We may earn income from links in this post. Please read this Disclosure for details.
I’m in Toronto daydreaming about living in a beach cottage in Grenada.
A year ago I would have been hard-pressed to find the island on a map — it was one of the mysterious “G” countries near the equator such as Guyana or Guadeloupe.
But after spending some time criss-crossing the island, it seems I’ve caught “Move to Grenada” fever.
Although most people know me as an expert on travel to Latin America, Grenada has many of the same qualities I love –plus a few extras.
This unspoiled island in the southeastern Caribbean Sea has plenty to offer those dreaming of a tropical retirement destination, a long term vacation or a place to reinvent themselves.
Here are a few reasons I’m tempted to drop everything and escape to Grenada. They’re all great reasons you’ll fall in love with Grenada too.
1. Beautiful Beaches
When I came up with my original wish-list for retirement living, a long beach for walking was near the top of the list. And, there’s plenty to choose from in Grenada and its sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
Located at the southern tip of the Windward Islands, Grenada counts among its 40+ white sand beaches stunners such as Pink Gin beach, the aptly-named Aquarium Beach and the sparkling Grand-Anse beach, all which come with strategically-placed almond, mango and ficus shade trees.
Even during the peak holiday period in mid-February, the beaches were relatively free of crowds. And during sargassum seaweed season in the Caribbean (May to October), the main beaches of Grand Anse, BBC Beach and Magazine Beach are seaweed free.
2. Admirable Safety Record
Is Grenada safe to travel to? According to the World Bank and the United Nations, Grenada’s intentional homicide rate ranged from 4 to 13 (per 100,00 people) between 2010 and 2012.
This makes Grenada tourism safety better than the Bahamas ( 30), Belize (45), Dominican Republic and Mexico (22), Honduras (a whopping 90), Jamaica (39), St. Kitts ( 45) and on par with Costa Rica (9) and the United States (4).
It’s well ahead of where our family ranch is in Guatemala (30). According to the Official Visitors Guide, the 5 Top Dangers in Grenada include sun burn and falling coconuts. Oh, a beach apple that can give you a rash. I think I can handle that.
3. Grenada People
Some countries in the world just resonate with you…they’re places you feel instantly at home. I may have been been influenced by the fact that my hosts were all local Grenadians (that’s you Renee and Roger) or ex-pats such as a Canadian ( yay Jennifer), lots of Brits, a backpacker from Germany who never left and Sally who opened a juice bar on Carriacou, population of just 6,000 people.
Or it could have been that I kept bumping into a film crew from House Hunters International. Or, that English is the official language and you can drink the water.
But I got the impression that Grenada is an island that hasn’t yet been discovered by everyone. And those who have discovered it, as well as locals just love their piece of paradise.
4. Fresh Food and Cookouts
If Grenadians aren’t talking about what they’re planning to eat or cook, then they’re talking about their home gardens. The Spice Island is the proverbial Garden of Eden when it comes to growing plants. “Drop a seed in the ground and it grows,” said my driver in Carriacou.
On Grenada’s Independence Day, I saw men harvesting callaloo leaves the size of yoga mats to make Oil Down, the traditional beach stew cookout (a deliciously rich concoction of coconut milk, vegetables, chicken and spices). Sure, there are lots of other beautiful Caribbean islands but many rely on imported vegetables.
I loved Turks and Caicos, but paying $3 USD for one avocado in the supermarket isn’t a viable option if you’re married to a Latino who eats them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In Grenada, you just grow your own or shop the roadside stalls or St. George’s market. There’s papaya, custard apples, shadow-beni ( an herb like cilantro), breadfruit, limes, golden apples – well you get the idea.
5. Authentic Local cuisine
Whether you’re talking small roadside eateries or fine-dining, you can be sure you’ll be enjoying a wide range of authentic, locally-sourced traditional food in Grenada. Apart from a KFC or two ( and the Colonel is practically a Member of Parliament) there’s nary a multinational chain in sight.
They even have a West Indies Brewing Co, the only microbrewery in the eastern Caribbean. And there’s lots of lobster too.
6. Properties with a view
Location, location, location. Thanks to all the hills, almost every property enjoys stunning views. Although the Caribbean has a reputation for being expensive and a vacation in Grenada is certainly more expensive than in Mexico, it’s still possible to find some bargains.
