Gardens of Grenada - Exploring the Spice Islands

Gardens of Grenada - Exploring the Spice islands

According to legend, a Dutch missionary gave nutmeg seeds from the Moluccan islands of Indonesia to a Grenadian sea captain in the late 1700s - nutmeg trees thrived in the volcanic soil and tropical climate, as did cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, lemongrass, turmeric and ginger, earning Grenada its reputation as the Spice Island. The nutmeg is ubiquitous, even featuring on the national flag - as we explore the island and its glorious gardens we walk through spice plantations, watch the processing at a Nutmeg Station, and enjoy rum punches Grenada-style, dusted with freshly grated nutmeg.

We stay in one excellent hotel throughout, mahogany-built villas set on a private bay, visiting the superb private gardens on the island; walking in the tropical rainforests in the National Parks; exploring the Forts, market and museum of the picturesque capital, St. George's; and taking a dolphin watching and snorkelling trip by catamaran. We island hop to the neighbouring island of Carriacou for a walk with marvellous views of the Grenadine island chain; and savour Grenadian cuisine based on fresh seafood and tropical fruit and vegetables with subtly spiced sauces.

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

D included

After meeting in the afternoon at Grenada’s small airport, we have a short drive along the south coast to our hotel, very comfortable and well-equipped villas (mahogany-built) set in tropical gardens (with airconditioning plus fans, as preferred) and individual wooden verandahs facing the sea. We have a Grenadian rum punch at the poolside bar before dinner overlooking the yachts in the private bay.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

We have a leisurely start to the day before beginning our explorations with a guided walking tour of a spice farmer’s co-operative, gaining an excellent introduction to the island’s plants, including learning about the medicinal uses of many of the trees and spices. After an al fresco lunch we return to our hotel for an afternoon relaxing on the private beach or by the pool. We dine this evening on board a restored Swedish lightship, an unusual and very picturesque setting for a renowned gourmet restaurant.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

This morning we are welcomed to the home of one of the island’s best known families and shown round their private garden - set at an airy 1,000 ft with fruit trees, orchids, ferns and bromeliads, the garden also enjoys good views over the south coast. We descend to sea level for lunch and an afternoon relaxing on a private sandy beach with good swimming.

DAY 4

B, L, D included

Two contrasted private gardens draw our attention this morning - one with a special collection of agaves and cacti leading down to the sea and the other set high on a steep hill with many unusual varieties of hibiscus and orchids. A steel pan band accompanies Sunday lunch on the beach at a lively local restaurant and we have time to swim and walk on the beach before returning to our hotel.

DAY 5

B, L, D included

This morning we travel up the Atlantic coast of the island, pausing for a short walk to the Royal Mount Carmel waterfalls, the tallest on Grenada, where we admire the plants supported by the spray. We visit the Nutmeg Station in Grenville where a major portion of the world’s supply of nutmeg and mace is traditionally processed by hand, then have a simple picnic and a walk through the beautiful heliconia plantations of the Balthazar estate, source of Grenada’s award-winning displays at the Chelsea Flower Show. High in the mountains of the island’s interior we see the Grand Etang lake, an extinct volcanic crater, and follow a short trail through dense rainforest, with many tropical ferns and orchids - broad-winged hawks are common and with luck we may encounter African Mona monkeys.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

We begin the day with a visit to a private garden, famed for its orchid, cycad and palm collections, then explore the 18C Fort which protects St. George’s harbour and the Pre-Columbian collections of the National Museum. Lunch overlooking the Carenage is a gastronomic delight with dishes such as crabback baked with brandy and nutmeg and flying fish in a saffron and coconut sauce. A large, stable catamaran takes us on a dolphin watching trip along the coast, hoping to see spotted and spinner dolphins, and with the option of snorkelling or swimming in a marine reserve.

DAY 7

B, L, D included

Today we drive to the north of the island to walk along the magnificent beach and look for herons, stilts and waders by the mangrove lake of the Levera National Park. We visit the River Antoine Rum Distillery, still powered by its 1785 waterwheel, and can taste their startling rums before a traditional West Indian buffet lunch. On a tour of the 18C Belmont Estate, originally planted for sugarcane but now devoted to cocoa and nutmeg, we follow the old-fashioned processing of the cocoa beans and can purchase the organic chocolate bars of the Grenada Chocolate Company before walking round the estate gardens.

DAY 8

B, L, D included

We visit one of Grenada’s most celebrated private gardens (owned by a particularly charming family) where century-old mahogany trees shade hibiscus hybrids and bromeliads and Cuban Royal palms grace the lawns, before lunch by a pink sand beach with good snorkelling on the coral reef offshore. This evening we sample a traditional ‘oil down’ for dinner, the Grenadian national dish with pork, sweet potatoes, plantains, spices, breadfruit and coconut cooked together on an open fire.

DAY 9

B, L, D included

We island-hop by ferry to Grenada’s small sister island of Carriacou, looking out for flying fish, brown pelicans and rare red-footed boobies en route. Landing at the ramshackle jetty in Hillsborough, we drive across to the fishing village of Windward to commence our walk on a track round the top of the island - the views of Petite Martinique, Union island and the Grenadines stretching north are superb. After a grilled fish lunch we relax on the aptly named Paradise beach before returning to Grenada on the late afternoon ferry.

DAY 10

B, L, D included

This morning we take two contrasted short walks - the first, on a nutmeg shell-covered trail through tropical forest, leads up to a lookout platform with long views - the second is through spice, banana and citrus trees planted alongside a small river. We have lunch and then explore another delightful private garden, set amongst the ruins of a sugar mill, boasting over 5,000 varieties of plants and with a particularly engaging owner.

DAY 11

B, L, D included

We follow an old estate road through citrus groves and stands of nutmeg and cinnamon trees into a Forest reserve, with towering mahogany and gommier trees where Antillean crested humming birds are readily seen and Burmese mongoose and 9 banded armadillo may put in an appearance. Crossing little mountain streams, we traverse Blue Mahoe forest and complete our walk (2 hours) descending through a cocoa plantation. We travel by fast speedboat to an offshore island for an informal lunch and time to swim and relax with a book in the shade on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

DAY 12

B, L included

Our final garden is the St. Rose Nursery and Garden, hidden away in the hills, known for its rarities and described by the American Horticultural Society as ‘the most extensive nursery in the Caribbean’. After a visit to the West Indian Cricket Museum and a late lunch we have time for a last leisurely swim before we transfer to the airport for flights home.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 through 12 on a double shared basis

All meals (with wine and Caribbean cold beer at lunches and dinners) as listed in the daily notation

All land transportation in a private vehicle as described except during free periods

Ferry ticket for the return trip to Carriacou

The dolphin watching and snorkelling trip as described, plus boat trip to Hog island

All entrance, sightseeing and guiding fees as described except during free periods

Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff

Visa and Health Requirements

Visitors from the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Grenada. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Grenada.

At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Grenada. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.

Insurance

It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.

If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.