why I love Grenada
I finally made it to Grenada as a guest of Pure Grenada to join the celebrations of the 2016 Grenada Chocolate Festival. It was fantastic, and the island blew me away with its beauty, quality of service, and friendly people.
The infinity pool at La Luna is strikingly beautiful.
Omega kept us smiling with her terrific culinary treats at the True Blue Bay Resort.
I somehow knew I’d love Grenada, as they have been working hard to build their chocolate culture. But I was totally blown away by the spirit of this Caribbean island nation. Here are the six reasons why I love Grenada:
why I love grenada
- The friendly and helpful people. Everywhere you look, you are the recipient of the warmest smiles on the planet. Grenadian people are proud. They are innovative, artistic, and creative. But above all, they are friendly and helpful, making Grenada a fabulous place to visit if you enjoy interacting with the locals and learning about their lives and culture. Pictured above is Roger Augustine, my host and guide for the week as a Destination Experience Officer with Pure Grenada.
- The fabulous climate. The average temperature in Grenada is 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) which translates to perfection in my books! There always seems to be a lovely ocean breeze that keeps you fresh, and nearly every day, there will be a brief shower to nourish the abundant plant life and keep the greens alive. We were fortunate to be there at the end of the dry season, so we experienced no heavy rains. The wet season is from June through December.
- The gorgeous scenery. There is no flat barren land in Grenada–that I saw anyway, and we toured virtually all of the island. The lush vegetation can be found everywhere, and the countryside is mountainous, with hairpin curves that make driving somewhat challenging. But the stunning scenery is worth the extra effort it takes to navigate the narrow winding roads.
- The great cuisine. As I was part of a group with a focus on the culinary scene, we had the opportunity to eat at a variety of top-notch restaurants including a couple that specifically celebrated the local flavours favourited by the Grenadian people, others with extraordinary cacao cuisine, as well as a restaurant specializing in French cuisine and one specializing in authentic Italian cuisine. In the week I was in Grenada, I never had a meal that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy.
- The fantastic chocolate and cacao. Grenada was #16 in the growing number of countries that I have visited to experience the world of chocolate and cacao. I’d tasted Grenadian chocolate prior to my visit and was impressed, but visiting three very distinct local chocolate companies while on the island as well as a couple of cocoa farms really brought it all together for me. This year’s Grenada Chocolate Fest is being held May 31-June 8, 2019. It’s a super fantastic event for chocolate lovers.
- The water. The drinking water was terrific, but it’s the ocean waters that surround Grenada that are noteworthy in many ways. I didn’t have the opportunity to dive or snorkel as I was nursing an acute knee condition, but we did take a sunset cruise that didn’t disappoint. Others I know have taken dives in the underwater sculpture garden, and I’m happy to link to the post by my travel writing friend and dive specialist Debbra Dunning Brouillette who has written a terrific blog post on her underwater adventures in Grenada.
Edmond is a chocolate maker at the Grenada Chocolate Company.
The sunset during our beach party at the Mount Cinnamon Resort and Beach Club was stunning.
Have you been to Grenada? What did you like most about it? Please share your thoughts in the comment thread below.
And please subscribe to the site, so that you can stay tuned for my next post on this beautiful island nation. It’s definitely one of my favourite chocolate travel destinations.
I collect refrigerator magnets on my travels. You collect chocolate. Clearly there I need to reassess my collecting focus. We visited Grenada on a cruise stop some years ago. We went on an excursion with a small group that got us out into the countryside and to a lovely beach. As you noted, all the people we met were lovely.
Grenada really is an amazing destination, considering it is a small island. I’d love to go back and see more! Happy Passover. 🙂
So interesting how chocolate bonds the world together! And great that you got to know Grenada through chocolate~
Indeed, Irene! Chocolate is the universal language of love. 🙂 Thx for stopping by.
We visited Grenada when our children were small way back in the early 90’s. I expect it’s changed a lot since then, but we loved it. Thanks for reminding me today how lovely it is, and for reminding me to get back there soon! Coming from South Africa I do remember though that we found it pretty expensive. What did we love most? The people and the scenery.
Hi Jo and thanks for your comment. Yes, I’m sure there have been quite a number of resorts that have been built in Grenada since the 1990’s. and the chocolate scene is now in full force and really quite amazing. I hope you get to revisit Grenada sometime soon.
Grenada is definitely one of my favourite countries too! And Roger is a true cultural ( and culinary) ambassador for the country!
