History, mysteries, celebrations and the like: Grenada’s diverse heritage makes it the ideal all season vacation for Caribbean Aficionados

September, 2009. (St. George’s, Grenada, WI)-Canadians have a reputation for being all season adventurous travelers. They expect to absorb a lot of history and culture from their host country. Grenada’s long, storied history and unique culture help make the island the perfect ‘inclusive’ vacation for Canadian history buffs and Caribbean culture aficionados.

Grenada’s history in the eyes of the west began in 1498 when Christopher Columbus sailed by the island on his third voyage to the New World. Named the island of Conception by Columbus, Grenada finally made it onto the map.

The indigenous people of the island, the Caribs, were left alone on Conception until 1609 when the British tried to establish a colony. Unfortunately for the British, the Caribs scared the British off. It was not until 1650 that the French came ashore and attempted to take control.

The French finally subdued the Caribs in 1651 when, rather than submitting to the questionable benefits of colonization, the remaining Caribs threw themselves off La Morne de Sauteur (Leaper’s Hill) onto the rocks below.
Grenada went back and forth between the British and the French for over a century until the Treaty of Versailles ceded Grenada to the British. Grenada has been an independent country since 1974 and is a democracy based on the British parliamentary system. Although Grenada is English-speaking, the French heritage is evident in the surnames of many islanders and in the local French-Patois spoken by many.

Visitors can trace the colonial history of Grenada through the series of forts across the island. Perhaps the most famous are the four ‘back-to-front’ forts (Forts Frederick, Adolphus, Lucas and Mathew) begun by the French in the 1770s and completed by the British in 1791. The forts, strategically located on the hills and facing the horseshoe harbour actually have their cannons trained not to the sea but instead face inland protecting Grenada from an internal rather than external foe. Strange indeed!
As an alternate and a less strenuous activity, visitors can take a trip to Carib’s Leap or Leaper’s Hill, the place where the Carib’s ended their rule of the island. Located directly north of the town of Sauteurs, the Hill is a steep cliff face that descends vertically for more than 100 feet, that has a visitors viewing area.

Grenada’s history is deeply connected to its spices. Known as the ‘Spice of the Caribbean,’ Grenada’s abundant nutmeg, turmeric, vanilla bean, cocoa, allspice, clove, and cinnamon crops are the reason the island was so sought after as a colony in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Nutmeg Processing Station in Gouyave, which is about 40 minutes from St. George’s, offers a tour, a brief history of the nutmeg industry, and gives a clearer picture of the many uses for Grenada’s number one export spice. Chocoholics beware! Grenville’s cocoa co-op details the process from pod to product with a few free samples thrown in for good measure. Plus, Belmont Estate is a welcome chocolate retail therapeutic excursion.

Grenada’s distinct culture is celebrated with a number of festivals during the year. Starting in January, as a kick off for the high season, Grenada hosts the Annual Bill Fish Tournament that gives anglers the opportunity to catch a piece of the action in some of the Caribbean’s best game fish waters.

Then in February, Independence Day celebrates when Grenada became an independent country.

June comes along with the legendary Fisherman’s Birthday Celebration held in the historic town of Gouyave. The event begins with Church services and the blessing of boats and nets, followed by boat races, fishing displays and late evening parties.

Sailing festivals and regattas that run from January through to July recall Grenada’s seafaring roots. Sailing regattas and festivals consist of competitive races, junior races, Sunfish races, a small boat regatta and other challenging big yacht events for sailing enthusiasts from around the world.

Grenada’s Carnival, “Spice Mas” is a tribute to the fusion of island French and African heritages. Based loosely on the pre-Lenten Carnival celebrated in France, Spice Mas is Carnival with a distinctly Grenadian twist. Beginning the end of July and ending the second week of August, Spice Mas features Calypso music, bright costumes, the Short Knees, and several island traditions. Spice Mas is an amazing celebration of what it means to be Grenadian.
For culture off the beaten path, explore Grenada’s sister islands of Carriacou (KARRy-a-COU) and Petite Martinique for an array of attractions and festivals unique to these islands.

Or, for a change of pace, kick back and relax on one of Grenada’s 40 notable white and black sand beaches. Grenada’s most famous and one of the largest in the Caribbean is the stretch called Grand Anse. This is a perfect place to walk particularly at the end of the day when locals come to have a swim. Grand Anse Beach, a sheltered two-mile stretch of perfect white sand, dotted with sea grape and palm trees, just south of the capital St. George’s, is recognized as being one of the world’s best beaches.

About Grenada Board of Tourism: The Grenada Board of Tourism was formed in 1991 to market and promote Grenada as a preferred Caribbean tourist destination, while also providing technical and managerial support to industry partners. For more information on Grenada contact the Grenada Board of Tourism office in Toronto at 416-595-1339, e-mail at tourism@grenadaconsulate.com or visit www.grenadagrenadines.com

How to Get to Grenada: Grenada can be reached via Air Canada Vacations that operates a direct flight from Toronto to Grenada ( 11 resorts, Sunday departure with easy connections from major Canadian gateways, and bookings for the 2009/10 season available at www.aircanadavacations.com ) from December 20, 2009 to April 2010. AC operates daily flights from Toronto to Barbados ( Saturday & Sunday departure from Montreal) with connections on LIAT to Grenada and Caribbean Airlines operate regularly scheduled flights from Toronto to Barbados and Trinidad with connections on LIAT to Grenada. GG Tours and Titan Tours operate seasonal charter services (www.ggtours.ca and www.titantours.com ). West Jet operates a flight from Toronto to Barbados with connections on LIAT to Grenada from November onwards. American Airlines operates a non-stop flight three times per week from Miami to Grenada from November onwards.

September 9, 2009   Posted in: Caribbean