Grenada Holidays 2012

One of the most popular local occasions in Grenada, and one of the biggest, in the Caribbean is the carnival. Many people come to Grenada from all over for it's famous carnival because of the colorful parades, the steel drum contests, and the rest of the activities that take place during the festival.

While in Grenada you have to make your way to at least one of the beaches along either the Atlantic or Caribbean coast, such as the Grand Anse Beach. Seven Sisters Falls is always worth a visit.

Things to Do

While the beaches are one of the most popular things places to visit on your island vacation, each beach is going to offer you something different.

The Grand Anse Beach is a very popular beach and is well known because of its white sand, but La Sagesse Beach offers some great swimming because of the sheltered bay. The only way to find out what beach is right for you is to sample them all out until you find the perfect one.

Grand Etang National Park is a great place to visit because you will get a close look at the rainforest. You can also hike to several different waterfalls in the park, including Seven Sisters Falls.

Just outside of St. George is Bay gardens if you prefer sticking closer to the city. To learn about the history and culture of Grenada a tour of the Dougaldston Spice Plantation or even a hike to Fedon’s Camp will give you more information that you bargained for.

Local Cuisine

Grenada is often referred to as the Isle of spice because it provides a large portion of various spices to the entire world. Even though the cooking style in Grenada is a West Indian style the main ingredients are items that you will find locally on the island, including the fruit form the various spice trees.

The most popular dishes are the fresh seafood and soups, but everything you find simply tastes amazing. Callaloo soup, which combines a spinach type leaf with crabmeat, peppers, and okra, is considered one of the staple items of the island.

Something else to try is oildown, which is a slated meat, dumplings, vegetables, and coconut milk. If you are more adventurous pickled pig or even manicou (possum) come highly recommended.

Wildlife

With all of the different ecosystems found on this island it is no surprise that the island is overflowing with a variety of wildlife. To help protect the wildlife National Parks and Reserves have been created, which these are the best spots to go see what the island has to offer in terms of wildlife.

Levera National Park is where the leatherback turtles come every spring to lay their eggs at night, which turtle watching tours can be arranged during this time. The coral reefs are swarming with tropical fish and the Mangrove Estuary is the place to go for bird watching.

Best Time to Visit

The average temperature in Grenada is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it an island paradise. When planning your trip to Grenada in terms of weather you need to focus on the rainy season.

During the rainy season, which runs from June to November, each month has about 22 days of heavy rainfall. Between November and May is the dry season, but it is also the tourist season, so be prepared to deal with crowds. The crowds actually increase during certain festivals, such as the annual drum festival in Tivoli.

During the second week of August is Carnival, which really brings in the crowds despite it being the rainy season.