Grenada travel guide

An insider's guide to Grenada, featuring the island's best hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and things to do, and how to travel there and around. By Fred Mawer, Telegraph Travel's Grenada expert.

Why go?

In many ways, Grenada is hard to beat for a Caribbean holiday. It possesses a bevy of gorgeous, soft-sand beaches and a mountainous and lush rainforest-covered interior. Its elegant little capital, St George's, is a strong contender for the prettiest in the region. Moreover, the so-called Spice Island is far less developed for tourism than many of the other main Caribbean islands, such as Barbados or Jamaica. There are no resorts as such, no high-rise developments, and even the most popular beaches are usually quiet.

At the same time, Grenada has a good selection of hotels and self-catering to suit all budgets, along with some memorable restaurants and fun nightspots. Most of the appealing places to stay, eat and drink, plus the finest beaches and St George's, are all conveniently concentrated in the island's south-west corner, so few journeys take more than 15 minutes.

However, Grenada as a whole is a decent size - it's nearly as big as the Isle of Wight - offering lots to see and do. A hike in the rainforest is a must. Other prime activities include sailing, particularly around the protected bays of Grenada's deeply indented south coast, and diving: as well as reefs and wrecks, there is a unique underwater sculpture park to explore.

Grenada is also an endearing, proud little nation. Driving around, you see kerbs and flower pots everywhere painted in the red, gold and green colours of the national flag, and billboards celebrating the achievements of the 400-metre runner Kirani James, who won Grenada's first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Olympics (in the 2016 Rio Olympics, he got the silver medal).

When to go

It's a question of weighing up both the weather and the cost. Weather-wise, the high-season winter months - January to April - are best, as it's driest and least humid then. The worst months are September and October, the peak of the hurricane season; Hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada in September 2004. Though you'd be very unlucky to coincide with a hurricane, late summer/early autumn is also the wettest time of year, and the period when you're most likely to be hit by storms.

However, price-wise, accommodation rates are about a third higher mid-December to April than at other times of year, and in the summer and autumn hotels often offer additional financial enticements, such as free nights if you stay for a week or longer. Also note you'll pay a premium on transatlantic air fares to travel during any school holiday period.

Factoring in the weather and cost, arguably the best times to travel are May and June. Compared with the preceding months, the weather is often nearly as good then, while hotel and villa rates are much more affordable.

In terms of busyness, bear in mind that the island is very quiet in the autumn, particularly in September, when some hotels close. The liveliest time, in terms of local life, is early August, when the island parties like mad during the carnival.

Where to go

The main focus for tourism on Grenada is on the island's south-west corner, where the best beaches – most notably Grand Anse – hotels, restaurants and bars can be found. A short drive up the coast lies the island's capital St George's, an immensely attractive little town that is well worth a visit. Other inviting, and often empty, beaches lie along the indented south coast. You should also find time to make forays in to the interior to explore the rainforest and take in waterfalls, and to head up to the slow-paced north of the island where you can take a tour of a nutmeg factory and rum distillery.

Know before you go

Flight time: around 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 hours from/back to London.
Currency: the official currency on Grenada is the Eastern Caribbean dollar - written EC$ - which is pegged to the US dollar at US$1 to EC$2.70. You can pay for many items with US dollars as well as EC dollars, though you'll be given change in EC dollars. Some things, such as hotel rates, and sometimes food and drink in hotels, are quoted in US dollars. Cash points issue EC dollars.
Foreign Office Advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/grenada
Tourist information: puregrenada.com
Emergency numbers: police and fire - 911
In most hotels, electrical sockets take three-pin, square UK-standard plugs, though some hotels have American or European two-pin sockets. Check in advance what's on offer at your accommodation, or take an adaptor.