Grenada, the Spice Isle, is a small nation that gained its independence from the British Empire a mere fifty years ago. Tourists flock here for the relaxing island vibes and excellent weather. Because it is in the South of the Caribbean, hurricanes are less common and the water is always very warm.
Most of the activity is on the West Side of the island, hence the gorgeous sunsets. The water is calmer on the Caribbean side of the island, the other side would be beaten by large waves from the Atlantic Ocean making it mostly unsuitable for swimming. On this trip we were staying at a quite beach and went swimming a few times each day.
There are a lot of iguana's living on Grenada. They seem to have it pretty good with such beautiful sea views and the absence of large predators like jungle cats. One could get used to such a lounging lifestyle.
Almost every evening there was a stunning sunset so we sat and watched the boats slowly fade into the darkness of the night. We stayed Sea Glass Place during our vacation, it has a 5.0 rating on Google with over 120 reviews so needless to say, it was perfect. Views like this don't come cheap, but it was absolutely worth the relative privacy and perfect grounds.
We are looking at the main port in Grenada, Carenage Harbour. It was a fortress back in the day for various European Colonial empires as it offered the perfect natural protection for ships. Now wealthy international elitists park their yachts here amongst the local fishing boats.
The capital city of St. George's is vibrant and full of life, especially when cruise ships are in port. Grenadians flock here to make a buck and tourists are happy to spend. The unique thing about Grenada are the Nutmeg products, the reason why it is called 'Spice Isle.' Something like 40% of all nutmeg comes from this tiny island.
Walking around town, one can find old ruins and people still living in houses built centuries ago. Some of these buildings date back to when the French called the city Port Royal in the 1600 and 1700s. Some of the yards looked nice but in reality, St. George's is full of poverty and I wouldn't want to come here after dark.
We prefered watching the city from our porch. In the middle of this photo is a large University Hospital. Medical education is a big thing on some Caribbean islands. St. George's University would help train America's doctors.
Looking the other way you can see the perfect sunset. I wrote about Grand Anse Beach in a previous post, it would be behind the house and tree. The beach is where most of the larger hotels are on the island and it is a hotspot for watersports, concerts and other fun activities.
Seafood is an excellent choice when staying here. They can pluck crabs off the rocks and fisherman bring in the catch of the day. When travelling we often just go to markets and cook at home but seafood is one thing worth paying someone to cook for you.
I just can't get enough of this view. Grenada could very well be a place we go back to, not because there is a ton to do and so much to sea, but because it was probably the most relaxing country we have ever stayed at. Sure, it can get busy especially when the cruise ship is in port but for the most part not a lot happens here.
Locals and expatriates build houses up on the hills, it is relatively affordable to build a house here with an ocean view. You can keep a garden and grow all sorts of tropical fruit and enjoy a warm and peaceful retirement.
Maintaining such a nice property next to the sea would be constant work. Gardens would quickly grow wild and the painting, landscaping and keeping the humidity out would be a constant struggle. Most of the time it is best just to rent a place and let locals take care of it for you.
We took off as it was raining, this is the populated side of the island so houses are everywhere something like 80% of the people on Grenada would be living in houses on the South Western tip of the island. There isn't much development happening, you can barely make out the larger hotels on Grand Anse Beach which is the bay on the the top right of the picture. We are leaving the island and I'll leave you at that, have a nice week!
Thank you for reading, all photos were taken with an s24 or an iPhone 15 pro and are unfiltered.
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