What are the best things to do in Grenada?

Grand Anse Beach, the Grand Etang rainforest and crater lake, Fort George above St. George's, the spice market in the capital, Annandale and Concord Falls, the Underwater Sculpture Park at Moliniere Bay, and the island's cocoa estates and rum distilleries.

Why is Grenada called the Spice Isle?

Grenada is one of the world's largest nutmeg producers and also grows mace, cinnamon, clove, turmeric and cocoa. The spices appear on the national flag and in almost everything you eat on the island.

Where is a good area to stay in Grenada?

Grenada's south coast is the easiest base: it is close to Maurice Bishop International Airport, the Grand Anse beaches and St. George's, while staying quiet. Azure Breeze Apartment is in Calivigny, near Westerhall on the south-east coast.

What currency is used in Grenada?

The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is the official currency, fixed at roughly EC$2.70 to US$1. US dollars are widely accepted and cards work in most restaurants, supermarkets and hotels.

Do I need a car in Grenada?

Driving is on the left and a rental car gives the most freedom for beaches, waterfalls and the rainforest. Visitors need a local temporary driving permit, available through car hire companies. Taxis, route buses and guided tours are all easy alternatives.

Grand Anse Beach, Grenada — turquoise shallows, pale sand and green hills behind

The Spice Isle

Explore Grenada

Twelve degrees north, twenty-one miles long, and greener than you expect. Grenada pairs some of the Caribbean's best beaches with mountain rainforest, waterfalls, cocoa estates and a working spice trade — and from Calivigny you can reach almost all of it inside an hour.

Sunset through palm fronds at Magazine Beach on Grenada's south-west coast

Sunset at Magazine Beach on Grenada's sheltered south-west coast.

Sand & sea

Grenada's beaches

Forty-five beaches on an island you can drive around in a morning. The Caribbean side is calm and swimmable; the Atlantic side is wilder and worth a look. These are the ones nearest to you.

Grand Anse Beach

Grenada's headline beach — two miles of pale sand and calm, clear water just south of St. George's, with beach bars, watersports and the craft market at the northern end.

~20 min* from Azure Breeze

La Sagesse

Your closest proper beach day. Three quiet sandy coves backed by a mangrove estuary and nature reserve, with a small beachfront restaurant under the trees.

~10 min* from Azure Breeze

Morne Rouge (BBC Beach)

A sheltered horseshoe bay next door to Grand Anse. Barely any swell, shallow water and a more local feel — the best swimming beach on the south coast.

~20 min* from Azure Breeze

Magazine Beach & Pink Gin

A long stretch of sand by Point Salines near the airport, good for sunset, snorkelling over the rocks at either end and a rum punch at the beach bar.

~20 min* from Azure Breeze

Bathway Beach

Wild Atlantic sand on the far north coast, with a natural reef pool that makes swimming safe. Pair it with Levera and the turtle-nesting beaches.

~60 min* from Azure Breeze

Hog Island

A short causeway drive from Woburn to an undeveloped island with calm water and a legendary Sunday beach bar. Very close to Calivigny.

~15 min* from Azure Breeze

History & nature

Forts, falls and rainforest

St. George's is widely called the prettiest harbour town in the Caribbean: a horseshoe bay of pastel warehouses and red-tile roofs under three eighteenth-century forts. Inland, the road climbs into cloud forest within twenty minutes of the coast.

Most of the island's big sights are a comfortable half-day from Calivigny, which means you can be back at the apartment for a swim and dinner.

The Carenage in St. George's, Grenada — fishing boats along the harbour and pastel houses on the hillside

Grand Etang National Park

A volcanic crater lake set in mountain rainforest, with trails from ten-minute strolls to the Mount Qua Qua ridge hike, plus Mona monkeys along the road.

~35 min* from Azure Breeze

Fort George, St. George's

The 1705 French-built fort above the Carenage. Cannons, tunnels and the best view over the horseshoe harbour and its pastel waterfront.

~25 min* from Azure Breeze

St. George's Market Square

The capital's Saturday-morning market: nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cocoa balls, hot sauce, ground provisions and fruit you have probably never tried.

~25 min* from Azure Breeze

Annandale & Concord Falls

Two easy waterfalls in the interior. Annandale has a swimming pool at its base minutes from the road; Concord's lower fall is a short walk, with two wilder falls above.

~35–45 min* from Azure Breeze

Underwater Sculpture Park

The world's first underwater sculpture park, in Moliniere Bay. Snorkel, dive or take a glass-bottom boat over figures that have become living reef.

~30 min* from Azure Breeze

Belmont Estate & River Antoine

A working cocoa plantation with tree-to-bar tours and lunch, near River Antoine — the oldest water-wheel rum distillery still running in the Caribbean.

