Glorious Grenada
Sustainability in Grenada
Words by Joanna Booth
Even in a region as lush as the Caribbean, Grenada is extraordinarily fertile. Drop any seed on its rich, volcanic soil and it’ll burst forth with a vengeance – even the notoriously finicky cacao tree thrives here. Surrounded by such natural abundance, it’s easy to look beyond its admittedly beautiful beaches and find diverse ecosystems to enjoy, with hiking in its rainforests, diving in its waters and tasting its flourishing culinary scene of home-grown flavours. Situated outside the hurricane belt, Grenada is a great choice for off-season travel – and avoiding the busiest months is both a sustainable choice, and a pocket-friendly one.
Development has been sensitive here; hotels are in the main relatively small scale and lowrise, and all-inclusive is a less common board basis than in some other Caribbean destinations. The island’s small size means it’s simple to explore beyond the southwest where you’ll find most of the accommodation, spreading your tourist spend more evenly. In addition to the island of Grenada, the country also includes the even more slow-paced and diminutive Carriacou and Petite Martinique, easily accessible by ferry for day trips or overnight stays.
Grenada is a great choice for off-season travel - and avoiding the busiest months is both a sustainable choice and a pocket-friendly one
Immersive adventures
Whether you choose to hike in the island’s wild spaces – such as Grand Etang National Park, where you’ll find the water-filled crater of an extinct volcano and colony of Mona Monkeys – or wander its more cultivated corners, at the burgeoning gardens and plantations that earned it the nickname the Spice Island, you shouldn’t leave Grenada without experiencing its lush, green interior.
Come in the summer months, and the north coast’s Levera National Park hosts nesting leatherback turtles, which you can watch if you book a tour through conservation community tourism group SPECTO.
The waters offshore also teem with life, and with more than 50 dive sites including reefs, wrecks, drifts and the world’s first underwater sculpture park, there’s as much to see beneath the waves as above. The annual Dive and Conservation Festival, which runs in March, includes sustainable activities such as beach cleanups, coral restoration and hunting invasive lionfish.
You can brush up on the island’s history at the Grenada National Museum and experience local culture by heading to the town of Gouvaye for the Fish Friday street party. Time your visit for one of the two annual carnivals – Spicemas in August on Grenada, or Kayak Mas in February on Carriacou – and you’ll see traditions stretching back centuries.
Smarter places to stay
True Blue Bay is a brightly coloured, family-run boutique hotel on the south coast with an on-site dive centre, organic spa and yoga studio, plus strong sustainability credentials. From solar energy and extensive recycling to a bio-gas digester fuelling the bakery, the hotel takes its commitment to the environment seriously, plus it encourages guests to connect with the wider community via events like its Wednesday street food night, where it hosts local vendors on the property.
It’s a Gold Member of Green Globe, a sustainable hotel certification organisation, as are three other properties on the island. Blue Horizons Garden Resort is charming an affordable, with apartment-style rooms set a short walk from the beach; Mount Cinnamon Resort is a stylish hillside hotel with stellar views, and Spice Island Beach Resort is a luxurious all-inclusive with an on-the-sand spot right in the centre of the famous Grand Anse Beach.
Certified divers can help out with the Grand Anse Artificial Reef Project counting species and cleaning up rubbish.
Giving Back
Grenada Tourism Authority launched a voluntourism programme in 2022 that seeks to allow visitors to make a tangible and positive impact on local communities. Whatever your area of interest, from conservation and agriculture to sports and animal rescue, there are options to get involved with.
At Myristic Mountain eco farm you can immerse yourself in the Spice Island’s fecundity, picking fruit, harvesting spices and planting trees, while also spending time with local team members and making genuine connections. If animals are more your thing, the GSPCA clinic and shelter takes in injured or starving strays, cares for them and attempts to rehome them where possible. Volunteers are needed to walk and bath dogs and socialise puppies and kittens.
Certified divers can help out with the Grand Anse Artificial Reef Project, transplanting coral, counting species and cleaning up underwater rubbish, but you don’t need to be Adam Peaty to get involved with the Get Grenada Swimming initiative, which aims to teach 2,000 children and adults to swim each year by offering free lessons. If you’re comfortable in the water you can be trained up in 30 minutes to teach basic skills. Whichever you opt for, you’ll get a deeper connection with this special island.
Good news from Grenada
Four of the world’s seven species of turtle nest on Grenada’s beaches during the summer months; hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead and green.
With seven bean-to-bar producers in a nation of 125,000 people, Grenada has the highest number of chocolate factories per capita of
any country.
