This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of ESSENCE.
Located in the Eastern Caribbean, just 100 miles north of Venezuela, lies a relatively unspoiled paradise: Grenada. The tri-island state (composed of Grenada and sister territories Carriacou and Petite Martinique), which is two times the size of Washington, D.C., has a population of 108,000 and boasts a vibrant culture infused with Amerindian, French, English, African, East Indian, and Caribbean influences.
Grenadian native Yvette Noel-Schure gives us an insider’s guide to some of the local hot spots.
Article continues after video.
01
VISIT: Saint Georges Market
“Grenada has a distinctive scent. If you really want to get a sense of the island, the first place I would send you to is the market in St. George’s, which smells like nowhere else. We’re known as the Spice Isle not because we’re spicy people but because we grow an amazing assortment of spices. We’re such a tiny island yet we’re the second-largest producer of nutmeg in the world!”
02
STAY: Silversands Grenada
“My favorite resort is Silversands Grenada. The grounds are spectacular. There’s a 100-meter-long pool that stretches from the lobby out to the shore.”
03
EAT: Oil Down
“Oil down is Grenada’s national dish; we inject it in our veins. Although many local restaurants serve it, the best place to get oil down is really in someone’s home. It’s a meal you make with love. The preparation—cutting up the vegetables and layering the flavors—takes a lot of time.”
04
LIME: Prickly Bay
“I like to start the weekend at Prickly Bay. It’s an outdoor restaurant and open-air bar by the sea, with a live band and a DJ. Most people go there on Friday night. It’s the one place where you’ll find young and old people partying together.”
05
UNWIND: L’Anse aux Epines Beach
“There’s a little black-sand beach called L’Anse aux Epines in a very quiet area in St. George’s. I adore it. Grenadians come after 5 p.m. to get what they call a therapeutic salt bath.”
06
INDULGE: St. Patrick Sulphur Spring
“We’re a volcanic island, so of course we have sulfur. The natural medicinal properties of sulfur are great for the skin. You dip into the sulfur spring, get washed, then go into a natural bath to be scrubbed and have cocoa fat rubbed all over your body. When I tried the spring in St. Patrick, it changed my life.”
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