Grenada: Overview
Breathtaking Granada, or Grenada, is one of the famous paradisiacal destinations southeast of the Caribbean Sea. This island, along with the Grenadines -Carriacou and Petite Martinique- is located northeast of Venezuela, north of Trinidad and Tobago and south of San Vicente and the Grenadines. Its exuberant landscapes are full beautiful waterfalls, blinding beaches, turquoise seas and green forests crossed by charming paths. It is the perfect place to spend an incredible vacation or an unforgettable honeymoon, wrapped by fragrant flowers and Central American fruits.
Climate
Due to its geographical location, the climate in Granada is tropical and temperate, with an average temperature of 79 ºF throughout the year. Both Grenadian seasons are defined not so much by thermal variations but for precipitations. The dry season takes place between January and May, when rains are more sporadic and less abundant and northeast trade winds cool the atmosphere. The rainy season goes from June to December when temperatures and humidity level are higher and storms and cloudbursts are more frequent. The coastal area is wet, although not as much as the mountainous interior, which is also cooler. The hurricanes season, devastating in 2004, goes from June to November.
Important information
Entry requirements for Granada are, in most cases, a valid passport, an onward return ticket and the necessary documentation for the next destination. For those who are required a visa the allowed time for a stay is three months. Visas can be extended for the same period in Granada Immigration Offices.
The official currency is the East Caribbean dollar (XCD). ATMs are available in banks 24/7 and the main credit cards are accepted in hotels, stores and car rental companies. Besides this many establishments accept payment in American dollars and give change in local currency. Traveller’s checks are also of extended use, although it is preferable they are in American dollars.
Tipping is an extended habit in Granada and hospitality industry professionals depend on it. Cruises crew is used to receive 10-15% of the total amount and if the service is not included in the bill of a restaurant you should add 10%. Bellboys expect US$1 for bag and taxi drivers, 10-15% of the fare.
Concerning health, some cases of dengue have been reported and it is required that travellers from the age of one present a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Although the medical care is good in Granada, the doctors wait payments cash, without caring if the traveller has medical insurance. Granada doesn't have hyperbaric decompression chambers for divers, the nearest ones are in Barbados and Tobago, 30 minutes away by air ambulance.
Safety conditions in Granada are good and travellers should only worry about small problems like pickpockets or con men, avoid carrying documents or large amount of money, wearing jewellery and wandering in dark or isolated streets.
As for customs, homosexuality is illegal; it is considered offensive to use camouflage clothes and drug related crimes are severely punished.
Where to go
In St. George, capital of the country, you can visit the Bay Gardens, located in the slope of a forest where a sugar mil was, there you can enjoy a landscape of palms, tropical trees, and wild and ornamental plants. You can also go to Grenada National Museum, built in the land an old barrack and prison of 1704, nowadays it has an interesting collection of historic objects and devices of the island.
The places worthwhile visiting in Carriacou, Reefs Land, are the Anglican Parsonage Garden, where you can see an incredible cactus variety and get in touch with the country’s history; Gun Point, located in the north end of the island and named alter the British canyon erected in 1870. You can also visit Carriacou Museum, located in Paterson St. in a former cotton gin mil; the museum houses Amerindian and African devices and objects from the French and British occupations.
Petite Martinique is a long island full of beautiful beaches where you can only arrive by boat and which is an ideal destination for those in seek of some relax, fishing or swimming.
Festivals
These are some of the festivals that stand out in Granada; the Easter annual Regatta-around-the-island which lasts 5 days in April and starts in the South Coast Yatch Club. The Drum Festival in Krumhaville, celebrated 2-4 on May, is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the music, the dance, the arts and the typical cuisine of the country. The second week of August, one week after Emancipation Day, Carnival is celebrated with masquerades and music beginning on Monday dawn; in the afternoon the streets are fill with music bands and the parties that last during night lightened by colourful lights.