Grenada’s National Energy Policy aims to transition from fossil fuels to renewables and has a target to reduce emissions by 40% from 2010 levels by 2030.
Grenada was the first Caribbean country to participate in the global National Ecosystem Assessment initiative, a project with the aim of linking science and policy around the world.
4 Faves in Grenada
Kayak through the Mangroves
Discover the magic of the Woburn Bay mangroves on a guided paddle with sustainability-focused operator Conservation Kayak. Able to absorb more than six times the amount of carbon dioxide of a regular forest, as well as acting as a fish nursery and preventing coastal erosion, these ecosystems are environmentally key. Local guides will point out wildlife including ospreys, iguanas, turtles and water snakes, and longer adventures include a picnic on a secluded beach. Trips cater for novices up to experts.
Swim in a waterfall
Grenada’s lush interior is littered with tumbling cataracts, and plunging into their pools is the perfect way to cool down after a hike. Annandale Falls in the most well-known, but spread the love and do your bit to combat over-tourism by choosing a more off-the-beaten-track option. Royal Mount Carmel Falls is twice as high and half as visited, and the small charge for access goes to maintaining the site. The three-part Concord Falls is yet more remote, so book a guided hike and learn about local flora along the way.
Sail on a traditional sloop
The tri-islands (Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique) have been the epicentre of Caribbean shipbuilding since the 19th century. Learn more and help to keep this historic skill alive by taking a cruise with Savvy Sailing. Its traditional 43ft wooden sloop, Savvy, was handcrafted on Petite Martinique and the crew are all fishermen and boat builders from the local community. Choose from half or full-day trips with snorkelling and visits to Carriacou and the Tobago Cays, or opt for a simple sunset sail with snacks and rum punch included.
Visit an Organic Chocolate Plantation
Spend a delicious day at Belmont Estate, an organic farm with its own treeto-bar chocolate, goat dairy and restaurant serving local dishes made with home-grown produce. Dating back to the 17th century, this former plantation is now run by local owners committed to transforming its oppressive past into a positive future, supporting communities and preserving the environment. A range of tours are on offer, from a general overview to deeper experiences focusing on chocolate making and regenerative farming.
Where to stay in Grenada
True Blue Bay Boutique Resort
True Blue Bay is a family-owned and operated, climate-smart boutique hotel, located on the south coast of Grenada. Created and designed by the Fielden Family, it offers a Caribbean-chic ambience and a colourful and relaxed tropical atmosphere. The Fielden Family are big environmentalists in Grenada. Russ Fielden, along with his daughter Renatta, who studied environmental policy at the London School of
Economics and was part of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network were the main drivers to getting Styrofoam banned on the island. The resort is also a Green Globe Gold Member and is committed to working towards becoming platinum members by improving green efforts.
Mount Cinnamon
Mount Cinnamon is a boutique hotel of 22 suites and villas located on the renowned Grande Anse Beach of Grenada, with one pool, two restaurants and bars, and an exclusive Beach Club that offers non-motorised water sports. Mount Cinnamon has implemented a Sustainability Management Plan and strives to meet the requirements of the Green Globe Company Standard. Its appointed environmental officer is responsible for ensuring
ongoing environmental performance, identifying environmental risks, recording and monitoring impacts, and implementing environmental and social sustainability measures. Special consideration is given to employing and empowering local employees, and wherever possible, environmentally sustainable products and services are sourced locally.
Calabash Hotel
Nestled where the Caribbean Sea’s crystal waters meet the fresh Grenada saltwater breeze at the southern tip of the island, at Calabash Grenada, an award-winning Relais & Châteaux luxury boutique hotel, you’ll find yourself surrounded by gracious island hospitality. Sustainability is embedded in Calabash’s DNA and is a lifetime commitment. The management team is committed to pushing the
envelope with the wider tourism industry on future-focused solutions, and with the local community on island-wide initiatives that generate a lasting positive impact – from water conservation to producing their own energy, sourcing local ingredients to consciously reducing waste.
Spice island beach resort
Set on the white sands of Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, this ultra-luxury, AAA Five Diamond, all-inclusive resort is owned and operated by the Hopkin family. Experience a mix of expansive private suites on the beach, where guests can step from their terraces right on to their private patios, and private ‘villa-styled’ pool suites set in the gardens. Spice Island Beach Resort is known for its sustainable and wellness practices, including everything from non-chlorinated pools, organic gardens, and locally sourced food choices to solar heating panels and solar outdoor lighting.
Want to find out more?
Read more from the Sustainable Caribbean supplement of Charitable Traveller, find out more about the island’s sustainability practices, or head to the Grenada page to find out more.
by net effect