I have never visited Grenada – so far only Jamaica and Dominican Republic in terms of the Caribbean. The photographs are beautiful – the sea and the sunset. I have heard the people are warm and the food is tasty. 28 degrees sounds good to me!
Hi Phoenicia. Grenada is indeed a wonderful destination. I don’t have a negative thing to report from my one-week stay.
The people of Grenada look so beautiful! 🙂
Also, I have heard that Grenada is a leading producer of several different spices – did you end up buying any? 🙂
You are absolutely right! Grenada is known as the “Spice Island” and is most notably known for its nutmeg. We stopped at a spice shop and I bought a box of local spices that included the nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and I think a couple others. It smells SO good!
Wow! No chance you won’t love this gem of a place. That sunset itself is worthy of falling in love with! Great post 🙂
Grenada is awesome! I’m so happy to see this beautiful country getting some love!
Thx for your comment, Kevin, and welcome to my blog!
Yes, Grenada has been on my radar for quite sometime. I’m so glad I finally had the opportunity to visit this amazing country.
So much reasons to love Grenada! The food, the view and the people are all enough for me to love Grenada as well.
Never been to Grenada, but perhaps I will. Your pics really show the friendly people you met, and the chocolate culture they are developing there sounds amazing. I’d never really thought about traveling to check out the chocolate everywhere, but I did enjoy a tour of chocolatiers in Paris once!
Hi Tami and thx for your comment. That’s what Chocolatour is all about! Getting people to plan travel with chocolate in mind. When you visit chocolate shops in Paris, they’re pretty much all the same. But when you step out and search for chocolate in different destinations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with some really unique options. I hope mt site will engage you in the concept of chocolate travel.
A an avid traveler I believe “Cheerful locals make a great difference to any place” and this post convinces my belief is right. I will be in Caribbean soon, this is really helpful to me.
I’ve never been to Granada. The temperature is exactly what I love! It doesn’t seem too hot from what you experienced. Thanks for sharing your experience. The Photos are beautiful too. =)
Grenada looks and sounds great. The first picture of the pool looks like the one at The Polana Hotel in Maputo, Mozambique. Another lovely country, actually.
Hi Catarina and thanks for your comment. I have never been to Mozambique, but will have to look up the Polana Hotel. If it’s anything like La Luna in Grenada, I’m sure it is lovely.
Well, now I want to go on vacation in Grenada. It really does look lovely. And I can understand why the locals are so cheery. It would certainly help put me in a good mood to be surrounded by beautiful weather and breathtaking scenery. This seems like a great place to visit.
YOur wonderful photos attest to everything you’ve written! 🙂
I haven’t been to Grenada, but 82 degrees year round would be great. It looks like a nice laid back area.
I have never been to Grenada, and I had no idea there were so many festivals celebrating chocolate! This looks wonderful and the people look so friendly. Thanks for sharing Doreen you lucky girl!
There are indeed many chocolate festivals around the world, Marty. You have som excellent ones in Hawaii.
Seems to me you’ve yet to hit a chocolate fest without beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets.
Hey, Ken. You are a relatively new reader of this blog. I have attended chocolate festivals in many cities that have not been tropical. But for the second volume of Chocolatour, the Caribbean and the Americas are the featured regions, and fortunately for me, many of those regions are in tropical and semi-tropical zones. 🙂 It’s a gruelling job, but I do it for you, the readers. 🙂
yup, you got it…grenada is fab for all those reasons…wonderful people, so farm and friendly, amazing scenerey and blue waters <3
Grenada epitomizes the spirit of the Carribean, seems like a great place to enjoy life and chocolates.
Thx for your comment. I agree. Grenada does indeed epitomize what we think of when we think of the Caribbean spirit. Good luck with your project. Am happy to share your link.
I haven’t been to Grenada but would totally visit as it sounds like my type of place: friendly people, climate, food, etc. Although I’d have to come during the Chocolate Festival. 🙂
Enjoyed Debbra’s underwater photos.
Thx for your comment, Debra, and welcome to my blog!
Yes, if you can swing it, do try and catch next year’s Grenada Chocolate Festival. There is such a strong movement to develop the cocos industry in Grenada. I’m sure it will be even bigger and better next year.
Grenada is a lovely place. Cannot comment too much about it, since I was in the military when I was there and it was a business trip.
Thanks for the lovely pics and description of it.
Thx very much for your comment, William. I was surprised at how many forts Grenada has, so I am not surprised to hear of the military presence.
