A Local’s Guide to St. George’s, Grenada, for Cruise Ship Visitors

Grenada, the southernmost island chain in the Lesser Antilles, some 100 miles off the coast of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, consists of three main volcanic islands—Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique—along with a smattering of smaller ones. Located at the southern edge of the hurricane belt, the chain is known for its beaches, coral reefs, and rainforests. It also manages to reliably dodge most storms that course through the Caribbean Sea during hurricane season, from June through November.

Grenada’s harmonious and friendly nature is something you’ll feel on land, too—pretty much the moment you step off your cruise ship into St. George’s, the island’s colorful capital. “Grenadians are, in my experience, the friendliest and most welcoming folks you’ll find anywhere in the Caribbean,” says Steve Bennett of the travel blog Uncommon Caribbean, whose Trinidadian mother traces her family lineage to Grenada.

When you first arrive, you might notice the perfume of nutmeg and cinnamon wafting over the patchwork of red-roofed buildings. This is the Spice Island, after all, blessed with rich soils and a tropical climate that make Grenada one of the world’s top producers of nutmeg and fertile grounds for growing such spices as cloves, bay leaves, pepper, cacao beans, and more.

When you arrive, make your way along St. George’s cobblestone streets to the Inner Harbour, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the Caribbean thanks to its natural horseshoe shape lined with colorful fishing boats and historic buildings, and get set to explore.

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St. George’s in a day

Accessing downtown St. George’s from the cruise ship terminal couldn’t be easier. Passengers aboard larger ships from lines like Oceania, Princess, and MSC stroll off the ship and through the Esplanade shopping mall right into town. Smaller charter yachts and catamarans can often dock right along the Inner Harbour’s pretty waterfront promenade called the Carenage, where historic fishing boats bob alongside shiny yachts.

Your first stop on foot might be the Grenada National Museum, an 18th-century building that once housed French barracks and where visitors can take a visual journey through Grenada’s layered history, from its first inhabitants, European colonization, and slavery to the island’s whaling history and rich spice trade.

Follow your nose to Market Square and Grenada’s spice market, where bags of island-grown spices are sold alongside the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season. “We call it the spice market but there are a lot of other things sold in the market, from arts and crafts to food, drinks, plantains, sweet potatoes, passion fruits, and more, depending on the season,” says Roger Augustine of Ambassador Tours, a born and bred Grenadian. He recommends Saturday as the best day for a market visit since that’s when most vendors descend from across the island to sell their products. (Prices are set, he says, so no need to hone your bartering skills here.)

It’s an easy walk uphill from town to Fort George, St. George’s most historical building, set on a hilltop overlooking the long sweep of Grande Anse Beach. Built between 1706 and 1710 by the French, the intricate colonial structure houses cannons, barracks, and a gunpowder magazine. But it’s the views of town and the spectacular coastline that always steal the show. Break for a sweet treat back in town at House of Chocolate Grenada, where you can try ice creams and artisan chocolates made from island-grown cacao and visit the on-site museum. Or opt to settle in for St. George’s most remarkable restaurant views overlooking the harbor at Sails Restaurant and Bar, known for lobster bites, fresh fish, and Caribbean fusion fare.

If you fancy a beach day, take a water taxi or regular taxi from St. George’s to Grand Anse Beach, the southwest coast’s loveliest stretch of beachfront, lined by sea grapes and with two miles of soft sand lapped by turquoise waters.

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If you have two days in Grenada

Augustine says Grenada has 45 white-sand beaches and 9 black-sand ones to explore. Once you’ve ticked off Grande Anse’s famous golden stretch, head around the southern headland to the more sheltered Morne Rouge Beach, which the locals call BBC Beach. The shade-lined crescent has more beachfront restaurants and bars selling seafood and rum punches made with the island’s rhum agricole. “The mere fact that nutmeg is the final garnish that brings a rum punch to life, and Grenada has the best nutmeg . . . well, Grenada must have the best rum punches in the Caribbean,” Augustine quips.

On the weekends, you might find locals gathered for a beach day at spots like Magazine Beach to cook Grenada’s national dish. Called Oil Down, it’s a communal favorite cooked on an open flame and made with breadfruit, green plantains, yams, pork, and coconut milk. “If you’re lucky enough to come across an Oil Down while adventuring around Grenada, don’t be shy about asking to join the fun,” says Bennett. “I’ve done so on more than one occasion, making great new friends and getting in tune with the soul of the island. There’s a tremendous spirit of unity and camaraderie that comes with every Oil Down.”

Scuba divers know Grenada for the wreck of the Bianca C, a 600-foot-long former passenger ship (among the Caribbean’s largest shipwrecks) that’s loaded with marine life. For snorkelers, the far shallower Underwater Sculpture Park, in about 16 feet of water within the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area, is a colorful place to swim among tropical fish in an underwater garden dotted with works by Jason DeCaires Taylor. (Eco Dive Grenada runs daily trips.)

Just a 20-minute drive from St. George’s, the 30-foot-high cascade at Annandale Falls is prime for a freshwater frolic. It’s an easy five-minute hike from the parking lot. On the way, Augustine suggests a stop at Mark’s Sport Bar for the island’s finest rum punch and to tour the on-site spice gardens.

Venturing further into the island’s lush heart, Grand Etang National Park and Forest Reserve offers fascinating volcanic landscapes that span a crater lake, four of Grenada’s highest mountains, and steep coastal valleys; hiking trails lead to panoramic views of the lake and surrounding rainforest-clad mountains.

If you’re visiting during March and June, Augustine says not to miss an overnight at the cottages at Petite Anse and a visit to Levera Beach on the northern coast of Grenada for the chance to see leatherback sea turtles that lumber ashore during nesting season. You can head out to see them during moonlit tours with community guides.

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Stay longer

There are many more waterfalls to explore on the island, including Seven Sisters Falls, in the middle of the island and which you can hike to in about 40 minutes from Grand Etang Lake. You can reach the dual cascades at Mount Carmel Falls (on the east coast) via an easy 20-minute hike.

Spice estates like Crayfish Bay and Belmont Estate let you dive into Grenada’s Spice Island history while seeing the day-to-day workings of an organic farm. (They’re handy for souvenir shopping, too.) And less-visited beaches La Sagesse Beach and Levera Beach let you play castaway for the day.

Resorts like Spice Island Beach Resort, Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort, Six Senses La Sagesse, and Sandals Grenada make it tempting to settle in and linger longer in these parts, too.

You can even go tubing through the island’s lush interior along the Balthazar River. But Augustine recommends catching a flight or ferry north to visit the 13-mile-long island of Carriacou, known for traditional boat building and its annual African heritage celebration, the Maroon Festival. Held at the end of April, it commemorates maroons who escaped slavery and celebrates their African heritage through music, dance, traditional smoked food, and more). Augustine also suggests a detour to even tinier Petite Martinique, home to just 900 residents and more sublime beachfront. (Petite Martinique can only be reached by ferry from Carriacou.) Both islands offer a deeper dive into the unique appeal of the Grenadines, he says. “They’re different and even more laid-back than Grenada. We say one destination, many islands.”