Grenada Guide

The recorded history of Grenada begins in 1498. The Spaniards did not permanently settle in Camerhogue. Later the English failed their first settlement attempts, but the French fought and conquered Grenada from the Caribs circa 1650. The French conquest resulted in the genocide of 17th century Caribs from present-day Grenada. Warfare also existed between the Caribs of present day Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the French invaders. The French took control of Camerhogue and named the new French colony La Grenade. La Grenade prospered as a wealthy French colony; its main export was sugar. The French established a capital known as Fort Royal in 1650 as ordered by Cardinal Richelieu. To wait out harsh hurricanes, the French navy would shelter in the capital’s natural harbour. No other French colony had a natural harbour to even compare with that of Fort Royal (later renamed St. George’s). The colony was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris. A century later, in 1877 Grenada was made a Crown Colony.

With its warm weather, there really isn’t a bad time to visit Grenada - temperatures average 29°C (84°F). The rainy season is June to November. Even in the driest months it rains a fair amount, though not every day. The second weekend in August is Carnival, the island’s biggest and busiest event, so reserve accommodation in advance if you want to enjoy the festivities. Winter is prime fishing season and, accordingly, the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, which draws anglers from around North America and the Caribbean, is held annually in January.

St. George’s, population 7,500 (1999), with an agglomeration of 33,000 people is the capital of Grenada, British West Indies. Following the withdrawal of Bridgetown, Barbados in the mid 1880’s St. George’s, went on to become the replacement capital of the former colony of the British Windward Islands. The city is surrounded by a hillside of an old volcano crater and is on a hoseshoe-shaped harbour. The city is home of St. George’s University School of Medicine. The main exports are cacao, nutmeg, and mace.

In 2004 St. George’s and the rest of Grenada were severely battered by Hurricane Ivan. The hurricane left significant destruction across the island and crippled much of the island’s infrastructure. It was estimated that some 90% of the islands homes had sustained damage and the nutmeg trees which are key to Grenada’s economy were devastated. A year later with the help of International donors in (Canada, the United States, and the European Union) Grenada had experienced a significant turn around in rebuilding efforts. By 2007 Grenada had as planned participated in the hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Grenada (pronounced /grɪˈneɪdə/) is an island nation in the southeastern Caribbean Sea including the southern Grenadines. Grenada is located north of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, and south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada Dove.

Popularly known as ‘The Spice Isle’ because of an abundance of locally grown spices and a culture of music, dance and food built into the image of ’spice of life’, Grenada is also a well-known tourist destination.