Friday 31 March 2017

Grenada: My 5 favourite things about the island

I will shortly be making my third visit to the Caribbean island of Grenada. My first visit was two years ago when I was invited to experience the Grenada Chocolate Festival, then in it's second year.  I had been to the Caribbean before but I was not expecting to fall in love with this spice paradise like I did.

The island is a very complex place and it's impossible to narrow down the reasons that I love it there so much, however I thought I would just list a few. In no particular order they are as follows:-

Chocolate: Grenada has three main chocolate producers, all of them growing the cacao, harvesting the wet cacao beans and processing them into top quality, world class chocolate.  The future of the chocolate on the island is championed by Magdalena Fielden who has organised The Grenada Chocolate Festival to educate, enlighten and inspire generations of future Grenadians and visitors alike.  This year is the 4th Annual Grenada Chocolate Festival will include some of the familiar events and some exciting new ones as well.  Click here to check it out.


Spices: Grenada is a spice paradise on earth.  You don't need to look far to find nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, turmeric, vanilla to name but a few and all growing in abundance on the island.  One of my goals was to pick my own nutmeg.  As well as a visit to the Grenada Nutmeg Processing Plant in the small fishing village of Gouyave I had the immense pleasure and opportunity to pick my own nutmeg from a nutmeg tree on the Crayfish Bay Cocoa Plantation as well as stuffing my pockets with the ones that had already fallen on the ground.

The local spice market in St Georges is an explosion of colours and smells to treat all your senses.
I visited the home of a local man who had turmeric growing on his land,
and cinnamon trees.  He and his wife showed me how to remove the bark from the cinnamon tree with instructions to lay it out on our balcony for the rest of our stay and it would dry and curl and look like the cinnamon we know.  On the trip home the smell in my suitcase was intoxicating!
People: Generally I have found that the people who live in Grenada are warm and friendly. The residents of this paradise island want you to enjoy your time there. If you ask anyone for information or help in finding somewhere they will go out of their way to get you there.  Grenada is not a wealthy island for most of the inhabitants however they take great pride in the jobs that they do whether it is supplying bananas they have growing on their property to the hotels or a family ice cream company.
Beaches: Grenada has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Grand Anse beach is often considered one of the top 10 beaches in the world.  Over 2 miles of beautiful white sand - you can walk the whole length dipping into the calm and warm waters to cool off at regular intervals!
Food: The focus on food is freshness and local, simplicity yet innovative, intricate and innovative!  There is a plethora of high end restaurants, small food bars and street food available.
We stopped by the side of the road to chat to this young lady who was cooking corn on the cob from her home garden and selling to passing motorists.
Then markets have piles and piles of fresh produce all locally grown, bananas, coconuts, limes, breadfruit and more.
And of course don't forget the rum.  Rum is my spirit drink of choice, on it's own with an ice cube, a splash of Coca Cola or local pineapple juice, mmmm!!

I was not paid to write this post. All opinions and photos are my own. No photos may be reproduced in any manor without my written permission.

19 comments:

  1. Oh have a good time Heidi. It sounds wonderful!

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    1. I plan to have loads of 'down' time on this trip - batteries need recharging!

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  2. No wonder you are looking forward to going back Heidi. I thought it would all be about the chocolate for me, but now I'd love to go for the spices too.

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  3. I'd love to go one year! I just have to make sure, like you, there's plenty of down time - it looks like the perfect place to relax

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    1. Grand Anse beach is 2 miles of relaxation itself! There are plenty of opportunities for 'down' time!

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  4. What an absolutely wonderful experience to have! This is a place I would love to visit one day, but it's so very far away!

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    1. It's not as far away as it seems - well worth going there!

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  5. Heidi the smell at the Nutmeg processing factory must have been heavenly. I know that a country called Grenada exists but really didn't know much about it till I read your post.Thank you for sharing an informative post.

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    1. Glad you got something from the post Mauri. I love the Caribbean, especially Grenada and look forward to visiting more islands.

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  6. Love that you took a trip to the local market! I did the same on my recent trip to Jamaica!

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    1. I am like a magnet to local markets - they just draw me to them!

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  7. You seem to be having a great time.. thanks for sharing the pics.. Remind me of my days in Nigeria.

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    1. There are so many wonderful places in the world with so much in common.

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  8. Very informative post. I am sure you gonna have a fabulous time on your third visit Heidi !

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    1. Really looking forward to our next visit just four weeks away!!

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  9. All of those photos make me want to go, wow!

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  10. I had hoped to go this year to attend th chocolate festival but it's not to be, but all the things you have mentioned appeal enormously!

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  11. Love all the spices and cacao, just imagine the aroma in the air! Makes me want to visit Grenada one day soon. :)

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