WANT the perfect foodie adventure and a touch of romance? Then head for the Caribbean gem of Grenada, says writer Molly Reynolds.
We’ve been trekking for an hour and a half, through the lush rainforest of Mount Qua Qua and along steep paths, when we finally reach the 2,370ft peak.
Incredible views of the vast canopy and the sparkling Grand Etang Lake reward my boyfriend James and I for our Jumanji-like exertions.
Mount Qua Qua is one of Grenada’s highest mountains and we’re exploring with our trusty guide Warren.
The Grand Etang National Park is home to iguanas, snakes and armadillos, though the cheeky mona monkeys are the only residents we spot on our hike – and even better, we get the chance to feed them.
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
Warren has brought bananas with him and the mischievous animals soon leap on to our shoulders to introduce themselves properly.
Half-day tours cost from £127 per person (Ashtontaxiandtours.com).
Flying the flag
Back down at sea level, Grenada’s colourful towns – or parishes, as they’re known – are another sight to behold. Rows of bright-yellow, green and red houses and food shacks bring to life the country’s flag colours.
We explore them better the next day on a Spice Foodie tour.
Led by charismatic local Curtis, we try national dishes like Grenadian pelau (a one-pot browned rice and melt-in-the-mouth chicken creation), as well as breadfruit oil down curry (a flavourful turmeric curry with courgettes and doughy breadfruit) at tiny roadside eateries and charming family-run restaurants.
At Tri-Island Chocolate Factory, in Grenada’s mountainous capital St George’s, we learn about the shelling and roasting needed to create their intensely rich, dark chocolate, as well as make our own creations.
We layer toppings, such as ginger biscuit and marshmallow, over melted chocolate, and create two bespoke bars to take away with us.
Later, we rehydrate with fresh coconut water straight from palm trees, before tucking into home-made nutmeg and sweet, tangy soursop (a local fruit) ice cream from a roadside shack.
Half-day tours cost from £123 for two (Realgrenadiantours.com).
Life on the veg
We return – absolutely stuffed – to our hotel, Mount Cinnamon, which sits on a hillside just above the cracking 3-mile-long white sands of Grand Anse Beach, where High Teas – a moreish gin, hibiscus, lime juice and tonic water mix – £5.75, make for perfect sunbed tipples.
I'm a nutritionist - here's the 10 best diet trends to help lose weight in 2023
Come sunset, the hotel’s weekly beach bonfire barbecue serves up charred rib-eye steak with garlic butter, roasted spiced potatoes and pumpkin stew to a soundtrack of live pop classics.
A three-course dinner costs from £41 per person.
With floor-to-ceiling windows, we can also soak up ocean views from the sanctuary of our suite, which has cute cinnamon-scented shower products (massages at the spa use cinnamon oil, too) and a super-king bed.
Each morning, Savvy’s Restaurant offers traditional brekkie dishes such as sweet fried chicken with deep-fried bread and fresh fishcake and potato hash washed down with a juice of the day – the lime and cantaloupe is particularly special.
Other breakfast options include carrot muffins, ham quiche and cinnamon porridge.
A little gem of this hotel is its farm-to-fork initiative across its two restaurants, with much of the fruit and vegetables coming from its own farms.
One afternoon, we join the Chef’s Table experience, £82 per person, to learn about the home-grown ingredients in the kitchen garden – everything from pineapples to pumpkins – before watching our three-course lunch of treats like succulent pan-roasted thyme and garlic barracuda being cooked.
Talking of fish, Grenada’s waters are bursting with the likes of bumblebee and sergeant major fish, as well as different types of eel.
We swim among the colourful coral at nearby Flamingo Bay on a snorkelling excursion that sets sail from Grand Anse beach.
As we head back to shore we are even lucky enough to spot turtles breezing through the warm waters.
Snorkelling trips cost £50 per person for two hours (Divegrenada.com).
Rum-arkable!
Despite having to import a lot of goods from America, there’s one thing the island is not short of – rum!
We sample 14 island-made rums (including a knockout 69% ABV version) at Mount Cinnamon’s waterfall pool.
The smoky Rivers nabs my vote, although the hotel’s Under the Counter white rum, bursting with ginger, turmeric and bois bandé tree bark, packs a punch, too.
Rum-tasting experiences cost £37 per person.
For our last night, we book Dexter’s, a 10-minute taxi ride away.
It’s a super-quirky experience set up by islander and head chef Dexter on the balcony of a former house, with just a small number of tables for guests.
We feast on a five-course menu of standout dishes, including lobster in a light garlic and cajun cream sauce and molten chocolate banana pudding, £45 per person with wine.
As the sun sets on our Caribbean adventure, we haven’t even tried tubing down Balthazar River, mangrove kayaking at Woburn Bay, or swimming among the artwork at the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park.
That being said, though, we have stuffed ourselves silly and embraced the country’s unofficial past-time of “liming” AKA hanging out at the beach. Perfect holiday, no?
Photography: Alamy, Getty Images, Gregory Parris, Kyle Wicomb *Book by March 31, 2024. Offer valid for selected dates only. To book, visit Tropicalsky.co.uk
