When clients come to you to plan their Caribbean vacation, make sure Grenada is on your radar. Travel Agent is just back from a trip to the Spice Isle and we say it’s an absolute must-visit. Like plenty of other Caribbean islands, it has fantastic beaches for lounging and clear-blue waters for swimming, snorkeling and diving, but Grenada also has a plethora of other activities, whether your clients are seeking out history or active excursions.
There are several famous waterfalls on the island, with Concord Falls, Annandale Falls and the Seven Sisters being the more popular options. For travelers looking for a soft adventure, Annandale is certainly the way to go. Located just on the edge of the island’s rainforest, it’s possible to take a car right up to the falls. Parking on the street lets locals and visitors alike walk down a paved path to the falls, which are probably around 40 feet high. A small pool is at the base of the waterfall and taking a dip is a must — so be sure to wear a bathing suit or bring a change of clothes (a public restroom is available to change). For those looking to explore a bit more, trails veering into the forest take guests up alongside the river where they can get a glimpse further upstream. Locals, dubbed the Grenada Dive Team, jump from atop the cliffside but they recommend that visitors not try. It’s an exciting event, nonetheless.
Travelers seeking a more intensive adventure should check out all Seven Sisters waterfalls. The last two — No. 6 and No. 7 — can be accessed on their own by a medium-intensity hike that takes about 45 minutes. Because of slightly poor planning on our part (read: no hiking shoes), these were the only two that we saw on our hike. They’re arguably the best two to view and the hike through the rainforest was well worth it. The next time we go, we will certainly go on the multi-hour hike that takes guests to each of the waterfalls. Note: To visit all seven, guests may need to get a bit wet (i.e. wading across portions of the river) and will definitely need appropriate shoes, especially if it recently rained. Our guide for the Seven Sisters was Peter Green (011-14-734-591-582); contact him for private tours and excursions.
Mount Cinnamon has 30 suites and villas. Shown here is the 500-square-foot Cinnamon Suite.
Grenada is renowned for its chocolate — and there are numerous plantations and factories to check out. We toured two: Diamond Chocolate Factory and Belmont Estate. At both, visitors can walk the properties to see where and how cocoa beans are grown and harvested. (They’ll also likely be asked to try the flesh of the plant; it’s surprisingly citrusy and nothing like cocoa.) After, they can observe the process of how the chocolate is made. Lastly — and the reason why we’re all visiting — there’s the sampling of the different varieties of chocolate. The former factory has a small café where guests can get a bite to eat, but the latter has a full restaurant. Those visiting Belmont, since they’ll be about an hour from most of the resorts on the south of the island, should make a point to stay for a local lunch.
Other culinary-themed tours include visiting one of the rum distilleries on the island. River Antoine is one of the more popular options, where they’re most well-known for the 75 percent ABV white rum they produce. (Needless to say, imbibers will need a chaser). Also suggest a visit to the Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station — perhaps the one spice that most helped give Grenada the nickname the Spice Isle. Both of these tours are relatively short, so one or both is best combined with one of the chocolate factories to make a full day of it.
Back in St. George — the largest parish by population on the island and home to its capital, St. George’s — Fort Matthew and Fort Frederick make for easy trips in the morning to start the day before exploring the island further. Guests can pay their (nominal) entrance fee and explore the sites on their own, but we suggest taking a private tour.
Luxury Hotel Sampler
Grenada has a great selection of luxury properties, but we would suggest two — for their entirely different vibes.
Mount Cinnamon has a very local aesthetic — rooms are brightly colored and offer plenty of space per guest. Our room was one of the six Luxury Hacienda Suites (1,098 to 1,120 square feet); it included a small (but full) kitchen, counter seating, a full living room, a furnished terrace, a master bed with an en suite bathroom (and laundry) and a guest bathroom.
The Spice Island Beach Resort has a pool with swim-up Jacuzzi.
Note: Mount Cinnamon is split in two by the road — on the beach side, there’s a beach bar, a Dive Grenada booth (which offers snorkeling and diving excursions), a beach volleyball court and more; on the opposite side of the road, all of the guestrooms, villas, the pool and restaurant are located. To walk down from the restaurant to the beach is less than five minutes.
The newest, and most contemporary, rooms are the eight Cinnamon Suites. Each piece of furniture in these rooms were made in Greece, so they have a vibe and color palette (white and blue) that better resembles the Mediterranean than the Caribbean. The resort is currently adding six more such suites to its inventory due to the demand (bringing total room inventory to 37). There’s also a variety of standalone villas, which are the best options for families or larger groups. The top such option is Cinnamon Heights, which sleeps eight, has its own private pool and views of Grand Anse Beach from all rooms. Wherever your clients stay, a must-do is dinner at the beach bar on Friday night, where Mount Cinnamon hosts live music and a bonfire.
Reach out to Molly Osendorf ([email protected]), sales and marketing director, for additional information.
Another option is Spice Island Beach Resort, which has a much more contemporary vibe. This property has 64 rooms spread across eight and a half acres. For couples looking for an ocean view, we suggest the Cinnamon or Saffron Suite. Measuring 1,440 square feet of indoor space (plus an additional 450 square feet of patio / outdoor area), these identical rooms have an open living / dining area with a wet bar and a table set for six guests, a master bedroom with a four-poster king bed and en-suite bathroom. Off both the living room and bedroom, guests will have their own patios with seating, a daybed, a hammock and direct beach access.
Those looking for more privacy may wish to stay in one of the Pool Suites — the top two options being the Royal Collection Pool Suites and the Luxury Almond Pool Suites. Both measure 1,500 square feet; the only difference is the former has more indoor space (in the form of a media room / entrance), while the latter has an outdoor dining patio. We prefer the Royal Collection accommodations as they also have an outdoor sauna. Note: Children under 12 are not permitted in any Pool Suite accommodation.
At Spice Island Beach Resort there are two restaurants: One casual, and one formal (children under 12 are not allowed), but both offer the same menu, meaning parents who are traveling with children won’t have to compromise on their meals.
Spice Island also offers a spa, a yoga pavilion, live music and non-motorized water sports. Brian G. Hardy, the resort’s general manager, can be reached at [email protected].
Silversands Grenada’s Beach Residences can accommodate children but their unique layout (of five semi-connected buildings) means that parents and children will be entirely separated at night.
Also of note: Silversands Grenada opened in December and is set to become one of the top luxury properties on the island. Rooms have clean, modern designs and a tech-centric focus (meaning, lights, curtains and more are all controlled at the tap of a button). The Beach Residences can accommodate children but their unique layout (of five semi-connected buildings) means that parents and children will be entirely separated at night; we would recommend these rooms for families with adult children or traveling couples.
Walking into the lobby, guests are greeted by the 300-plus-foot infinity pool — the longest in the Caribbean. Flanking the pool is an Asian-inspired restaurant, a pool bar and café, as well as plenty of lounge chairs. Just off the lobby is a rum and cigar lounge. Jorge Collazo ([email protected]), director of sales and marketing, can handle agent enquiries.
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