St. George's Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

St George's is the capital and largest town of Grenada in the Caribbean. It's within St George parish, which in 2019 had a population of 35,559, but that includes the tourist strip of Grand Anse, separately described.

The volcano that created Grenada had a side crater that eventually sank and flooded, to create a natural harbour. This was on the west coast sheltered from the Atlantic and fierce trade winds, so it was the obvious place for a port and settlement. The first European settlers were French, who called the place Fort Royal, and realised that in hurricane season it could shelter their vessels from other islands less well-endowed. The British captured it in 1762, but didn't make too good a job of fortifying it against counter-attack. Back came the French who built a series of forts, only to see the island re-awarded to Britain in 1783. And so the principal bastion was re-named Fort George, commanding the Carenage, the natural harbour.

St George's remained at the centre of island life through the plantation years and slavery, then through emancipation, the late colonial era and independence. The harbour is still busy with cruise liners, but since the 1980s the main tourist destination and investment focus has been Grand Anse just south, while town has become run-down. Grenada seldom suffers hurricanes but was struck in 2004 and 2005, and reconstruction was hampered by several global financial slumps, the latest being Covid from 2020 through 2022. Your tourist spend however modest will be appreciated.

12°3′0″N 61°44′24″W

Map of St. George's

12.004-61.7861 Maurice Bishop International Airport is on the peninsula 8 miles southwest, see Grenada (island)#Get in for facilities and flight connections.

Cruise ships often call at Grenada but there are no international ferries. The cruiser terminal is just north of Fort George.

12.0504-61.74962 Osprey Ferry Terminal east of the harbour has a ferry from the smaller Grenada islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, likewise see Grenada (island)#Get in.

St George's is the hub of all island transport, with a fleet of minibuses and taxis converging. Transport is especially good along the crowded southwest corridor from the airport and Grand Anse.

12.0539-61.75493 Town Bus Terminal is on the shore 200 yards north of the cruiser terminal. A scrummage of taxi drivers wait along this strip.

Walk, the town is compact though some streets are steep.

The Discovery Train pootles round town every hour or so, buy tickets in the Esplanade Mall by the cruiser terminal. These include entry to the museum and Fort George, not that big a saving since in 2023 both remain closed. But it saves your legs on the steep streets, and is a safe experience for less adventurous tourists in dread of robbery or cannibals.

See Grenada (island)#Get around for buses and taxis.

• Carenage is the attractive horseshoe-shaped inlet and traditional harbour. From the heights, effectively you're looking down from the crater rim into what was a lava caldera when this island arose from the sea. "Carenage" means hauling a sailing ship onto its side to scrape the barnacles off its hull and make other repairs. It's unwise to attempt this manoeuvre with a big modern ship and those dock around the corner west, though smaller cruisers and the ferry still dock here.
• Christ of the Abyss (Il Cristo degli Abissi) is a bronze statue midpoint of the Carenage waterfront, presented by the city of Genoa in 1961 in gratitude for rescue efforts during the loss of the liner Bianca C. So this one is on dry land but identical statues are submerged off Portofino in Italy and off Key Largo in Florida. Both are popular diving attractions and Grenada's dive industry could do with a boost; they can't have been tempted?
• Fort George is on the knoll overlooking the Carenage. Part of it is police headquarters, part is the historic 18th century fort. This is tumbledown and neglected, so what should be a prime attraction is a sorry mess. You mostly come for the view. It's accessible daily 7AM-5PM and they might charge $2 to let you in.
• St Andrew's is the Presbyterian church on the lane up to the fort. It was built in 1833, but the hurricane of 2004 wrecked all but the two gable walls and tower, so there's now a modern interior between these late-Georgian "bookends".

