Granada


	*Grenada* *- The Spice Island*


	Grenada is known as the ‘Spice Island’ for a very good reason. Huge amounts of spices are grown in the mountain rainforests. Most is cultivated, but everything from nutmeg to cocoa trees grow wild as well all over the island. A beautiful island, there are mountains which are often shrouded in clouds and fog and crater lakes which bespeak the island’s volcanic nature.

Located just below Barbados, St. Vincents, and Montsarrat, Grenada lies almost to the Netherland Antilles with Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire just south. The superb diving is located in the southwest corner of the island near St. George’s. Our first trip to Grenada was in 2007 and we just returned in September 2018. If anything, the fabulous diving there is even better. Don’t expect a cheap trip in relation to many Caribbean areas as many of the more southern islands are expensive to visit. However, it falls in the range of others in it’s area like Barbados and St. Kitts.


		Grand Etang Lake


	In contrast to the many natural beauties of Granada, there are still many remnants to be seen of the U.S. invasion to remove the dictator and aid in setting up a stable government. The old airfield where the American forces landed is strewn with broken and rotting airplanes and equipment. Never rebuilt, the ‘castle’ which was the insurgent stronghold, still stands in the harbor.




		Annandale Falls


	Abandoned derelict Russian planes

		2018


	The old fort still sits on the hill overlooking the harbor




	The courtyard where the political murders and assasinations took place still have bullet holes from the executions. The fort is now used as a training facility for the island police.


		Cannons and mortars protected the harbor from raiders.




	Looking down the beach at the Raddisson. All beaches here are public so you can walk it in entirety from any hotel.

The Raddisson was nicely appointed with clean well maintained rooms and a very pleasant staff eager to please, and there’s a well equipped dive shop on the hotel grounds right at the beachj. The on property restaurants and bars put out excellent food and drinks. However, don’t spend your time just there. There are many excellent restaurants to visit - far more than could be visited in one week. Two quite above average are The Sail and The Aquarium. While The Sail has excellent seafood (see lobster below) , The Aquarium would be worth the visit if just for it’s uniqueness. It is cut into a hillside with a rock wall and waterfall in the main dining area. However, be sure to try many of the local fare diners and restaurants for lunch if your dive schedule permits. If not, then lunches at the Raddisson bar won’t disappoint.




		Radisson main pool



	Radisson bar pool



The Sail restaurant and their lobster dinner. If you look closely you can see there are two large tails stacked under the shell. I ended up having to share since it was more than I could eat.

View from a beachside room.

Native Spirit dive shop owned and operated by Adrian and Rahel Blackman

The Aquarium for dinner and Grillmaster for lunch

Veronica Shakem Moliniere Glover’s Reef Flamingo Bay MV HEMA

Black Forest Windmill Shallows Bianca C Nutmeg Plant Rum Factory