Welcome to Grenada, my 145th Visit and 140th Run UN Country out of a UN total of 193. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
It was back to Hell today from the Heaven of yesterday. Off the ship first again at 715am but the last to leave the Cruise Port to run then see the island. Why ? Because another hire car company decided not to turn up with our car. We even received an email confirming a rep would meet us in the arrival hall and shuttle us to the office some 3lm away between 830am and 9am. 9am came and went. No rep.10am – no rep, so I started ringing around to other rental companies and after 6 calls of no availability we found someone who could be there 1030am with a car. We took it. They turned up on time and at 1045am we were parked outside the town’s main supermarket and ready to run – our latest to date. The run was my third in a row and my groin was OK but the humidity at that time stifling. At 1145am we were finally on our way to our first attraction. The latest to date. To add insult to injury, it was raining when we disembarked and kept raining on and off but lucky for us did not rain when we ran.
Annandale Waterfall was short but very powerful – lots of muddy water. The drive inland was lush, super-green and fall of untamed rainforest – just like Saint Lucia and Dominica – they are literally above Grenada so the similar geography makes sense. There is not much flat land to build on so most of the population lives on the coast and hugs the sides of mountains inland. Roads are generally bad and narrow but the people’s homes are colourful and very cottage-like. The capital is crowded and unkept but colourful and full of character from street vendors and the smell of spice in the air. Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia but they also grow a myriad of others spices earning them the name of “The Spice Island”.
After the waterfall we proceeded to a very strange lake called Grand Etang Crater Lake which is actually an ancient volcanic crater filled with water. Why is this so strange you ask ? Good question ! Because scientific instruments have been unable to consistently agree on the depth of the lake earning the nickname “The Bottomless Lake” – sounds a bit like our capacity of wine drinking !!!
Thanks to the arsehole care rental company and inclement weather we were unable to see the six other attractions we had planned due to us losing 3 of thee 8 hours we had on the island. This was a major piss-off but we made the best of it that we could. The interviews still happened and the drone still went up at Grand Roy Bay. We desperately wanted to squeezer in the best beach but it was simply too far to get to the ship on time and that would have been a major F-Up !!!
Despite all of this, Grenada offer many attractions worth seeing and rates highly with us. Despite our shortened visit we managed to extract a reasonable depth of images that we are sure you will enjoy...
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GRENADA IN A NUTSHELL:
• GDP (2024): $USD1.39 billion.
• GDP Growth Rate (2025): 3.3%.
• GDP per Capita (2024): $USD12,067.
• Inflation (CPI-2025): 1.5%.
• Tourism, nutmeg, mace, and cocoa.
• Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), pegged at 2.70 XCD per 1 USD.
• Population (2024): 126,183.
• Median Age: 31.6 years.
• Life Expectancy: 72.4 for men & 78.4 for women.
• Ethnic Groups: 82.4% African descent, 13.3% Mixed, 2.2% East Indian.
• Poverty Rate: 25% of the population lives below the poverty line.
• 74% of the population used the internet as of 2023–2024.
• Unemployment Rate: 5.97% for males & 18.09% for females.
• Youth Unemployment: 24.25%.
• Total Area: 344 sq km (133 sq miles).
• Forest Cover: Approximately 52% of the land area.
BRIEF HISTORY OF GRENADA:
• Indigenous Settlement: The island was first inhabited by the Arawaks and later the Caribs, who called it Camajuya.
• Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498.
• Indigenous Caribs successfully resisted European colonization attempts for over a century.
• French Rule (1649–1762): The French established a permanent settlement in 1649, eventually subjugating the Caribs. They introduced sugar plantations and imported enslaved Africans.
• Britain captured the island in 1762 during the Seven Years' War and officially gained control via the 1763 Treaty of Paris.
• Slavery was abolished in 1834. Nutmeg was introduced in 1843.
• Grenada became a Crown colony in 1877, joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962), and achieved internal self-government in 1967.
• Grenada gained full independence from Britain on 7 February 1974, with Eric Gairy as the first Prime Minister.
• Revolution (1979): The Marxist New Jewel Movement, led by Maurice Bishop, overthrew Gairy in a bloodless coup, establishing the People's Revolutionary Government and strengthening ties with Cuba and the Soviet Union.
• Internal Crisis & US Invasion (1983): Following a hardline military coup and Bishop's execution, the United States led an invasion (Operation Urgent Fury) to restore order and evacuate American medical students.
• Restoration of Democracy: Democratic elections were reinstated in 1984. Since then, the country has remained a stable parliamentary democracy.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GRENADA:
1. World’s First Underwater Sculpture Park with over 100 sculptures that serve as artificial reefs to support marine life.
2. The world’s second-largest producer of nutmeg, following Indonesia.
3. The "Bottomless" Lake is a natural crater lake formed in the heart of a dormant volcano. Some sonar tests have reportedly failed to find a definitive floor.
4. Grenada is one of 21 countries in the world that does not maintain a standing military.
5. The Grenada Dove is endemic to the island and is one of the rarest birds on Earth – only 100 left.
6. Largest Shipwreck in the Caribbean: a 600-foot Italian luxury liner that sank in 1961, known as the "Titanic of the Caribbean" 160ft down.
7. The National Dish is "Oil Down": a one-pot stew of salted meat, chicken, dumplings, and breadfruit, all steamed in coconut milk.
8. The River Antoine Estate Rum Distillery has been in operation since 1785.
9. Levera National Park is one of the most significant nesting grounds in the region for the leatherback turtle, the world’s largest living reptile.
10. The northern town of Sauteurs is home to "Leapers Hill," a 100-foot cliff where the indigenous Carib people famously leapt to their deaths in 1651 rather than surrender to French colonizers.
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