• 12.0506-61.75271 Grenada National Museum, Young St, ☏ +1 473 440 3725, [email protected]. This has exhibits of Grenadian history, indigenous pottery finds, a rum still, a former whaling industry and a display of items from the colonial era, including a marble bathtub used by Empress Joséphine. (updated Jan 2023)
• Sendall Tunnel is a 340 foot wormhole beneath the Fort knoll, connecting the Carenage with the historic Church St district. For vehicles it's one-way northbound. If you walk, pick the same side as everyone else (there's no sidewalk) and trust that no large vehicle is going to demonstrate how barnacles were scraped off the hulls of sailing ships. Southbound vehicles use Young St so walk that way if you want to avoid this gloomy, ill-ventilated route.
• St George's Parish Church on Church St is Anglican. It's been restored and is an attractive Victorian structure.
• The Priory on Church St is a charming Greek-Revival-meets-Gingerbread mansion, built in the late 18th century as a Dominican Presbytery. It's now a private residence, no tours, although the fabric is maintained by Grenada National Trust.
• York House on Church St was the Grenada Parliament until wrecked by the hurricane of 2004. They moved into new premises and it's been left derelict.
• Immaculate Conception Cathedral is RC, on Church St facing York House, built in fits and starts in the 19th century. It was rebuilt after the hurricane of 2004 and is fairly simple.
• 12.0469-61.74492 Eric Gairy Botanical Gardens are more like a municipal park garden than a botanic collection. They're open daily 6AM-6PM.

• 12.0482-61.73753 Fort Frederick or "Old Fort" is a scenic bastion on Richmond Hill, started by the French after they captured the island in 1779. The British had prepared against seaborne but not overland assault, so that was a mistake by les rosbifs that France profited from. This was the largest of a series of positions along the heights, and the work was coming along nicely when the 1783 Peace of Paris awarded Grenada back to Britain. The French got Pondicherry in exchange, but their economic defeat set them on the road to revolution. The British completed these fortifications, making Fort George their main redoubt. The area is free to stroll M-F 8AM-6PM.
• Fort Matthew 200 yards north of Fort Frederick was part of the same defences. It's extensive but doesn't command a view and you may find it fenced off. From 1854 it was the island mental hospital, but that moved to Mount Gay in 1987.

Grand Anse 3 miles southwest is also part of St George's Parish but is separately described.

12.0843-61.76334 Moliniere Point is a headland on the west coast. You mostly come for the underwater sculpture park, a somewhat spooky ring of 26 children holding hands. They stand in 5-8 m depth so they're well within snorkel range or a novice scuba dive.

12.0875-61.71715 Annandale Waterfall, Constantine Rd, Willis, ☏ +1 473 421 4320. Daily 8AM-7PM. 10 m falls in a forest park, pleasant enough when it's quiet, but it's on the cruise excursion circuit and gets mobbed. Adult EC$ 5. (updated Jan 2023)

12.0965-61.69556 Grand Etang. is a crater lake in the volcano that formed the island and last erupted 12,000 years ago. The area is a national park: you pay at the kiosk and view the small display in the visitor centre, then drive down to the lake. The Mona monkeys along this lane will usually show up to be fed. Forest trails lead through the dank vegetation and wildflowers. The lake has been stocked with non-native koi and carp. Mount Qua Qua can be ascended from the visitor centre, allow 3 hours there and back. The park is just across the boundary east into St Andrew's but usually accessed from St George's on the road to Grenville. (updated Jan 2023)

Seven Sisters. are a group of falls another mile or so east towards Grenville. It's a steep muddy trail down into the valley to access them, wear stout boots (updated Jan 2023)

12.1178-61.71887 Concord Falls, ☏ +1 473 414 6491. are just across the northern boundary into St John's. The bitumen road from Concord village on the coast is narrow but suitable for 2WD all the way up. The falls are picturesque, but locals jumping off the cliff into the pool aggressively demand tips for doing so (sure, if they jump only for you, then you need to pay for them). Au Coin Falls and Fontainebleau Falls are 20 min further upstream along the creek on an easy trail. These are free, and you don't need a guide to have a swim there. (updated Jun 2024)

De La Grenade Nutmeg Garden in St Paul 3 miles east of town is a tourist-trap shop and not much garden. Continue east a mile for the better Laura Herb and Spice Garden, described as part of Grand Anse though it's across the boundary into St David.

