Explore Grenada and find the top things to do in St. George’s

Welcome to a sun-kissed island where calypso music floats through nutmeg-scented air. Small crafts bob in the harbor at the capital city, St. George’s, where historical buildings in tropical hues like orange, yellow, and turquoise are backdropped by an emerald hillside. Beaches like Grand Anse, Magazine, and Paradise beckon you to stroll white sands and snorkel in crystalline waters. And when you need shade, you can duck into a rum shack to ease into the laid-back tempo of the tropics, or as the locals say, do some “liming.”

Adventure calls you inland to explore the mountainous terrain of Grand Etang National Park, where nature trails wind through rainforests that teem with wildlife, past serene volcanic lakes, with stops at soaring waterfalls. Board a boat to cast a reel into Grenada’s fertile fishing grounds and to visit neighboring islands where soft-sand beaches with hidden coves are all yours to explore.

Reasons to go:

• Underwater sculptures: Plunge into Grenada’s underwater art gallery to glide past 75 submerged sculptures spread across 800 square meters, with scenes that alternate between the eerie and the hopeful. See slice-of-life artworks such as a journalist at his desk, a coral-encrusted woman kneeling on the ocean floor, and a ring of children holding hands in eternal solidarity. The best way to visit the Molinière Bay Underwater Sculpture Park is with a scuba tour or in a glass-bottom boat.

• Idyllic isles: For a remote escape to brilliant white sands, it’s hard to top tiny Sandy Island. To get there, first take a scenic 90-minute ferry trip to Grenada’s sister island, Carriacou, a worthy destination in its own right, with postcard-perfect beaches and first-rate diving along dramatic coral reefs. To feel like you’ve washed ashore in paradise, however, continue on to uninhabited Sandy Island. Hire a water taxi to make the 10-minute trip just off the coast and pick you up when you’re ready to head back.

• Chocolate, rum, and fragrant spices: From vast nutmeg plantations to the saffron and hot peppers that season “oil down” stew, Grenada deserves its long-standing nickname—“Spice Island.” The island is almost as famous for its rum, sourced from local sugarcane and ready for sampling at the River Antoine Rum Distillery and the Westerhall Estate. And Grenada is a chocolate lover’s paradise, providing fine cacao for confections crafted by artisan chocolatiers like House of Chocolate in St. George’s.

• Head out for a hash: Run, walk, saunter, or sashay—they all count as “hashing”—to Grenada’s Hash House Harriers, a group that organizes popular treks every Saturday to picturesque places you might otherwise not see. The Harriers’ motto is “drinkers with a running problem,” and you can expect an invitation to imbibe along the way.

Travel tips

Keep cruise schedules in mind. When crowds of cruisers descend the gangplanks, St. George’s and Grenada’s top attractions can get crowded. Your hotel’s concierge can tell you when ships are in port. Heading out on the town? Shorts and flip-flops rule the day, but locals dress up for evenings out. Opt for smart-casual attire with a collared shirt, trousers, a skirt, or a dress.

When to visit Grenada

From April to June, leatherback turtles come to lay their eggs on Levera Beach, an untouched stretch of sand along the island’s northeastern tip. Nighttime tours can take you to see the nesting. August’s Carnival, or “SpiceMas,” is a raucous affair, with lively soca bands in outlandish attire blasting baby powder over revelers as they dance through the streets. With their barely clad bodies painted black and tongues dyed red, devilish “Jabs-Jabs” in horned helmets bring the festivities to a terror-mimicking climax on J’ouvert (Carnival Monday).

Isn’t it time to see one of the best Caribbean islands for yourself? Book with Radisson Hotels Americas for an unforgettable getaway to Grenada.