When I first visited the Caribbean, about 15 years ago, I didn’t get it. On land and at sea, I was disillusioned. Where were the warm, friendly people I had heard about, and why didn’t I feel safe venturing much away from the marinas? When we anchored out, why did I feel like I’d be launched onto the sole from my berth? I tried to like it—I wanted to like it—so I returned twice, to the Leeward Islands and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. But sharp-rolling anchorages alternately kept my appetite and sleep at bay, some environs left me uneasy, and the residents came off as reserved, even a bit detached. Maybe I had bad luck or maybe I just hadn’t seen enough to find the great spots.
Over the years, I tended to paint most of the Caribbean with the same proverbial brush. Having friends with similar experiences didn’t help. Still, I figured thousands of cruisers couldn’t be wrong.
Earlier this year, I finally found my corner of the Caribbean: Grenada. The island has a handful of pleasant bays, and its protection from hurricanes makes it more than a winter destination. Equally important, the people are naturally warm and welcoming.
Grenada, a.k.a. “The Isle of Spice” due to its wealth of spice crops, is the southernmost of the Windward Islands and the largest of the Grenadines. It’s 100 miles north of Venezuela, bordered on the north by St. Vincent and on the south by Trinidad and Tobago. Though Hurricane Ivan wreaked destruction in 2004, Grenada is outside the hurricane belt. (As one resident told me, “One in 49 isn’t bad,” referring to Ivan being the first—and worst—hurricane in 49 years.) Even though it misses most storms, there are more than a dozen publicized hurricane shelters around the island.
To be clear, the waters are not flat calm. Even in the preferred cruising grounds of the southern coast, it presents a fair share of winds and seas. Trade winds in winter can easily exceed 20 knots—a bonus if you’re sailing! My five-day visit in January luckily saw calm winds all but one day, but there was still a good chop as we headed south and then east from Grand Anse, along the west, leeward side. However, the various bays along the south are tucked between peninsulas, so they offer pretty good protection.
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