Grenada, a spicey treat
Story and photos by Barbara Penny Angelakis
Travel Features Editor, LuxuryWeb Magazine (www.luxuryweb.com)
Like an aquatic organism rising from the lush Caribbean Sea floor straining to reach the light, the naturally fish-shaped island of Grenada lifts its face towards the sun. Grenada, along with its sister islands Carriacou and Petite Martinique, make up the tri-island state known as Grenada.
Sitting at the base of the Grenadines, the southern most Caribbean chain just north of Venezuela, Grenada is a land of contrasts. The west coast rests in the Caribbean Sea while the east coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. It boasts a profusion of perfectly pristine white, black and tan sand beaches but just as many mountain peaks, waterfalls and forest preserves. The island is the second largest worldwide producer of spice and the captivating fragrance of flowers of every shape and color scent the air.
Whether your taste runs to spending hours sitting on an impeccably clean beach watching the rolling surf playing tag with the sand or luxuriating in the warm, gentle, crystal-clear waters at one with nature, Grenada can provide! If your taste runs towards soft adventure, Grenada offers some of the best age and skill- appropriate snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities in the Caribbean. Perhaps you prefer hiking in rain forests or swimming in mountain pools; this island can provide that as well.
Want to get married in a beachside service with all the trimmings, or have a vacation that’s family friendly? In fact, whatever your dream consists of, Grenada stands ready to deliver.
I had the pleasure of staying at Grenada's luxurious Spice Island Beach Resort (www.spiceislandbeachresort.com) situated directly on Grand Anse Beach, and of touring the island and dining al fresco at wonderful restaurants whose culinary creations frequently consisted of fresh daily catch from the sea, locally grown produce and renowned island spices.
We got an early start on touring the island with Mandoo Tours (www.grenadatours.com), the award-winning guide whose knowledge and experience, especially on navigating the twisting country roads, is unsurpassed .
Following the coastal road north from Grand Anse Beach, first stop is St. George, the capital city of Grenada and also the most populated of the six parishes that make up the island along with St. John, St. Mark, St. Patrick, St. Andrew and St. David. St. George’s is a bustling harbor town that plays host to the many cruise ships that access the horseshoe-shaped inner harbor through a modern port, built close to the harbor's entrance.
Driving up the coastal road past spectacular scenic forests, we arrive at Concord Falls and an opportunity to cool off in the refreshing mountain waters before heading to the historic Dougaldston Spice Estate, the major producer of spice on the island. Here we are greeted by knowledgeable Catherine D’ Joseph who describes the process from plant to table. Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of spice after Indonesia, producing cloves, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cocoa, nutmeg and mace.
Catherine described how the plantation has been using ecologically sustainable farming techniques for hundreds of years and long before there was a phrase to describe the process. Once the spice has been extracted, the shells and plants are used to create utensils or nurture new plants and trees, insuring that nothing is discarded or wasted.
Grenadians exhibit a deep respect for their history and culture, and the Morne Fendue Plantation House (www.mornefendueplantation.com) is another example of honoring the past while looking towards the future. Set in a beautiful garden with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountain peaks and sea below is the 300-year-old stone plantation house. You can still sleep in the brass bed that Princess Margaret slept in during her 1953 visit to the island but if your tastes lean more toward the modern, there is a new complex of modest rooms next to the old plantation house.
Next stop: the oldest functioning water-propelled distillery in the Caribbean, the River Antoine Rum Distillery. River Antoine Rum has been in continuous operation since 1785 and still makes 150 proof rum, in a labor intensive, unmechanized factory. Holding on to the traditional manufacturing process of the past insures product quality control and continuing local employment for generations of loyal employees.
The bad news is that this high-proof rum is allowed to be sold only to the local population to be consumed on the island, with a modified, lower-proof rum made for export and sale to visitors. The good news: both versions are offered to sample on site. Caution must be taken when navigating the winding country roads leaving the distillery, especially since Grenada follows the English fashion of driving on the left side of the road.
Crossing the island from the northeast to the southwest coast, we pass through the Grand Etang National Park, and pause for a chat with the friendly monkeys that make it their home, before returning to Grand Anse Beach and dinner at Flamboyant Hotel & Villas (www.flamboyant.com).
Resting, relaxing and just hanging out were the order for the next few days, and the weather cooperated by providing an azure blue sky, fluffy white clouds, cool sea breezes and sun, sun, sun… just as it had since we arrived. One 
of the dinners we enjoyed was at La Belle Creole at the Blue Horizons Garden Resort. The hotel rests in almost seven acres of manicured tropical gardens with every kind of tree, plant, and flower providing a colorful and fragrant home to 21 species of indigenous birds. The hotel has self-contained units complete with all amenities for a comfortable few days of bird watching or for longer-term accommodation.
Our host for the evening was Arnold D. Hopkin, Owner and Manager of La Belle Creole Restaurant and Blue Horizons Garden Resort (www.grenadabluehorizons.com). Many of the menu choices served at the restaurant are recipes modified from Mr. Hopkin’s mother, who was a pioneer in substituting native ingredients in the European dishes she prepared, first for her family, and later for the inn that grew out of the family home at Ross Point.
Her influence continues to this day in unique combinations of native grown products and spices such as the Horizons Devilled Seafood appetizer. Fresh caught seafood is cooked in puff pastry with callaloo (a native grown green leaf with a distinctive taste) and cheese sauce, topped with a parmesan-and-breadcrumb crust and baked… delectable.
Grenada is still an unspoiled oasis in a sea of heavily developed and overcrowded islands. Given the physical beauty, the glorious weather, the warmth of the people, and the luxurious accommodations, it is soon to be the new hot spot in the Caribbean. Don’t wait… go now.
More info: Visit the Grenada Board of Tourism www.grenadagrenadines.com
© January 2008 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