There’s a wide range of vacation properties from budget hotels near Grand Anse beach to posh villas and spectacular luxury resorts in Grenada.
Plus, Pure Grenada offers a screened listing of guest houses, apartments and villas for short and long term rent whether you’re looking for luxury or on a budget.
7. Orderly and clean
I counted nine hospitals/clinics so health care seems accessible, important for this aging body. It’s also a tidy place. Even after the Independence Day bash-up I didn’t see any garbage on the streets.
But Grenada’s not too prim or overly organized. I loved very proper Bermuda but couldn’t see myself living there.
8. Land of Opportunity
How easy is it for a foreigner to buy real estate in Grenada? If you’re interested in buying property in Grenada, you must first apply to the government for a licence under the Alien’s Land Holding ordinance.
According to the Official Visitors Handbook, this process requires “little documentation” such as police clearance and bank reference etc. and there’s a fee of 10% on the value of the land, land transfer tax (10-15%) and something called Stamp Duty.
The biggest challenge would seem to be finding a property to buy as “For Sale” signs are few and far between. Want to open a business? Investing in Grenada is done via the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation.
Qualifying businesses include tourism investment (hotels, villas), agriculture ( spice-farming, organic production) and the creative industry (photography, magazine publishing and art).
9. Rich Culture
With music, literature and events that involve all-ages, you’ll never be bored in Grenada. Between the Parang Festival at Christmas, Carnival, boat launchings, Big Drum Dance traditional African dance, and tombstone feasts at family grave sites, it seems Grenadians celebrate as often as Mexicans do.
Even the tiny island of Carriacou hosts an annual event that’s definitely unique among the many Shakespeare festivals around the world. Each morning on Fat Tuesday, Shakespeare Mas takes place on hilltops and crossroads on Carriacou. It features costumed participants who duel by reciting passages from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a battle of wits and memory. Participants who perform poorly or make errors in recitation are hit by a whip, in a symbolic throwback to slavery times.
And there’s also the art of “liming” which is the art of doing nothing at all … but often features plenty of culinary culture. Locals are as passionate about their favourite roti or doubles stand as they are about the national flag. Doubles are a street food made with fried bread stuffed with channa (curried chick peas).
An order of doubles at My Place Roti Stand in Grenville will cost you around $20 2.5 XCD Eastern Caribbean Dollars or $10 CAD so immersing yourself in local culture doesn’t cost a fortune.
10. Heavenly Climate
Contrary to what you might think, living near the equator is not as scorching as it sounds. Thanks to the trade winds the average year round temperature in Grenada is a balmy 23C.
I actually shivered in the middle of the afternoon one day. Nice.
11 Loads of Eco-adventure
Best of all, whether you want to go hiking in Grand Etang National Park, swimming in hidden Honeymoon Falls or just laze on a beach, you’ll rarely bump into anyone else. One-ninth of Grenada’s landmass is preserved in parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.
Check out my video!
And this isn’t likely to change any time soon. In 2014, Grenada completed a major tourism rebranding project and the newly-formed Grenada Tourism Authority’s tagline of “Pure Grenada” is positioning the island as a Geo-Tourism Destination with a focus on sustainable tourism appealing to discerning travellers and adventurers.
12. Getting to Grenada is Easy
It’s a five hour direct flight on Air Canada Rouge from Toronto to Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND), which is just minutes away from Grenada’s best beaches. JetBlue Airways offers twice weekly service and Delta launched new service from Atlanta.
I’m keen to learn more about this under-the-radar destination so I’m checking property listings and will definitely be watching HGTV’s upcoming episode of House Hunters International featuring Grenada. Stay tuned for more details. You just might be seeing me on the beach.
If you enjoyed this post, why not check out A Food-lover’s Guide to Grenada, a wrap-up of our top foodie picks of everything fresh, authentic and delicious on the island.
Travel Guide to Grenada
Pure Grenada Official Tourism Site
Email: gbt@spiceisle.com
Grenada Tourism Authority Canada: 90 Eglington Ave East, Suite 605, Toronto, Ontario
Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.
Read more about Michele Peterson.
Tamales: the Soul of Navidad
Kara
My family and I live in Lance Aux Epines, and while mostly everything you mentioned is true and we’re in LOVE with the island, number 7…….definitely not true! There’s garbage along most streets. Everywhere on the island. Also-carnival is in August 🙂
Michele Peterson
Hi Kara…thanks for stopping by! So great to hear you’re in love with Grenada! Thanks so much for your insiders info!
