When we arrived at Grenada, we had spent 22 out of 28 days at sea. So, we decided to make St George’s our home for the next 10 days. We wanted to catch our breath and start to explore Grenada.
Port Louis Marina, around the bay from the town of St George’s, offered us (and the other ARC+ boats) a safe and comfortable berth for our stay. It is a vibrant marina with excellent facilities and only a short walk from the town itself.
Many ARC+ boats had arrived before us, so our first few days ashore gave us time to catch up and share stories of our crossing experiences. Other boats arrived over the next few days and all were warmly welcomed to the marina.
In fact, the initial few days saw all kinds of ‘welcome celebrations’, mainly involving eating and drinking at local restaurants/bars. But, by far the best was the Port Louis Marina Manager’s Welcome. The drinks flowed, the food was superb and there was singing and dancing to live music late into the evening (curfew had just been lifted!). Everyone was together to celebrate their Atlantic crossing achievement.
Another excellent evening was had at the wonderful Aquarium Restaurant which hosted the ARC+ awards night. Set on a long, secluded beach, with the steel band playing and the cocktails flowing, it was our first taste of Grenada’s nightlife.
It was a brilliant night of celebrations with many prizes being awarded: first, second and third in each category, the furthest distance travelled, the first over the line…the list goes on. Then there was recognition for other achievements: children of the fleet, best photos, best blog. We even managed to win a couple – one went to all of the boats who had sailed the Atlantic double handed boats and another for the SSB net controllers.
However, the best award of the night went to the crew of Coco. They had rescued a person whose boat had been demasted. He had been alone for three days before Coco spotted him and towed his boat the 150nm to Grenada. A difficult feat, especially as there were swells of over 2m. The crew of Coco were truly deserving of ‘Spirit of the Rally’ award.
Once the prize giving was over, the ARC+ boats began to leave, each one having their own itenary and we set about exploring.
St George’s is a large town on the south west coast of Grenada. It is a busy port with picturesque pastel houses set around the sweeping harbour and fishing quay. It has a bustling vibe to it and is a great place to explore on foot. Several times we walked from the marina around to the town, sampling the delights of local food shacks like The Soup Master (freshly made callaloo soup daily) and D Joint Bar (for a late night chicken curry roti) and, not forgetting Patrick’s simple homestyle cooking with an amazing Caribbean tapas.
To discover further afield, we joined one of the tours organised by Pure Grenada. The one we chose went to the Seven Sisters waterfall – one of the many to visit in Grenada. It was our first trip into the surrounding countryside and we were fortunate enough to go on a slightly different bus which definitely had good air conditioning! We headed inland and experienced breathtaking views of the lush green interior. We were guided through the rainforest to a double waterfall cascading into a perfect swimming pool. What a day!
When we visit new places, we love to be part of the local community. Joining a Hash was a brilliant way to do this. The Grenada Hash House Harriers organise a weekly event where people from all over the island meet to run (or walk) around the countryside following a prelaid paper trail. There were several boats from ARC+ interested, so one sunny Saturday afternoon we set off on a local mini bus to the other end of the island. We arrived in a large field full of Hashers ready to go.
Off we went and spent the next two hours walking along almost hidden trails through the woods and also across a river. We even spotted the local car washing business! What better way to discover Grenada?
Arriving back, the afternoon was finished with a cold beer and BBQ chicken.
We have never visited Grenada before and had no real ideas what to expect. Our first impressions were that it was going to be an amazing place.
We LOVE it!!
Loved reading this post. The pictures look amazing. Keep them coming.
Hi,
Happy New Year! Hope all is well with you and the family.
So pleased that you enjoyed the post. We spent a month in Grenada, so there is more to come.
Currently in the Grenadines, visiting lots of little islands!
How are your plans going? Did you have some great trips in 2021?
xx
Sounds like you’re having a great time. Is Grenada any good for diving?
Hi,
We are!! Spent a month in Grenada and are now island hopping in the Grenadines.
We did two dives in Grenada, just outside St Georges. One was a reef dive and the other a wreck. The visibility was pretty good and plenty to see. There are other sites too and I reckon there would be plenty around Carriacou, especially in the Marine Parks.
We found an excellent set of e books which give you lots of information about dives all over the Caribbean. The Complete Diving Guide by Colleen Ryan and Brian Savage. There are several volumes, each covering several different islands. We have only just found them, so dont have the Grenada one yet, but Volume 2 is excellent.
Hope all is well with you all.
xx
Looks fabulous. I like the activities you joined in on. Good to have a break from the boat and stretch your legs. 😁
Hi,
We are trying to keep busy on land and sea. Some walking and plenty of swimming and snorkelling. We are also trying to go to ‘local’ places rather than be too touristy. All helps with our understanding of where we are.
Hope 2022 has started well and you have adventures planned.
xx
Can see why you love it – what a reward for all the hard work, risk, expense, planning of the past couple of years. Hopefully more amazing places lie ahead too.
Hi Rik,
Good to hear from you. I hope that 2022 has started well for you.
We are are certainly enjoying our new life. The hardest thing is deciding where to go next!! We try not to rush from one place to another, but instead stay a little longer to discover what lies behind the main street.
We are currently travelling through the Grenadines, which is different again to Grenada.
Take care
Lovely photos looks an amazing place, doing jury service at the moment, very interesting case but would have to kill you if I told you what the case is, plenty to talk about when we next touch base, enjoy yourselves you’ve earned it xxx
Hi,
Thanks. Everywhere we go seems to be amazing…. so much to see! We are currently travelling up through the Grenadines, visiting some of the smaller islands, doing lots of snorkelling and eating local lobster! It’s a hard life.
Sounds like you are busy as the moment. Hope all goes well.
Speak soon
xx
Really enjoyed reading these blogs. If you had to choose between Grenada or St Vincent & The Grenadines for a 10 day trip, which would you recommend more so? Would love to do both one day, but can’t do both in one go unfortunately. Love nice beaches, but being able to go out and experience sights and the people of the island too. And good snorkelling is a must right! Thank you