well equipped with sports facilities and is now developing specialised sports tourism. The brand new EC$62m National Stadium at Queen’s Park will be hosting international cricket against South Africa during March and April. It will also accommodate international football and big cultural events. The island’s sporting action includes:
• Cricket: the most popular land sport, January to June
• Cruises: Carib Cats, Carriacou Islander, Catch the Spirit, Rhum Runner I and II, Starwind I and II, Suvetar
• Diving: there are excellent dive sites around the island, including reefs, wrecks (the Bianca C is the largest wreck in the Caribbean), wall dives, drifts. Among the best sites are Boss Reef, Grandmal Point, Dragon Bay, Flamingo Bay, Happy Valley, Windmill Shallows, Channel Reef, Red Buoy, Whibble Reef, Spice Island Reef, Molinere Reef. Other wrecks include SS Orinoco off La Sagesse Point, and Veronica L. There are dive shops at several Grand Anse and Lance aux Epines hotels
• Fishing: there’s great deep-sea fishing around Grenada. Several operators offer day charters and fishing trips with equipment provided: check Bezo Charters, Evans Fishing Charters, Reel Affair or Catch the Spirit. The Game Fishing Tournament is held in late January
• Football (soccer): widely played, July to December
• Golf: there’s a 9-hole course at Grenada Golf and Country Club, above Grand Anse
• Health clubs: several are open to visitors
• Hiking: excellent trails, especially in Grand Etang National Park; also Mt St Catherine, Mt Maitland (1,712ft), Mt Sinai (2,306ft), Mt Qua Qua
• Riding: horseback riding available
• Sailing: outstanding, both around Grenada and up the Grenadines; good harbours and marinas, plenty of charters. The biggest Grenada Regattas are in January and November (End of Hurricane Season); Carriacou Regatta (1st weekend in August)
• Tennis: at larger hotels. Public courts at Grand Anse and Tanteen
• Triathlon: held annually, this year in April (swim, cycle, run)
• Volleyball: growing in popularity. Courts at Aquarium Beach Club
• Watersports: windsurfing, water-skiing, parasailing, sailboats, sunfish, speedboat trips, snorkelling, sailing trips; mainly at Grand Anse and Lance aux Epines
TRANSPORT
Private taxis, buses, public taxis and minibuses. Water taxis from Carenage to Grand Anse. Schooners and ferry to Carriacou as well as air service
TOURING
• St David: La Sagesse Nature Works and Vendors Market
• St George’s: Carenage (with Christ of the Deep statue), National Museum (1704), National Library, Financial Complex, Fort George (1705-1710), Marryshow House, Fort Frederick (1791), St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (or Scots’ Kirk) (1830), St George’s Anglican Church (1825), Roman Catholic Cathedral (1884, tower 1818), York House (Supreme Court and Parliament) (1780), Queen’s Park Stadium
• St Paul’s: Bay Gardens, Morne Gazo (lookout and trails), Laura’s Spice and Herb Garden, De La Grenade Industries (rum, liqueurs, spice products), Camerhogne Art Gallery, Sunnyside/Joydon (outstanding private gardens, arrange through Sunsation Tours, 444-1594)
• Grand Anse: beach, restaurants, shopping, golf course
• Gouyave: Nutmeg Processing Station, Dougaldston Estate (spice plantation)
• South coast: Lance aux Epines/Prickly Bay, True Blue, Grenada Sugar Factory (Woodlands), Clarke’s Court Distillery, Westerhall Point, Fort Jeudy, La Sagesse Nature Centre, La Sagesse Natural Works (old sugar/rum factory)
• West: Concord Falls
• North: Sauteurs, Caribs’ Leap, Mount Rich Amerindian petroglyphs
• Grand Etang: National Park, crater lake, Annandale Falls, Seven Sisters Falls
• Grenville: River Antoine Distillery, Sulphur Springs, Bathway Beach, Lake Antoine, Dunfermline Rum Distillery, Nutmeg Processing Station
WEBSITES
www.grenada.org
www.travelgrenada.com
www.grenadagrenadines.com