Grenada

Overview

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Grenada and sister islands Carriacou and Petit Martinique comprise the country of Grenada and complete the southern section of the Windward Islands. Though its mountains are dwarfed by those on islands farther north, Grenada's slopes are fertile, yielding nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and ginger mix with those of saffron, all-spice and cocoa - thus the nickname "The Isle of Spice." To sample nutmeg, of which Grenada fills one-third of the world's needs, have a frothy rum drink at one of the bistros along L'Anse aux Epines.

Grenada's capital, St. George's, with its tile-topped buildings, hugs a deepwater harbor in the southwest that plays host to cruise ships. Old warehouses that have been converted into quaint restaurants and small shops front the harbor area, known as the Carenage. The Sendall Tunnel, a 350-foot-long excavation that bridges the two halves of St. George's, provides access to the distinctly East Indian open-air market.

Proof of Grenada's volcanic origin is found more than 1,700 feet above sea level, where a 30-acre crater is filled with the glittering waters of the Grand Etang Lake. From here you can see the emerald-green summit of Mount Qua Qua. Mount St. Catherine is nearly 400 feet taller at 2,757 feet, but the vista-laden hiking trails of Qua Qua should not be missed.

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