Grenada

Getting Around By Air

Lauriston Airport (CRU) in Carriacou is serviced daily by the main regional carrier St Vincent Grenadines Air (SVD) (www.svgair.com). Flights are from Grenada and St Vincent. The airport accommodates light aircraft only. To/from the airport: There are no buses; taxis can be called. Facilities: Washroom and waiting room only.

Getting Around by Water

Main ports: Colourful motor boats operate a water-taxi service between Grand Anse Beac and St George's. There is a high-speed ferry service from the Carenage, Grenada to Carriacou. There is also a daily ferry service from Grenada to Carriacou, Petite Martinique and back. A large number of yachts and boats are available to charter. Arrangements can be made via the Grenada Board of Tourism (see Contact Addresses).

Getting Around by Road

Most main roads are in good condition but they are narrow and winding. Travelling anywhere by car takes a long time. Traffic drives on the left. Drivers constantly use their horns.

Bus: These are cheap but slow. They operate a regular schedule from 0700-1900, Monday to Saturday. There is no bus service on Sundays. The main bus terminal is located at the west end of Granby Street. On Grenada, buses run to Annadale, Concorde, Grand Anse, Grand Etang, Grenville, Gouyave, La Sagesse, Sauters, Victoria and Westernhall. On Carriacou, buses run from Hillsborough to Harvey Vale and Windward. Minibuses run between Hillsborough, Windward and Tyrell Bay.

Taxi: Taxis are the most efficient means of transport. They are available from the airport, the Carenage and most hotels. Mandoo's Taxi Service is a fully insured sightseeing and taxi service, recommended by the Board of Tourism (see Contact Addresses).

Car hire: Vehicles are available to hire in St George's, Grand Anse or St Andrew's from local car rental firms. Credit cards are not always accepted by car hire companies. Some rental companies impose a minimum age of 21. Speed limits are not posted; speed is dictated by the state of the road - most are narrow and winding. Car hire firms will provide details of what to do if you break down. Some firms have a minimum rental period of three days during peak periods.

Documentation: A temporary local driving licence is required and available for a fee from the traffic department at the central police station on Carenage or from most car hire companies, on presentation of a valid driving licence. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from St George’s to other towns/islands in Grenada.

Main Airports

Point Saline International Airport (GND) on Grenada is 11km (8 miles) south of St George's. To/from the airport: Taxis are available. Journey time = 10 minutes. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bureau de change, car hire, newsagent/tobacconist, bar, cafe, restaurants, tourist information and VIP lounge.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: St George's, considered the most picturesque port in the Caribbean, is a port of call for many cruise lines. Around 60% of tourist arrivals are cruise-ship passengers. There is a daily shuttle boat service to Carriacou and Petite Martinique; boats can be hired for access toIsle de Ronde. Check at a local tourist office for times and fares.

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Tropical. The dry season runs from January to May. The rainy season runs from June to December. The average temperature is 28°C (82°F).

Required Clothing

Tropical lightweights and waterproofs, especially for the rainy season. Cool summer clothing.

Hotels

Grenada offers a variety of modern, luxurious hotels, graded from 1 to 5 stars. An 8% government tax is added to all hotel and restaurant bills, and a 10% service charge is added to the bill by many hotels and restaurants. Contact the Grenada Board of Tourism for details and exact price listings (see Contact Addresses).

Guest Houses

There is bed and breakfast accommodation and several guest houses, some of which offer self-catering facilities. Guest houses are not graded.

Self Catering

There are a growing number of apartments and villas available for hire. Contact the Grenada Board of Tourism for details.

Camping/Caravanning

Camping is generally not permitted because there are no proper camping facilities. However, it is possible to camp in certain places but only with the prior permission of the landowner.

Resorts

There are many high-quality luxury resorts on the islands that offer wedding packages and will make all the necessary legal arrangements. These resorts offer excellent facilities for weddings, watersports, dining and excursions.

Accommodation Information

Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association

PO Box 440, St George's, Grenada

Tel: 444 1353.

Website: www.grenadahotelsinfo.com

Passports

Passport valid for six months from date of departure required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:

1. nationals of Canada who can provide proof of citizenship.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the high commission or embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Health Care

There is a general hospital in St George’s (tel: 440 2051) and small hospitals in Mirabeau and Carriacou. Health insurance is strongly recommended.

Note

* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas.

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Food and Drink

Most hotels and restaurants offer international cuisine, serving a large variety of tropical fish and English, Continental, American and exotic West Indian food. Bars are stocked with the most popular wines and spirits, local beers and various brands of whisky, rum and brandy.

National specialities:

• Seafood, such as crabs and lambi (conchs).