Hi Doreen,
I’ve never been to Grenada. But the pictures sure make me want to boom a trip. The scenery is fabulous and the people all look so warm and friendly. Add great food and chocolate and perfect climate…what a gem! 🙂
Knowing our shared loved of fine food and drink, and love of comfort, I’m pretty sure you’d love Grenada, Susan!
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve never been there but I saw your posts and it looked amazing. I’m so glad it exceeded up to your expectations. I always marvel at how you find something new and different related to chocolate and travel in every destination.
Thx, SUZANNE! That’s my job! To find great chocolate experiences around the world. Stay tuned! I’ve got a feature coming out in National Geographic Traveler that will share some of my top chocolate picks!
That’s great Doreen! Can’t wait to read it. 🙂
So wonderful you found another gem of a country that fits right into your niche!
I am lucky indeed, Chris! I can’t believe how chocolate has sweetened up my life! 🙂
Great post and photos. Roger’s smile is as wide as the ocean. An acquaintance of mine spent 2 years in Grenada for the Peace Corp. She did this after her kids left the nest. She came home totally enamored. She frequently returns to visit with the friends she made there, or they come to visit her.
Yes, you’ve hot the nail on the head, Linda. What what I’ve learned from talking to many people, Grenada will capture your soul and spirit if you let it. Many people I met are expats who fell in love with the country and moved there. And others, who keep returning year after year. I hope I will have the opportunity to return before too long. 🙂
Doreen, I have never been to Grenada but what a wonderful place. The last photo of the sunset is amazing. Scenes like that always make me feel so grateful to be alive and I’m sure when you experienced it in person it must have been awe-inspiring.
I find it fascinating how after so many years of Mars bars etc. that chocolate has become such a large cultural business.
Chocolate has indeed changed, Lenie, and I’m pleased to say it is changing the world in some developing countries. Peru burned all their coca plants and replanted with cacao. Grenada is attempting to relaunch their cocoa industry. Much had been destroyed by disease years ago, but it is rebounding, and just as in Mexico (in the post where I profiled AMO Cacao,) there is a movement in Grenada for small cocoa farmers to establish themselves and start making chocolate. It is very exciting!
No, I have never been to Grenada but I have visited Jamaica and Dominican Republic – absolutely loved both countries. The people were welcoming and warm.
I have heard that you can travel around Grenada in one day – it is a small Island!
Hi Phoenicia. Grenada is indeed a small island. Just 12 miles (18 km) wide and 21 miles (34 km) long. But driving is a bit of a challenge, so you certainly would not attempt to do the entire island in one day unless you were on a cruise and just wanted to do an ultra-quick island tour.
Thank you, Doreen, for linking to my blog post on the underwater sculpture park in Grenada! It was definitely a highlight of my visit, along with other great dives we did while staying at Sandals LaSource. I hadn’t visited Grenada for over a decade until spending a week there last August. I didn’t get to tour the cocoa plantation or the chocolate factory but I did bring home a couple of the wonderful Grenada chocolate bars, however! It is, indeed, a beautiful island with friendly, hospitable people. I would go back in a heartbeat!
Thx for stopping by, Debbie. It were your positive comments about Grenada that really made me want to get to Grenada. The chocolate was the icing on the cake.
Grenada sounds like a wonderful place to visit.
I like how laid back everyone is (except the reggae bus drivers). As I was puffing my way up a steep incline my companion admonished me: “Walk like a Grenadian!” and showed me how to gently zigzag my way to the top so I wouldn’t be out of breath when I got there.
Thx for sharing your Grenadian memory, Denise, and welcome to the blog. I hope you’ll subscribe as there will be several more posts on Grenada you might enjoy.
It’s so true that friendly people can make all the difference when visiting a place. When I was in Charleston, I was a bit taken about at how friendly the locals were, but then I got used to it and started to wonder why other cities can’t be as welcoming.
You’re so right, Jeri! It really makes a positive impression on a place when we are welcomed and appreciated. I sure didn’t get that feeling in Paris!
I have not visited Grenada but it sounds like a place I would enjoy. Warm weather and warm people, scenic views, ocean air and good food – perfect!
I do think you’d love Grenada, Donna. It’s so amazing on so many levels.
How can’t you not love this place? Such a fabulous climate and gorgeous scenery, leave aside the great food and the chocolate, my weakness! A piece of Paradise! I would so much love to visit it.
Hi Anda and thanks for your comment. Yes, I’ve been to a lot of islands and they all have something incredible. But Grenada has so many incredible things that it’s hard not to love it!