If you need more details on something, recommendations for a topic I didn't cover, a contact number, or anything else, just ask!
- Everybody in Grenada is on WhatsApp — I generally try to find a contact for wherever I want to go and arrange it ahead of time. Grenadian websites are next to useless (horribly out of date), Google Maps sometimes works (but not reliably), etc. As far as I can tell people in Grenada operate mostly by word of mouth so when in Rome . . .
- Carry cash — outside of clear-cut tourist spots, they're not always going to take cards.
- Buses are fun and cheap — $2.50 EC per person each way (so just make sure you have $5EC bills) — LMK if you want more info on how these work
- Know your taxi-man — my friend Shawn McMeo can help get you anywhere, do anything, etc. Get him on your WhatsApp and just ask him anything you want. Eventually he will make money from you because he (and probably his friend Jomo) will drive you somewhere. I have known him and his family for 4 years, kept in touch at least weekly during that time, etc. Very trustworthy, funny, and friendly. If he sends you a voice memo you can't understand you can forward it to me and I will try to help. +1 (473) 418-9591.
(Other than Mount Cinnamon itself, of course, which is delicious.)
- La Plywood is my favorite spot in Grenada, a very short walk from Mount Cinnamon on BBC beach. Bartender's name is Gold. Try the fish tacos and the rum punch
- Jasmine's is a doubles stand in the "Wall Street" vendor area, I believe it is marked "Trini Style Foods" or something like that. Just ask around for Jasmin's doubles stand. She often sells out even before noon so you may have to go early.
- IGA grocery store in the Spiceland Mall has great produce — I like to buy local grapefruits, melons, etc. (along with a knife and small cutting board) and keep in my room for snacks and to squeeze into drinks. They also have a great/cheap liquor selection.
Other good options: Umbrella's (beach bar/resto for tourists, surprisingly good food), Carib Sushi, Esther's bar.
When you don't want to leave your room: Karibites is actually a good food delivery service.
- Rhodes at the Calabash Hotel (Lance Aux Pines—south) is my favorite "fancy" restaurant. Arrive early so you can get a drink and walk around the property.
- Country Kitchen (downtown St Georges) for very authentic local food experience — get the oildown if they have it. Generally speaking if you find a place that looks good but not really for tourists, asking for a roti (kind of like a burrito/wrap thing) is a safe bet.
- Roger's on Hog Island (LAP area) — you have to take a boat there but the nearby dock has guys waiting around who will ferry you over for cheap. It's a bar with a BBQ (Shawn's been there) especially fun on Sundays.
- Lightship at Le Phare Bleu (LAP area) — an old boat that has been turned into a bar. Surprisingly lively/fun when I have been there.
- West Indies Brewing (LAP near Calabash) — I'm not a beer guy, but I'm told their beer is actually good.
- Market in St. George's (main market square downtown) — biggest on Saturdays but good any day. Produce, spices, snacks, lunch, etc.
- Rum shacks anywhere — if you're thirsty and you see one that doesn't scare you, stop in for a Carib or a rum 'n' Ting. Some have BBQ (chicken and fish usually).
If you find yourself someplace specific and want a nearby recommendation, just WhatsApp me.
Not worth the drive just to visit any of these spots, but if you find yourself up this way . . .
- Mount Edgecombe near Victoria — great inexpensive food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with a beautiful view.
- Andall's in Grenville — lunch counter above the supermarket (use the stairs). Like a New York deli, but for Grenadian food.
- Petite Anse near Sauteurs — decent spot, one of the only places to get food that far north. Great setting/view on the beach. (It's a hotel.)
- Volleyball at the Mount Cinnamon court (next to the beach bar) — if you see a crew of people there late afternoon, ask to join in (many of them became friends). If you enjoy it, ask for some numbers and they will text you when they're playing (sometimes at other nearby nets e.g. Secret Harbor). This was my most surprisingly enjoyed activity during my 2021 trip.
