Richmond Hill, Grenada + Add a trip

Automobiles

There are many small rental companies on Grenada. The easiest thing is to have the hotel organise a hire car whenever you want to go exploring; that way it'll be delivered to and picked up from the hotel. If you get lost, stop and ask a local - it's no generalisation to say that everyone here's extremely friendly.

Planes

There are weekly direct flights from London to Point Salines International Airport (11kms away from St George's) with British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Golden Caribbean (www.goldencaribbean.co.uk), XL Airways (www.xl.com) and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com). LIAT (www.liatairline.com) is your best bet if you're island-hopping; it offers daily flights to Grenada from 22 Caribbean destinations. There's a local departure tax of $20.

Trains

Dialing

Grenada country code: +1 473.

Reads

Tide Running or Buxton Spice by Oonya Kempadoo, English-born and Guyana-raised, now resident in Grenada. Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner.

Do go / Don't Go

The average year-round temperature is around 25˚C, so it's lovely all year, with tropical breezes to keep you cool. The rainy season lasts from June to December, but showers are brief and don't fall every day.

Cuisine

There's fresh fish and seafood in abundance, with bananas, mangoes, coconuts and roti filling in the gaps; dishes on this spiciest of islands exhibit a fascinating blend of Creole, Indian and African influence.

Taxis

Ask the hotel to arrange an airport pick-up. The ride to the hotel will give you a feel for how bumpy the roads can be. Brightly coloured water taxis can shuttle you between St George's and Grand Anse Beach for about EC$10 a couple.

Tipping

10 per cent service charge is added to the bill at most restaurants. Further gratuities are at your discretion.

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (EC$); the US dollar (US$) is also accepted in most places.

Packing

Bring your snorkel, but leave your watch at home and go with the flow.

Arts

A tour of the Dougaldston Estate, 10 miles north of Gouyave, where bananas, coconuts and spices are processed, is a suitably aromatic substitute for the usual museum schlep. Another unusual way to learn about Grenada's folklore and history involves snorkelling or diving at the world's first underwater sculpture park - think Anthony Gormley meets Pirates of the Caribbean (www.underwatersculpture.com). Get an insight into rural life at 300-year-old Belmont Estate (www.belmontestate.net), a former sugar mill in St Patrick - it has lovely views and walking trails.

And...

Grenada lies below the hurricane belt and tends to miss out on scary storms, though it was devastated by Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Emily, in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Charity REACH Grenada helps support the local children; you can do good for the local community just by buying cacao. Or even better, volunteer as a cacao farmer for a day? See www.reachgrenada.org for details.

Shopping

We love the nutmeg-inspired prints on the dresses, bags and crafts at Veronica's Visions in St John's (+1 473 437 8154; www.veronicasvision.com). In St George's, browse the Market Square (busiest on a Saturday morning) for local produce and spices, and the Esplanade Mall on Melville Street for local arts and crafts - try Figleaf (+1 473 435 9771). Keep your eyes peeled for delicious organic chocolate bars made by the Grenada Chocolate Company (so good it's stocked by Rococo Chocolates in London); lots of shops in St George's sell it. The islanders' favourite rum is Clarke's Court Rum (which they claim leaves them hangover-free), produced at the Grenada Sugar Factory in St George's (www.clarkescourtrum.com).

Viewpoint

As you drive north through lush rainforest along the road from St George's, stop just before you arrive in St Andrew's, at the peak of the hill, to look back on Grenada's capital harbour city.

Something

Inhale and be hearty: the very air you breathe has aromatherapeutic properties, with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, bay leaves and turmeric lacing the salty tropical breeze. Make time to chat to people - there's no point in rushing about here, and Grenadians are renowned for their fantastic sense of humour.

January Men grapple with huge fish during the Spice Island Billfish Tournament (www.sibtgrenada.com) - 2009 is the 40th anniversary. Heave to for the Grenada Sailing Festival (www.grenadasailingfestival.com) at the end of the month. February Grenada's Independence Day on the seventh is a public holiday celebrated with pomp and parades. Carriacou Carnival kicks off the weekend before Lent - don't miss the Shakespeare Mas, where gaily garbed performers engage in a battle of wits. May The totally banging Drum Festival (www.spiceisle.com/drumkrumah) and totally exhausting International Triathlon (www.grenadatriathlon.com). June Fisherman's Birthday, Gouyave's all-day celebration of patron saint St Peter. August Spice Mas Carnival (www.spicemasgrenada.com): calypso, jump-ups, Devil Mas bands and DJ trucks.