Grenada

View of St. George's

If the only thing your country is known for is nutmeg, you know you’re obscure. We visited Grenada as part of our cruise through the Lesser Antilles. We got off at the port of St. George’s, which was also where most of the action was. Our first destination was Fort George, a fort overlooking St. George’s. It was a small walk away, so we got going.

The main thing about the walk there was the view. Fort George overlooks the inner harbor, and this leads to some great views of the city, its harbor, and its boats. Fort George was actually built when Grenada was French (Yes, Grenada was French), though it was originally called Fort Royal. We then moved on to the inside of the fort. I could really see why they had positioned the fort in that strategic area when I saw the cannons. It would be hard to escape the cannon fire if an enemy ship passed by. 

We also went inside, but it wasn’t that exciting, just a few concrete courtyards, and a little more concrete. Fort George is also the headquarters for the Grenada Police, which is one of the few instances a fort is something other than a tourist attraction. 

After that, we decided to get on a tour bus. That way, we could get a look at the natural aspects of Grenada. First on the list was Annandale Falls, a surprisingly beautiful waterfall cascading into a pool. It looked amazing, and best of all, it was only a 15 minute drive away. 

We stopped at a vendor to taste some spices. We saw nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and some other spices. They explained the history of spice in Grenada, and how it is renowned for its nutmeg production. Nutmeg is even on the flag of Grenada, so it comes as no surprise that Grenada is also known as a spice island. It was a cool experience to see how the nuts or seeds or bark were converted to a spice, and it really showed how much labor was put into a single gram of spice. 

Finally, we arrived at the last destination in the tour: the beach. Specifically, Grand Anse beach. Yet another picture perfect beach in the Carribean, with tan sands, and the perfect relaxing atmosphere, though we didn’t stay there for too long. 

We returned to St. George’s, and the tour guide talked about the new cricket stadium upgrades. The tour guide also talked about the Christmas rituals in Grenada, which include special food (rum cakes) and special music (Parang).

We returned to the cruise and watched the sun set over the sea. It was a relaxing end to a productive and informative day. 

Tips: 

  • Fort George: It is a can’t miss sight in St. George’s. If you visit one place in Grenada, make it Fort George. 
  • Tourism: Tourism is the biggest source of revenue in Grenada. Make sure to be kind and spread money. 
  • Spices: Tasting spices in Grenada is a great experience, and it is very informative
  • Day trip: Grenada should be covered in a day, and it makes for a great day trip: not too fast, not too slow. 

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