Tourist Attractions in Grenada

The official money in the Caribbean is the EC dollar, although at every island you can also pay with american dollar.
But I would strictly advise you to change your US dollar into EC dollar as soon as possible, as you'll otherwise have to pay a bit extra everytime you pay with US dollar.

The official course is 1 US=2,67 EC, but when paying in shops/restaurant or anywhere with US you won't come even close to that. If you get 2,50 you should be happy.

So take your US-dollar and go to the closest bank as soon as possible. At Saint George's there is one right on the top on the left side of the harbour (seen from the ocean). You won't get 2,67 EC there either, as they take out a fee for changing for you. But for sure it will be better than you get at the shops.

Unique Suggestions: Well, as the US dollar works fine everywhere you can continue to pay with them during the whole trip. And as long you're fine with losing some extra money everytime you pay for something I guess you'll be fine. :)

Although tourist trap has a negative connotation this one is positive. You have got to stop at the little roadside stands and purchase some mace and nutmeg that are approved for export. I also bought some homemade hot sauce that contained the Scotch Bonnett peppers. It was probably one of the hottest sauces I have ever sampled.

We really didn't have our wits about us the first time we visited St George's! Almost as soon as we got out of our taxi we were approached by a very charming man who welcomed us to the island and asked where we were from and what we planned to do. When we told him we were going to the Spice Market, he told us he knew all the best stalls and showed us the way. It all happened so subtly that it was a good twenty minutes before we realised that we were on a tour of the town and that he wasn't just being friendly!

To be fair, he was an excellent guide and was very informative about the island and its history. He took us to the Cathedral and Fort George, and gave us a real insight into life on Grenada and what it had been like during the 1983 revolution (he had been about 10 years old at the time). He told us that he had worked with Jill Dando when the BBC filmed the 'Holiday' programme on the island. He also let us buy him several beers in the Nutmeg Restaurant where he happily chatted about cricket and football.

Things got a little awkward when we wanted to leave the guide and go back to the hotel. As we were well into the tour by the time we realised we were on it, we did not raise the subject of payment early enough - my partner and I had agreed between us what we thought was a reasonable amount, but when it came to paying the guide he disagreed, telling us several times that the Americans on the cruise ships paid far more for less time than he had given us. In the end we just gave him what we felt was right (around 15GBP for two hours, excluding the beers we bought him) and walked away. It was a great tour, but this really did sour things.

Later during our holiday we met other couples who had been approached by the guide. One couple managed to convince him that they weren't interested and shook him off, but another couple were coerced into paying much more than us, and still received abuse for it.

Unique Suggestions: The tour is very good, but please negotiate a price as soon as you are approached. This was the first time we had experienced an approach on the street like this (how green we were!) and we really should have agreed a price at the beginning, as the pressure put on us at the end of the tour really did put a dampener on what had been a very pleasant morning.

Fun Alternatives: St. George's is a nice town to wander around on your own - if you don't want a guide, you could probably use a guidebook, but you would miss out on the insight into island life.

No danger otherwise

Unique Suggestions: Go on a tour with a tour agent it is easier than driving. The roads are narrow and as the country is hilly it can be a tight squeeze when cars pass each other

Fun Alternatives: Sunsation Tours: 444-1594
Driver's licence must be presented at the traffic department at the Central Police Station on the Carenage. The cost is EC$30.00. Most car rental firms also issue local permits. There is a network of approximately 650 miles of paved roads and most of the main roads are in good condition. Driving is on the LEFT.

Just your typical ask for taxi fare before hand. You get a better rate if you have EC dollars. Stay away from guys selling any substances. You can usually negotiate with the beach vendors on trinkets etc.

Lately, this area can be dangerous to bathers. I advise that you vist, admire and then leave. This is Grenada's Concord Waterfall.

Don't buy your spices at the markets in town. Wait till you get out into the countryside (after bartering with one of the taxi's) and buy from the locals, who are growing in their yards.

Okay, I did get caught, paying $30.00 US to get from Pt.Saline to St.Georges when I could have hopped a mini bus for $1.00 EC.