• Scuba diving: the dive operators all work out of Grand Anse though their boats are based in the marina here.
• Cricket: 12.0589-61.75211 National Stadium is half a mile north of the bus terminal, hosting the national and the combined West Indies cricket teams, and other major sports events. It was rebuilt in 2007 after the hurricane. The domestic cricket season is the drier months of Nov-May.
• Kirani James Stadium next to the cricket ground hosts football and athletics. The men's national soccer team play here in CONCACAF, the North American tournament. Formerly known as Police Ground, the 8000-capacity stadium was renamed in 2017 to honour the Grenada sprinter Kirani James (b 1992).
• Rugby 7s - the fast and furious cut-down version of rugby union - is played at a tournament in these two stadiums in early December.
• Independence Day on 7 Feb is an island-wide holiday, with bunting and flags adorning the streets in the run-up, and obviously the capital has most by way of parades and general whoop-di-whoop. When 7 Feb falls on a weekend (which next occurs in 2026 and 2027) the holiday does not normally transfer to Monday. However 2024 will mark fifty years since independence, so the labour unions will be missing a trick if they don't extend the holiday. As Independence Day is close to Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (the day before the start of Lent, which varies with Easter), it subsumes Mardi Gras, which is not a big thing on Grenada.
• Spicemas is now the name of Grenada Carnival, held over two weeks in August with the big parades on the last two days. Wear your oldest clothes for these, as they're more akin to oil-wrestling than parades: tar-daubed jab-jabbers embrace as many bystanders as they can catch. The next is 1-15 Aug 2023.

Never buy foodstuffs to take home without checking your country's import regulations - many items are prohibited. Spices may be permitted, but anything that might be used to mask the smell of ganja will attract friendly tail-wagging dogs in Baggage Reclaim, with a Customs officer on the other end of their leash.

• Supermarkets are by the bus station. The biggest are Supersavers and Foodland, both open M-Sa.
• Esplanade Mall along with Bruce St Mall is the tourist-trap by the cruise liner terminal, open daily 9AM-7PM. If you've got EC $ that you want to use up before leaving, they're happy to help with that.

• Sails, The Carenage (waterfront below Fort), ☏ +1 473 440 9747. M-F 10AM-10PM, Sa noon-10PM. Pleasant seafood with inner harbour views. (updated Jan 2023)
• 12.0422-61.751 Patrick's Restaurant, Lagoon Rd, ☏ +1 473 440 0364. M-Sa 7AM-10PM. Great home-style fare in relaxed surroundings. Vegan friendly. (updated Jan 2023)
• Victory is on the wharf 200 m north of Patrick's. Nice views of the marina, pity about the food.
• 12.0544-61.75022 360 Degrees, Old Fort Rd, ☏ +1 473 458 3600. M-F 8AM-10PM, Sa noon-10PM. Relaxed place with good island food. (updated Jan 2023)

• Player's Sports Bar is by the bus terminal, and D Look Out^{[dead link]} is nearby on Halifax St.
• Bryan's on Granby St is open daily 7AM-11PM.
• City Inn on Young St is open daily 8AM-11PM.
• Gold Fish Bar on the Carenage is really a slots arcade.

The town has little accommodation, there's much more on the Grand Anse tourist strip a few miles west. This is in the same parish so it shows as "St George's" on booking sites.

• Denya's City Inn is midway between the bus terminal and the cruiser dock. As of Jan 2023 the restaurant has re-opened but not the accommodation.
• Mitchell's on Blaze St remains closed.
• Tropicana Inn on the shore by the Botanic Gardens has re-opened for meals but remains closed for accommodation.
• Honiiwell suites are on Lowther Lane east of the Botanic Gardens.
• Springle's Quiet Place a mile inland off Back St has poor reviews.

As of Jan 2023, St George's town and parish have 4G from Flow and Digicel. 5G has not rolled out in Grenada.

• Grand Anse southwest has the best beaches and water sports.
• The rest of Grenada island is served by minibuses radiating from St George's.
• Ferries from St George's ply to the other islands. You can visit Carriacou as a day-trip.