Question 1

Grenada on Your Own

Accepted Answer

St. George's can fill a morning on foot, from the forts above the harbor to the Carenage waterfront, and Grand Anse Beach is a short ride south for the afternoon. Grenada has a few local rules worth knowing before you set out. The town on foot: Walk around the Carenage to the bronze Christ of the Abyss statue, given by the city of Genoa in 1961, and along Church Street with its churches and old buildings. To the beach: Take the water taxi from the cruise dock, or a Route 1 minibus from the bus terminal, to Grand Anse Beach, about two miles of white sand south of town. Dress rules: Swimwear is not allowed on main roads or in bars, restaurants and shops, so bring a cover-up. Grenadian law bars civilians from wearing camouflage prints. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, so leave extra time for traffic if you travel beyond St. George's. Belongings: Most crime is opportunistic theft, so do not leave bags unattended on the beach.

Question 2

Getting Around Grenada

Accepted Answer

Minibuses are Grenada's everyday public transport, and they leave from the bus terminal a short walk north of the cruise dock. Taxis carry an H on their license plates and wait at the bus terminal and along the waterfront. Eight minibus routes fan out from St. George's, and Route 1 runs very frequently to Grand Anse. A water taxi runs between the cruise dock and Grand Anse Beach. Hiring a taxi with a driver for a few hours is a simpler way to see the island than driving yourself, because roads are narrow, winding and poorly signposted. Driving is on the left, and drivers need a local permit from the traffic department or a car rental firm. On foot, the Sendall Tunnel under the Fort George headland has no sidewalk, so keep to the side other walkers use.

Question 3

What to Eat in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Grenadian cooking is built on spice: nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves and ginger all grow here, and fish and chicken, well seasoned, are the everyday dishes. The national dish is oil down, a stew of breadfruit, salted meat, dumplings and callaloo slowly cooked in coconut milk. Nutmeg arrived in 1843, when a merchant ship sailing from the East Indies left a few trees behind, and it is now the island's top export. Pelau, rice cooked in one pot with meat, is a popular everyday dish, and cassava pone is a common dessert. Grenada grows cocoa, and the Belmont estate in the north processes beans for chocolate. Three distilleries on the main island make rum, and some local bar rum is very strong. Lunch places in St. George's cater to people working in town and close early, so eat in good time.

Question 4

Tipping in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Hotels and restaurants in Grenada add an 8 percent government tax, and most also add a 10 percent service charge, so any further tip is up to you. The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the local currency, and US dollars are accepted. The EC dollar is pegged to the US dollar at about 2.7 to 1. US dollar bills are widely taken, but coins are not, and change usually comes in EC dollars. Many small businesses, taxi drivers among them, rarely take cards.

Question 5

Culture and Sights in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Grenada's culture mixes French and African roots with later Indian influence, and it shows most in the music and the food. Carnival is held each August. The annual Carnival competition produces new soca and calypso each August, and calypso is considered the island's own music. The Christ of the Abyss statue on the Carenage was given by the city of Genoa in 1961, in thanks for Grenadians' rescue efforts when the Italian liner Bianca C was lost. Fort George, above the harbor, is still the headquarters of the Royal Grenada Police Force, and a plaque in its courtyard marks where Maurice Bishop was killed in 1983. St. George's Anglican Church, damaged in Hurricane Ivan, was restored in 2021. Grenada has no venomous snakes.