- Hash House Harriers (sometimes nearby, sometimes requires a drive) — run through the bush. One of the most fun things to do in Grenada — it's like a hike, but on a secret trail, that you can run, and it costs $1, and there is perfectly organized food and drink at the end. The largest per-capita Hash in the world. My friend Lynn is haring the hash on 3/25. She's very tall and has a Jane Lynch vibe — say hi from Andy in Vermont if you see her. She also knows everything about Grenada and is a great resource if you have questions.
- Andy's Mount Cinnamon 5K route — I run this counterclockwise, although that does make the first mile quite uphill. That said, there are rum stands/bodegas with cold water for sale along the route in Frequente after you get down off the ridge.
- Hiking — it really depends what kind of hike you're looking for, how far you want to drive, how scared you are of some exposure, etc. LMK what your vibe is and I will recommend (or ask around).
- Walk to Quarantine Point — short (1mi r/t) walk up to a pretty headland that used to be where they kept sailors in quarantine before letting them onto the island.
- Sail — included in your stay is access to the little Hobie sailboat they have — let the waterfront activities guy (big tall dude, forget his name, great guy) take you out for a spin on it on a sunny day. You have to tip him at the end. Surprisingly fun.
- Beach — Grand Anse (where the hotel is) is spectacular, obviously. BBC is right up and over the hill (0.5mi walk) and is arguably better (if shorter and without the Cinnamon chairs/towels/service).
- Leatherback sea turtles (Levera Beach, the longest possible drive you could make) — You have to go with an organized tour from SPECTO (I have the WhatsApp number, ask me), and it's after dark, and it takes forever to get there. But it is very, very cool. You get to see all these little baby turtles hatch and immediately make their way to the ocean, helping them if necessary. And then the guides will eventually find a mama turtle for you (enormous) who goes into a literal trance to dig a hole, lay eggs, and cover it back up in such a way that it cannot be detected by predators. You actually get to pick up and feel the eggs, touch the turtle — the kind of things not really allowed in the first world. Very rewarding. Bring water, booze (hidden), etc. because it can take a while (hours) for them to find a mama turtle for you.
- Birdwatching — LMK if interested and I will set you up with the island's leading bird dude.
- Monkeys at Grand Etang. Just park where the snack huts are and look for somebody across the street to help call them for you.
Sara Blaise and I don't do the usual scuba/snorkel thing (just not interested) so don't have any tips for you there.
- River Antoine is the oldest continuously operated water-powered rum distillery in the Carribean. I think most of you have been there so I won't describe it further.
- Renegade is the polar opposite — probably the highest-tech facility of any kind on the island (hospital included). They've restarted the cane growing business in Grenada just so they could make a hyperlocal product. Tons of $ invested. Delicious.
Westerhall doesn't actually make Rum in Grenada anymore (they buy it from elsewhere and blend/age on island). Clarke's Court is not, my opinion, worth it.
- Belmont Estate (St. Patrick's, a long drive) is a fully featured tourist destination, with tours of the chocolate making process, a spice estate to browse, animals, a restaurant, etc.
- Jouvay aka Diamond Chocolate Factory (Victory, also a long drive) is a much smaller facility but (I believe) produces a lot more chocolate. I also think this is my favorite chocolate—although a comprehensive taste test is an enjoyable dessert activity one night. It's a farmer-owned cooperative with the packaging and distribution run by a family in New Hampshire (!). Ken and Beth will tell you how good the choclate banana smoothies are.
- L'Esterre Estate (Grenville, long drive) — gorgeous off-the-radar spice estate
- Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Plant and/or Nutmeg Museum (in Victoria) — if you want nutmeg, Grenada's got nutmeg. They're both interesting. I believe Shawn has been to the first one.
The other chocolate makers are Crayfish Bay (organic) and Tri-Island, neither of which I've been to. You can also get a broad sampling of chocolate products at the Chocolate Museum in St. George's (more of a shop than a museum to be fair).
There's also a bunch of plant nursery/garden type places that I enjoy but aren't everyone's cup of tea. Ask me if interested.