Day 4 (November 9, 2025): A Drive Around Grenada

This was the day we had planned to tour the island via rental car. We walked over to the airport at 9AM (it’s just a 10 minute walk). Two very friendly agents at Ace Rent-A-Car gave us lots of good tips about seeing the island and arranged our Grenada drivers license very quickly ($25 USD). At 9:30 AM, we pulled out from the airport and started what would prove to be an interesting but really difficult day of driving.

We have driven in some pretty risky and crazy places around the world, and we often talk about some of those drives. But we both agreed that Grenada has the most challenging driving we have ever faced. Why so? Because: (a) all roads are narrow; (b) drivers are incredibly fast and reckless, especially mini bus drivers; (c) there are no shoulders and there are sharp concrete ditches on the very edge of every road, so if you go off the track, you will destroy your vehicle; (d) there are potholes and broken pavement everywhere; and, (e) twisty, turny roads, and lots of switchbacks as you drive into the mountains. All that while driving on the left-hand side. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were traumatized.

We took in the sights of St. George’s (the capital) to start the day, and then headed up the west coast of the island, turning inland near the top of Grenada, and then heading to the northeast point to see beautiful Levera Beach, which is a leatherback turtle nesting ground from April to August. Then we returned south into the interior to the Grand Étang National Park, before heading home. A sunset swim was followed by a nice dinner at the resort’s French restaurant.

Monument to US military personnel who remained on Grenada after the 1983 invasion until 1989.

Roadside vendor selling coconuts.

Sailboats anchored in the turquoise waters of Rose Point, just south of St. George’s.

St. George's, the capital:

The marina at Port Louis in St. George’s.

The view of St. George’s core, with the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (yellow roof) of particular note.

Fort George, with its dominating position overlooking the port of St. George’s.

Christ of the Deep statue. The statue was erected in gratitude for the hospitality of the people of Grenada by the passengers of the Italian ship, Bianca, which was destroyed by fire in the port of St. George’s in 1961.

The view of 3km-long Grand Anse Beach, Grenada’s most celebrated beach, as seen from St. George’s.

Fort George.

Heading up St. John’s Street to the Cathedral, just to show the narrow street widths.

The tombs of Cemetery Hill, St. George’s largest cemetery.

Rarely have we seen a place where national colours are displayed so prolifically! Every utility pole, guardrail, bus stop, fence… is painted in the yellow, red and green of Grenada’s flag.

Heading into Gouyave, a town on the west coast, just to show the main street of a typical Grenadian town.

The Amerindian petroglyphs at La Resource on the west coast. Finding this unmarked rock was like finding a needle in a haystack!

Diamond Chocolate Factory is housed in a 1774 stone building built by monks. It produces chocolate under the Jouvay name, which is found all over Grenada.

St. Mark’s Secondary School in Waltham Beach. A typical rural school in Grenada. It seemed like most of the schools we saw are affiliated with a Christian denomination.

Grenada celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence last year. In addition to seeing things painted in the country’s colors, we also saw a lot of places painted in recognition of the 50th, such as this bus shelter.

Sunday seems to be laundry day in Grenada! We saw so many clothes lines filled with laundry all over, including this one in Waltham Beach.

Sunday is quite the church day in Grenada. And people really dressed for it. This woman in Waltham Beach was on her way home from church at noon and was walking what seemed like a long distance from the nearest church, in high heels.

Beautiful Duquesne Bay on the extreme northwest corner of the island.

Levera Beach:

Levera Beach is at the end of a brutal gravel road on the extreme north east corner of the island. It is a protective nesting ground for a massive leatherback turtle, it arrives between April and August every year. Just off the coast is the unmistakable Sugarloaf Island, so named for good reason.

It’s so ironic that the government is building three huge resort towers in the middle of nowhere, just on the edge of this wild beach. We worry for the future of the turtles.

Bathway Beach. Grenadians, like everyone else, love to visit the beach on the weekend, swim and have family picnics.

Grand Étang National Park

Grand Étang National Park (‘étang’ is French for pond) requires a seemingly never-ending climb in the heart of the island. The lake is tiny by Canadian standards. But for a Caribbean island, it’s significant. The area contains most of the wildlife species found in Grenada.

The Mona monkey was brought from West Africa during the slave trading days and flourished in Grenada until a devastating hurricane in 1955, which wiped out most of their habitat.