Grenada holidays

August is carnival month in Grenada, when the Spicemas festivities rock the island in a frenzy of bright colours and cool Caribbean beats. Calypso, steel pan and soca music are played live and through speakers, and parades, pageants, performances and competitions fill the calendar. Everything kicks off on the Sunday night which merges into J’Ouvert on early Monday morning – the Jab Jab or Devil Mas sees locals stride through the streets dressed as devils with their bodies slathered in mud, tar and molasses.

Another big event is Carriacou Carnival, a February flurry of street dances, soca competitions and parades. One of the main events is Shakespeare Mas, a unique literary celebration where actors dress up and recite lines from the great bard. Look out also for the Carriacou Maroon & Music Festival in April – a three-day event of thanksgiving and island beats – and the Carriacou Parang Festival in December.

Calypso, steel pan and reggae are the main music types here, with newer sounds of zouc and soca (including the Grenadian born jab jab soca) making waves more recently. Parang, dancehall and pop also make appearances. Competitions in the big genres play a part in the annual Spicemas carnival, when the calypso and soca monarchs are crowned. The Pure Grenada Music Festival takes place in May, featuring local bands playing steel pan, calypso, reggae, jazz, soul, folk and more. Another music festival is the Carriacou Parang on the weekend before Christmas, bringing the smaller isle to life with local Parang groups competing for top spot.

Amerindian, African, British, French and Indian cuisine fuses to create some seriously tasty food in Grenada. Market stalls sell freshly picked oranges, papayas, mangoes, coconuts, yams, plantain and callaloo (locally grown greens), which are eaten on their own or incorporated into everyday meals.

The national dish here is Oil Down – a one-pot supper of salted meat, dumplings, breadfruit and callaloo cooked in coconut milk with herbs and spices. Look out also for bake and saltfish souse, which is a popular breakfast of sweet bread filled with fish and vegetables. Callaloo soup is a typical Caribbean green soup, while lambie souse is made with conch and chilli. One of the favourite street foods served on Grenada is roti – flour wraps filled with curried meat, fish or vegetables.

For afters, this island of sugar, cocoa and nutmeg makes some awesome puddings. Nutmeg ice cream is a must, and sweet potato pudding is a true classic made with mashed sweet potatoes, spices and coconut.

Delicious drinks are served all over the islands, with favourites including pineapple juice, mango juice and coconut water. Mauby’s a traditional tipple – bitter and demanding, it can be an acquired taste, made from Mauby tree bark, sugar and spices. And when it calls for something warm, there’s cocoa tea made from grated cacao, nutmeg, sugar, milk and water.

Clarke’s Court and Westerhall are the two rum distillers on the island. Clarkes Court has been making rum since 1937, and run the biggest and best-known distillery on Grenada in St George’s. They produce a mix of old brands and new, including the Black Gold nutmeg infused variety.

Westerhall in St David’s produces six different brands, fronted by Westerhall Plantation Rum. The estate has been growing sugarcane since the 1700s and gradually developed its signature way of distilling.

Rums are mixed into rum punches by bars all over the islands, with the mantra: one of sour (lime/lemon), two of sweet (sugar syrup), three of strong (rum, of course), four of weak (pineapple juice, coconut water, soda). In terms of beer, Grenada Breweries Limited in Grand Anse produce Carib lager, one of the icons of the Caribbean.

Cricket’s the prime passion of these islands, and the Grenada Cricket Association usually hold matches at the National Stadium in St George’s (which used to be called Queen’s Park) throughout the year – the national team play here, and school and parish championships are also hosted. Spontaneous matches take place on beaches and village greens, and Grenadians who play for the West Indies are welcomed home as heroes.

Sure, the natural beauty here’s too good for anyone in their right mind to want to spend all week shopping, but when it comes to picking up momentos and gifts there are some super places to visit. Grenada’s capital St George’s has everything from duty-free malls to indie shops selling arts and crafts - and a typical Caribbean market to boot. There’s also the Grand Anse area, where you’ll find the Excel Plaza (food and fashion) and the Craft and Spice Market (some of the best street food EVER, and cute colourful knick knacks. On Carriacou, Hillsborough’s where you’ll find most of the shopping opportunity. Main Street has some lovely independent stores, like Simply Carriacou where you can buy arts and crafts made on the island. You’ll also find food shops like Patty’s Deli and Kim’s, as well as a market near the wharf for fruit, veg and fish.