Question 6

History of Grenada

Accepted Answer

Grenada passed between France and Britain several times before independence in 1974, and its recent history includes a revolution and a US invasion in 1983. The forts above St. George's were witnesses to much of it. First peoples: The Kalinago, Indigenous people from South America, lived on the island when Europeans arrived. Columbus, 1498: Columbus sighted the island on his third voyage and named it La Concepción; the name Grenada came later, from Spanish maps. French settlement, 1649: An expedition of 203 men from Martinique founded a permanent French settlement, and conflict with the Kalinago soon followed. The French built Fort Royal above the harbor between 1706 and 1710. British, French, British, 1763 to 1783: Grenada was ceded to Britain in 1763, and Fort Royal was renamed Fort George. France recaptured the island in July 1779 and began Fort Frederick on Richmond Hill, but the island returned to Britain in 1783. Fédon's rebellion, 1795 to 1796: Julien Fédon led a pro-French revolt against British rule, which the British put down. Emancipation, 1838: By 1807 Britain had brought some 114,000 enslaved people to Grenada. Slavery was abolished in 1833, and all enslaved people were free by 1838. Independence, 1974: Grenada became independent on February 7, 1974, with Eric Gairy as its first prime minister. Revolution and invasion, 1979 to 1983: Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement took power in a bloodless coup on March 13, 1979. Bishop and members of his cabinet were killed at Fort George on October 19, 1983, and US and Caribbean forces invaded on October 25. Hurricane Ivan, 2004: After 49 years without a direct hit, Grenada was struck by Ivan on September 7, 2004, and recovery took years. To learn more ashore: The Grenada National Museum on Young Street has closed permanently, so see the history on site instead: Fort Frederick on Richmond Hill, begun in 1779, has four levels of magazines, cisterns and storage tunnels, and views over St. George's from its roof.

Question 7

Family Experiences in Grenada

Accepted Answer

A good family day in Grenada pairs a short sightseeing stop with water time: the underwater sculptures for school-age children, the forts for teenagers who like a view, and Grand Anse Beach for everyone. Remember the swimwear rule when you leave the sand. Younger children: Ride the water taxi from the cruise dock to Grand Anse Beach, two miles of white sand with shade from palm and sea grape trees. School age: The Underwater Sculpture Park in Molinere Bay, just north of St. George's, opened in 2006. Its figures, including Vicissitudes, a ring of life-size children holding hands cast from real children, lie at depths of up to about 40 feet and are seen daily by snorkelers, divers and glass-bottom boats. Teenagers: Fort Frederick on Richmond Hill, a taxi ride above town, has tunnels to explore and a roof with views right around St. George's. No camouflage: Leave camouflage-print clothing at home or on the ship; it is illegal for civilians in Grenada.

Question 8

Accessibility in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Ships dock at the cruise terminal in St. George's, so there is no tender, but the town itself is built on steep hills, and taxis wait at the bus terminal beside the cruise dock. The Sendall Tunnel between the cruise side and the Carenage has no sidewalk. The water taxi to Grand Anse avoids the road trip, but ask about boarding at the dock. A taxi hired for a few hours is the most flexible way to reach viewpoints such as the forts.

Question 9

Shopping in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Spices are what to take home from Grenada, above all nutmeg and vanilla, with mace, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and turmeric alongside. The Esplanade Mall beside the cruise terminal has shops aimed at cruise visitors, and the Craft and Spice Market on Grand Anse Beach sells local goods. Craft and souvenir shops open on Sundays and public holidays when cruise ships are in. Supermarkets in St. George's and Grand Anse can be cheaper than the shops at the terminal. Buy spices fully sealed, and check your home country's rules on bringing in food. Grenadian chocolate is worth buying if you can keep it cool, and export-strength rum may count as two bottles against your allowance.

Question 10

Beaches in Grenada

Accepted Answer

Grand Anse Beach, about two miles of white sand on the southwest coast, is easy to reach from the ship by water taxi or minibus. Most of the island's watersports operators are based there. The beach has a Craft and Spice Market and beach bars, and minibuses on Route 1 run there from St. George's. Grand Anse is narrower than it once was because of erosion, and waves can sometimes break right up the sand. Morne Rouge Beach, past the headland west of Grand Anse, is much quieter. Dive and snorkel trips from Grand Anse reach reefs a 5 to 10 minute boat ride away. Avoid isolated beaches after dark.

Grenada

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