~55 min* from Azure Breeze

Into the interior

Grand Etang

At around 1,740 feet, Grand Etang's crater lake sits in the middle of a protected forest reserve of mahogany, tree ferns and bromeliads. It is cooler up here — bring a light layer.

Start at the interpretation centre, walk the short Morne LaBaye trail, then decide whether you fancy the muddy ridge climb to Mount Qua Qua. Mona monkeys often appear by the car park.

~35 min* from Azure Breeze

Approaching Carriacou by boat — clear turquoise water and the village of Hillsborough

Sunset over the south coast — the sun drops fast this close to the equator, so get there by six.

Getting around

Map & drive times

Grenada is small — nothing on this page is more than about an hour from Calivigny. Tap any place for driving directions from the apartment. Times marked * are approximate.

A nutmeg pod split open on the tree, showing the red mace around the seed — Grenada's signature spice

Food & flavour

Why they call it the Spice Isle

Grenada grows a remarkable share of the world's nutmeg, along with mace, cinnamon, clove, turmeric and some of the finest cocoa in the Caribbean. The nutmeg on the national flag is not decoration — it is the economy.

Eat oil down at least once, try callaloo soup, grab a roti for lunch, and finish with nutmeg ice cream. On the south coast the fish comes off the boat the same morning, and on Fridays Gouyave grills it in the street.

Cooking in? SOG Foods is right by the apartment and the kitchen has everything you need — the market in St. George's is worth the trip for spices to take home.

Clarke's Court and Westerhall rum distilleries are both minutes away.

Beyond the beach

Day trips

Six ways to fill a day when you want more than sand — most bookable the day before.

Carriacou & Petite Martinique

Grenada's sister islands, an hour and a half by fast ferry or twenty minutes by air. Sandy Island, Paradise Beach and a genuinely unhurried pace.

Catamaran sail along the west coast

Half- and full-day sails from the south coast marinas, usually taking in the Underwater Sculpture Park, snorkel stops and a swim at Dragon Bay.

Chocolate & rum trail

Cocoa at Belmont, Crayfish Bay and the Grenada Chocolate Company; rum at River Antoine, Clarke's Court — ten minutes from Calivigny — and Westerhall Estate, closer still.

River tubing & rainforest hikes

Guided tubing on the Balthazar River, plus Seven Sisters and Royal Mount Carmel waterfall hikes through the interior.

Fish Friday in Gouyave

The island's best-known street party, every Friday evening on the west coast: grilled lobster, fish cakes and music through the town's back streets.

Whale & dolphin watching

Grenada's deep west coast drop-off makes sightings common most of the year, on trips leaving from the south coast.

Good to know

Practical tips

Currency

The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is fixed at about EC$2.70 to US$1. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere; check whether a price is quoted in EC or US.

Driving

Grenadians drive on the left, roads are narrow and hilly, and visitors need a local temporary driving permit, arranged by the car hire company. Route buses are cheap and frequent along the main roads.

Eat like a local

Oil down is the national dish — breadfruit, callaloo and salted meat stewed in coconut milk. Also worth hunting down: nutmeg ice cream, roti, callaloo soup and fresh-caught tuna and lobster.

Sun, sea & season

It is warm year-round (26–31°C). January to May is driest; June to November is greener, wetter and quieter. The trade winds hide a strong sun, so reef-safe sunscreen and a hat matter.

Shopping nearby

SOG Foods is on the main road beside the apartment for everyday groceries, with larger supermarkets in Grand Anse and St. George's.

Respect the island

Beachwear stays at the beach, camouflage clothing is not permitted in Grenada, and it is polite to greet people with a good morning or good afternoon before anything else.

When should you come?

Spicemas carnival in August, the Sailing Festival at the end of January, Carriacou's Maroon Festival in April — plus typical temperature and rainfall for every month of the year.

See the events & weather calendar

Stay with us

Your base for all of it

Azure Breeze Apartment sits in the quiet community of Calivigny on Grenada's south-east coast — close to the airport, the south-coast beaches and the road into the interior. A self-contained one-bedroom escape with a king bed, full kitchen and keyless self check-in, booked entirely to yourself.

See the apartment Browse the gallery

Questions about planning your trip? Read the FAQ or send us a message.

Grenada island photography via Wikimedia Commons: Grand Anse Beach © Varun Kapoor (CC BY 3.0) · Magazine Beach sunset © ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0) · St. George's harbour (CC BY 3.0) · Grand Etang Lake © Jerzy Bereszko (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Approaching Carriacou (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Nutmeg © Lee Coursey (CC BY 2.0). All apartment photography © Azure Breeze Apartment.