Welcome to St. George's, the capital and largest city of Grenada. The town wraps around a horseshoe-shaped harbour, and the hillside that surrounds it is the rim of an old volcano crater. This is spice country: a mild tropical climate lets nutmeg thrive here, alongside cocoa, mace, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, and cocoa, nutmeg and mace are the island's main exports. St. George's is a popular Caribbean destination that has worked to preserve its history, culture and natural surroundings. So breathe in that warm, fragrant air, and let's set off, starting high above the harbour.
Fort George
Photo: giggel · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHigh above the harbour stands Fort George. The French built it between 1706 and 1710 and called it Fort Royal. When the island passed to Britain in 1763, it was renamed after King George the Third. Its later history is more sombre. After the revolution of 1979 it became Fort Rupert, named after the father of Maurice Bishop, leader of the People's Revolutionary Government, and in 1983 Bishop was executed in this very courtyard during a factional coup. Once democracy was restored, the old name returned. Today the walls that saw so much are open to visitors, with sweeping views over the town.
Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park
Photo: Boris Kasimov · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNow imagine slipping beneath the waves off Grenada's west coast. Here, on the sandy floor of Molinere Bay, lies what opened in 2006 as the world's first underwater sculpture park, the work of British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. More than 65 concrete figures rest on the seabed, cast from real people of the local community. Look for the ring of children holding hands, all facing into the ocean currents. The idea was to connect islanders with the sea around them, and the park also eases the pressure of visitors on the natural reefs nearby.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Photo: Anneli Salo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOn a hilltop overlooking the harbour rises the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, one of the great symbols of the city and seat of the Catholic Diocese of Saint George. A small chapel dedicated to St James once stood on this spot. The Gothic tower in front of you dates from 1818, while the cathedral itself was only fully completed in 1884. Hurricane Ivan damaged the church badly in 2004, and it had to be rebuilt. Step inside and you will notice how simple the decoration is compared with the cathedrals of Europe.
Fort Frederick
Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsUp on Richmond Hill stands Fort Frederick, begun by the French in 1779 after they recaptured Grenada and finished by the British in 1783. Here is the surprise: while the island's other forts faced the sea, these cannons pointed inland, towards the hills. Just 150 metres away is its neighbour, Fort Matthew, though Frederick was always the better kept. Legend has it that Henri Christophe, later king of Haiti, once hid here before stowing away on a ship bound for Haiti.
Grand Etang
Photo: Bgabel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsUp in the mountains lies Grand Etang Lake, a crater lake sitting in the very volcano that formed the island, quiet now for 12,000 years. At 530 metres above sea level, it is so beloved that it appears on Grenada's coat of arms. The forest reserve around it is an Important Bird Area, home to hummingbirds and the Grenada flycatcher. And listen to the local fable: deep below the still surface, a mermaid is said to lure men to a watery grave.
Grenada National Museum
Photo: Annelis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOur last stop is the Grenada National Museum, set in a cluster of old buildings. The oldest may have served as a French barracks from 1704; later the site became the Home Hotel, which ran until the early 1960s. In 1976 part of the complex was given over to a museum of archaeology and history. Inside, the story runs from the Amerindian peoples through European invasion, African slavery and the plantation economy to the island's former whaling industry. Look out for one curious object: a bathtub said to have been used by Josephine Bonaparte.
Lomakuume
