Grenada: the spice island!

The island of Grenada and its surrounding six smaller islands is at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern area of the Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago and northeast of Venezuela. Also known as the "Island of Spice" because of the production of nutmeg and mace crops, of which Grenada is one of the world's largest exporters. Grenada is also a leading producer of several other spices including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, organic cocoa and even wild coffee.

Photo: Contributed

Its size is 344 square kilometers (133 sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,000. Tourism is Grenada’s main and growing economic force. Conventional beach and water-sport tourism is focused in the southwest region around the capital of St. George, the airport area and the coastal strip; however eco-tourism is growing in significance. Most of the small, boutique or B&B style eco-friendly guesthouses are located in the Saint David and Saint John areas.  The tourism industry is increasing dramatically with the construction of a large cruise ship pier and esplanade. Up to four cruise ships per day were visiting St. George in 2007–2008 during the cruise ship season.

Grenada has many idyllic beaches around its coastline including the 3 km (1.9 mi) long Grand Anse Beach in St. George which is considered to be one of the finest beaches in the world and often appears in countdowns of the world's top ten beaches. Average temperatures range from 24C/ 75F to 30C/ 87F, tempered by the steady and cooling trade winds. The lowest temperatures are between November and February. Because of Grenada's remarkable topography, the island experiences climate changes according to altitude. The driest season is between January and May. Even during the rainy season, from June to December, it rarely rains for more than an hour at a time and generally not every day.

• Population: 110,000
• Language: English
• Capital: St. George
• Electric Current: 110v
• Climate: Tropical
• From Miami: 3h 35min

For more information on this spicy hot spot, have a visit with your travel agent today!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.