LaTessa
Grenada is on my list to visit within the next few years. Thanks for this in depth overview of your trip and the island.
Debbra Dunning Brouillette
I visited Grenada in August 2015 for a stay at Sandals LaSource. I had been there more than a decade earlier on a Windjammer cruise and got a taste of it then. I very much enjoyed the people, the food, the diving, and touring the island while there, and the Sandals resort is a wonderful place to stay. We were fortunate to see the Mona monkeys on our island tour. We missed touring the chocolate factory but I made sure to bring some home!
Suzanne Fluhr
My visit to Grenada was as a cruise ship port stop. Dumping an entire cruise ship of people onto an island can often make it seem crowded and inauthentic, but this seemed less the case on Grenada. Our tour was in a small van and I never felt crowded or that I was being herded. We had the chance to spend a few hours at one of the beaches you described which also seemed relaxed and relatively empty. I believe Grenada has a medical school with quite a few expat students from the US and Canada, so I imagine that health care options are more than what might be expected for its size.
Carole Terwilliger Meyers
I’m sold! Sounds like a great idea to drop everything and move to Grenada.
Rachel Heller
I felt exactly the same way about Guadeloupe when I went there last year as you did about Grenada. You seem to have done a bit of homework about the practicalities. If you ever go ahead and move there, I’ll be interested in finding out how much the experience matches the dream.
Jo ~ Lifestyle Fifty
You’ve put forward a great case for Grenada. I’m seriously thinking about the possibilities of retiring there after your wonderful descriptions and post.
Andrew
It is a lot of great information about Grenada. My wife and I are going to retire in 2 years and we would like to go for winter to Grenada. One of the articles is telling about expensive (compare to Canada) cost of living .We would appreciate any tips for inexpensive accommodation,food e.t.c. and possible way to contact Christian organizations that can use volunteers since we would like to spend some hours a week to work as a volunteers. Any tips? Please contact us ahkflocanvacations@gmail.com.Thanks.
Georgia S.
These are some very “reasonable” reasons ;). Loved your article overall – interesting and helpful. A lot of people will be tempted after reading this, I’m sure of it. Thanks for the amazing post! It’s definitely worth sharing and I’m doing that right away <3
Zulu
Well not to bust your bubble, Grenada could be a very corrupt place where consumer goods prices change based on the seller’s outlook of you. Have you noticed that most Grenadians commenting here including me live in another Country. There are reasons why we flee.
Resources are scarce and expensive. Taxes are very high and they are many. You see, a man who though he is a good mathematician (not calling name) went to the IMF and borrowed lots of dough, much more than the country can afford to pay back… some of it was… let’s just say some disappeared and big houses sprung up afterwards. Now the IMF are making demands by telling the government what to do, so the citizens are forced to pay up, hence the new “Various taxes” locals are complaining about.
That’s where you come in… You’re the only ones spending real money, the so-called rich people in Grenada hoard their money. You however, have to setup a home and a life “BINGO”! Did I say the words Small Island? Clan mentality? You’ll discover what that means all by yourself. Well let me not poison the water, but more realistic information is always good.
Grenadians are nice people, no doubt about that, but many of them are jobless, hungry and desperate so at some point your house will be their store. Deportees (from Canada, USA, and Great Britain) are shunned by locals, so you, having no ties through heritage, will be the victim of these criminals who CANNOT find jobs. Grenadians could be a very punitive people. The Island is 133 sq. miles and you will be seeing the same people daily. Grenada is more than beaches and fresh fruits.
The good news is that the police DO NOT profile and harass white people. Unless you come across a police who have lived and endured life in certain countries abroad. Traffic stops are NOT based on race. You can smoke weed even though it is VERY illegal, just don’t do it in public. You can get drunk every day and even drive while drunk (no problem). Cocaine!? Don’t mess with that. No one will be on your side when the s**t hit the fan. Sex? It’s everywhere. Bad drivers? Pick a corner. I noticed you mentioned the homicide rate but what you didn’t mentioned was the number of unsolved crimes carried out by scary masked men with machetes or guns, and how many victims left with scars. The police solves many crimes but the (black) mask, man has always been a scary and elusive figure in Grenada.
