Grenada

The Spice of the Caribbean

The interior of this volcanic island has cascading rivers and waterfalls, lush rain forests, and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful mountain lakes imaginable. The capital, St. George's, is widely held to be the most picturesque city in the Caribbean. Its horseshoe shaped harbour is surrounded by a pastel rainbow of dockside warehouses and the red tiled roofs of traditional shops and homes. Christopher Columbus discovered Grenada in 1498.The island was already inhabited by the Carib Indians. Columbus named the island Concepcion. However,passing Spanish sailors found its lush green hills so evocative of Andalusia that they rejected this name in favor of Granada. The French then called it La Grenade, and the British followed suit, changing Grenade to Grenada (pronounced Gre-nay-da).

Time:
Grenada, Carriacou & Petit Martinique are in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time and four hours behind GMT.

Location:
The three islands of Grenada are located in the Eastern Caribbean at the southern extremity of the Windward islands, only 100 miles north of Venezuala. To the north lie St. Vincent and the Grenadines; to the south Trinidad and Tobago.

Currency:
The East Caribbean dollar is the currency used locally. It is linked to the US dollar.

Electricity:
Voltage is 220 volts - 50 cycles. Appliances rated at 110 volts (US standard) normally work satisfactorily with a transformer. Most hotels have standard British three prong plugs, and provide dual voltage shaver units. Bring an adapter plug for small appliances.

Climate:
Average temperatures range from 24C/75F to 30C/87F, tempered by the steady and cooling trade winds. The lowest temperatures occur between November and February. Because of Grenada's remarkable topography, the island also experiences climate changes according to altitude. The driest season is between January and May. Even during the rainy season, from June to December, it rarely rains for more than an hour at a time and generally not every day.