•Calaloo (a leafy vegetable similar to spinach) soup.

•Oildown is the national dish consisting of stew made with salted meat, breadfruit, onion, celery, carrot, daheen (a root vegetable grown locally) and dumplings all slowly steamed in coconut milk until the liquid is absorbed.

• Rotis are curry-spiced wraps made from pastry or bread and filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables.

• Nutmeg ice cream.

National drinks:

• Rum is made locally using traditional methods.

• The local beer, Carib, is excellent.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: A 10% service charge is added by most hotels and restaurants. If no charge is added, it is customary to leave a 10% tip. There is also an 8% government tax to pay at hotels and restaurants.

Nightlife

Home to the vibrant calypsoand reggaemusic, Grenada offers a good mix of local and international restaurantsand bars. Many resorts provide night-time entertainment, such as discos, organised showsand cabarets. The RenoCinema in St George (tel: 440 5368) hosts many multicultural events as well as showing films. The Grenadian Jazz Society holds concertsseveral times a year in a number of hotels. Carnival takes place in towns across Grenada in the second week of August.

Shopping

Special purchases include leather crafts, jewellery, spices, straw goods and batik (printed cotton and other fabrics). St George's market is the centre of island life. There are a number of duty-free shops selling quality goods from all over the world. A market near Grand Anse beach has scores of vendors selling crafts and spices.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600, Sat 0800-1300. Supermarkets are usually open Mon-Sat 0900-1900. Craft and souvenir shops will open Sundays and bank holidays especially if cruise ships are in port.

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Best beaches

One of the island's best beaches is at Grand Anse; another is at Levera Bay near the island's northern tip. The beaches on neighbouring Morne Rouge are stunning, as are the deserted beaches on the southern coast. Levera Bay is a favourite surfing spot.

Hiking in Grand Etang

Grand Etang National Park and Forest Reserve contains numerous marked trails, with gentle half-hour walks or expeditions of several hours. The park contains a wealth of interesting flora and fauna, and there are spectacular flower displays depending on the season.

Spectacular waterfalls

Grenada's most spectacular waterfalls are the 15m (50ft) Annandale Falls and Mount Carmel Waterfall, which has two falls cascading over 21m (70ft) to clear pools below. You can swim in several of the islands' rainforest pools and lakes, many of which are formed by waterfalls, such as the Concord Falls.

Sailing festival

Yacht races and regattas are held throughout the year on Grenada. The Sailing Festival in January (www.grenadasailingfestival.com) is the biggest and attracts yachtsmen from all over the world. The sailing regatta in Tyrell Bay on Carriacou is also popular. The Grenadine islands are a popular sailing destination.

Caribbean rum

Discover how rum is made on a guided tour of one of the island's main rum distilleries. At the Grenada Sugar Factory in St George (www.clarkescourtrum.com), guided tours include a tasting and opportunity to purchase its rum products.

Dive sites

Grand Anse beach is the starting point for diving trips to nearby reefs and islands. One of the best dive sites is Molinière Reef, about 5km (3 miles) from St George's. Carriacou, in the Grenadines offers excellent diving. Keen snorkellers should head to White Island Marine Park and Martin's Bay, close to Grand Anse.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Spice island

While on the spice island, don't miss a visit to Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station, the largest nutmeg processing factory on the island. The Dougaldston Estate is a traditional plantation in the centre of the nutmeg and cocoa growing region. Most of the traditional spice factories offer tours of the grounds.

Carriacou Museum

Discover the islands' history at the Carriacou Museum in Hillsborough, where there's an impressive collection of Amerindian artefacts and mementoes dating back to 18th century when the islands were occupied by the French and British.

Lucky springs

The River Sallee's boiling sulphur springs can be seen bubbling in a number of holes north of Lake Antoine in the northeast of the island, leaving orange and yellow hues on the surrounding landscape. They are of spiritual importance for various religious sects and a natutal wishing well. Don't forget to throw in a coin before you leave.

Ecology days out

See Grenada's oyster beds, reached along a trail from Tyrrel Bay, followed by a short boat ride to the middle of one of the most pristine ecosystems in the region. La Sagesse Nature Reserve, in the south, is a protected bird sanctuary with rivers, mangroves and salt lakes.

Fun run

Make sure you're on Grenada on a Saturday, to watch the fortnightly event called hashing (www.grenadahash.com). Participants meet at a designated rum shop, run around the island following a trail of flour or paper and after about two hours return to the rum shop to undo all the good exercise.

Carnival party time

August is carnival time on Grenada and everyone is welcome to join in. It's a riot of colour and fun, with lively street parties, street theatre, steel bands and calypso competitions that all go on well into the early hours of the morning.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

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