Anne Clark
I have never been to Grenada… but now I after this post I am absolutely sure that I want to visit this paradise on Earth! I am amazed how easy it is to go there and how wonderful the nature and the beaches are! I am planning to move to Venezuela for a year and if I like it there may be I will stay there.. Grenada also sounds amazing for me! I have always wanted to move and live abroad.. so I will try to make this dream a reality! Thank you for the post! 🙂
Sandra
I’ve been to Grenada and loved it. Not sure if I could live there as it definitely felt like a 3rd world country.
I went to the website to check the prices for this statement : Lance Aux Epines cottages, on one of the prettiest beaches, offers housing from $488 USD per person a month.
I did not see anything even close to that price. How did you come up with that?
Michele Peterson
Hi Sandra..thanks for stopping by. Glad to hear you loved Grenada – I really hope it’s not going to feel like a third world country as you say as I’ve booked a stay for January and February! The cost for those cottages is based on per person on a shared basis so you unfortunately don’t get a cottage all your own. I did notice quite a few budget homes for rent on the Century 21 website and I plan to inspect some of those properties when I’m in Grenada. I’ll report back with photos and prices on what I find out. I’ll also post a review of the apartment I’ve rented.
Neill S.
I may be throwing a stone in the river here, but we are no where NEAR a third world country. This statement/term is one of the few that riles me up about people! Have you ever been to a third world country to know what it’s like? We are a “developing nation” listed as a medium-income country within the region. People kill me with their views of what a 3rd world nation looks like… They see the small wooden houses, and narrow streets that harken back to a time before cars; if it were France or Italy, you’d most likely describe it as being “quaint”. One of the reasons we aren’t as developed as some other countries is because of our topography. Do you know why places like, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Barbados are more developed than we are? They’re FLAT. It’s more expensive to develop hilly terrain than a flat one. As for the houses, go to middle America, or Eastern Europe, or a great part of Asia and you will see trailers, small houses, and examples of homes that could be narrowly described as 3rd world. There are large, beautiful homes all over the island. There are people who are successful within their own realms and shouldn’t be gauged behind your fogged up metropolitan veiwpoint. I am a very Americanized, but yet, PROUD Grenadian, who wouldn’t want us to be “discovered” too much. I’d never trade my safe, beautiful, unspoiled little speck of land for First World status one bit. Come, visit, and enjoy the character that brought you there in the first. But keep your “developed” mindset back at the airport you left from.
Michele Peterson
Hi Neill. Thanks for stopping by and contributing your comments. The reference to Grenada actually being a “third-world” was made by another commenter…I responded saying I hoped it wasn’t. In fact, I agree that Grenada is NOT a third world country as defined by the UN. Grenada is advanced in many respects such as life expectancy, literacy and many other measures than other countries. Another good example is the health care system. Even the airport has a qualified nurse – something many other airports including Toronto Pearson – no longer have. I hope that helps clarify my beliefs. I can’t comment on the opinions of the other commenters. Unfortunately,they seem to have different viewpoints.
Shirley Martin
I just left Grenada and Carriacou in May. It was as beautiful and peaceful as she describes. My grandfather was from Carriacou and all 5 sisters took a trip there to meet family we had never met. It was absolutely beautiful. We all now want to retired and move there.
Michele Peterson
Lucky you! I wish I had a grandfather from Carriacou too! I was just reviewing my photos from there for an upcoming story and was reminded of how beautiful and peaceful it is. I’ll be back there in January so will definitely report back on what I discover.
rolf hoschtialek
Hi Michele, what a lovely article about our wonderful tri-island state … well researched and equally well written. I travel quite a bit and always tell people I meet that I live in Grenada because I want to, not because I have to … https://www.facebook.com/trulydiscovergrenada?fref=ts
Morne Jaloux Apartments
What a great write up. I moved to Grenada from the UK just over two years ago and it is, most certainly, a very beautiful place to live. Travellers on a very tight budget should also check out apartments and rooms to rent on Air BnB dot com, you can find a cosy place to stay either very close to the beach or up in the hills with some breathtaking views.
Daisy
Another place to stay if you are on a tight budget, are Captain Harris Suites. They are on the main road going to St. George’s but the beach is only five minutes away. Prices start at US50 per day.
Jessica @ Green Global Travel
Wow, the food and views alone are enough to make me want to visit Grenada! (Your photo of St. George’s Town is absolutely beautiful.) It’s amazing that this little island truly seems to have it all! I hope you are able to move here someday!