Known as the Spice Islands,

Grenada is made up of three islands, Carriacou, Grenada and Petite Martinique. Grenada is the island that most tourists like to visit, but it really depends on your taste. If you are looking for a lot of action and casinos, then this is not the place for you. Grenada is a quiet island with more spices than any other part of the world and fabulous white sandy beaches. It is a place for you to sit back and relax. Swimming, snorkelling and sailing are the main activities.

Attractions

There are 45 beaches on Grenada, with the best one being the Grand Anse Beach. This is 2 milesof white sand and is the place where you will find most of the resorts. Other popular beaches include Morne Rouge Bay, Pink Gin Beach and La Sagesse Beach.

A good place to start is with the Grenada Visitor Guide your first stop for learning about the advantages of traveling to this gorgeous island.

If you like seep sea fishing, November to March are the best times to visit. This is the time of the year for catching the blue and white marlin and the Yellowfin tuna as well as other species. Grenada is one of the best islands in the Caribbean for hiking in the Grand Etang National Preserve. The Lake Circle Trail runs along the rim of an extinct volcano and gives you the opportunity to see the many types of wildlife that live here, such as the Mona monkey. This is also a spectacular rainforest and you should visit here whether you want to hike or stroll around.

There are sailing tours available and of course, you can go scuba diving and snorkelling. Some of the resorts also have tennis courts for their guests.

St. George's, the capital of Grenada, is a pretty harbour town with steep hillside streets lined with brick houses. Popular attractions are the pink Anglican Church, Market Square, where the farm women are dressed in colourful clothes and Fort George with underground passages and cells.

The Grenada National Museum houses many artefacts telling the story of the island and from Fort Frederick, you will have a spectacular view of the harbor. If you want to travel the island, you just have to visit Gouyare, a spice town and Grenville, the second city on the island.

The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar and visitors need to have both a valid passport and a return ticket. There is quite a bit of crime here, such as muggings and robberies near hotels. You do need to be careful of your belongings. Travel is mainly by taxi and you have to have nerves of steel with the rapid pace that drivers use. If you choose to rent a car, then the rules of the road are the same as in Europe, drive to the left.

The rainy season takes place from May to December. The rest of the year is dry with hot sunny days. Even during the rainy season, it doesn't rain continually. This just means that it rains at some point during the day, every day.

Accommodations and Dining

Whatever kind of accommodations you want, you will find them here. From small intimate inns, rental apartments and luxury resorts, you will have all the amenities at your fingertips. The accommodations range from very expensive, such as at the Spice Island Beach Resort or the Bel Air Plantation, through moderately priced at such places as the Blue Horizons Cottage Hotel. Inexpensive lodgings are also available in the self-catering cottages of the Gem Holiday Resort.

Whether you want to dine on West Indian cuisine or International, the restaurants have what you desire. Feast on seafood at Oliver's Restaurant or West Indian at the Little Dipper. The restaurants all have various price ranges, whether you want to dine in elegance or in a casual setting.

Shopping and Nightlife

Everyone who visits Grenada goes home with spices. There are spice vendors wherever you go and although there are no elaborate shopping centers, you can purchase many local handicrafts at the markets, especially Market Square. The best time to go there is on Saturday morning, but it is open during the week.

The hotels and resorts provide nightly entertainment, which ranges from salsa, reggae, folk music, steel bands and even crab racing. The most popular nightspot is the Fantazia 2001 at the Morne Rouge Beach Resort, but you can also dance until dawn at the Boatyard.