Grenada: worth its wait in gold

The U-shaped Carenage harbour is one of the prettiest in the region, its colourful streets rising steeply from the waterfront, backed by mountains and forests. Its charms caught the eye of de Savary, who has his mitts in something far larger aside from owning properties on the island, including two plantations — one intended for development and a strange Moroccan-meets-a-castle-style villa. The $500million Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis marina project is an ambitious development. Smaller boats will be joined by super yachts and a high-end development including hotels and villas. De Savary is touting it as the next Portofino.

Despite talk of the recession a spa and boutique open this month. The marina project is not without controversy, with claims that locals moved from land bought to develop were rehoused in poorly-built shacks. But PDS’s team seem loyal and committed to both his projects and Grenada.

I set sail, armed with rum punch and Team PDS’s Mark and Barry, to see the beautiful underwater sculptures just off Moliniere Bay created by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor in response to Hurricane Ivan.

Striking photographs reveal a ring of life-size children holding hands. I’d like to say I dived down to take one, but in reality I struggled to snorkel down even as far as their mossy little heads.

From here I headed up and over to the other side of this mostly undeveloped island, passing picturesque and fertile valleys, rainforests and streams. The rural scene is punctuated with mountain villages — scatterings of small houses with locals “liming” outside.

Like the other Windward islands, Grenada is originally volcanic. The island’s interior, shrouded in densely-grown tropical jungle, covers the remnants, mainly visible at the Grand Etang National Park. Wild monkeys and exotic tropical birds share it with a large crater lake.

Further up, Pearls Airport has its own nature display in the form of cows and goats sat in the middle of the weed-sprouting, disused runway.

The rusted fuselages of the Soviet era sit on the sidelines — Cuban planes sent over before the US invasion are now an almost accidental attraction.

I passed through coastal Grenville, Grenada’s second city, the smell of frying fish tantalising. But nothing equalled the aromas wafting from the coal pots at the idyllic Belmont Estate in the green hills of St Patrick’s.

This 17th-century working plantation follows Slow Food — and religious —principles in its 250-seat food hall, serving tender organic beef curry and sweet guava chicken but no alcohol.

They also grow all the spices your kitchen holds, as well as producing goat’s cheese and cocoa harvested here and sold to the Grenada Cocoa Association.

Still full from lunch, I could have followed my nose to find dinner at Boots Cuisine on the Grand Anse Valley Road (alternatively get a taxi).

The simple setting — a few tables in a side room — belies the reputation chef Roland ‘Boots’ McSween has gained for his twist on Grenadian food.

Deciding to work for himself following stints in a hotel kitchen, the be-hatted Boots chalks up the daily changing tasting menu on a blackboard: pumpkin soup (smooth, with a hint of nutmeg); tettrie wrap (a fish-filled roti); TLC (tomato, lettuce and cucumber with a secret dressing reminiscent of Christmas pudding).

Mains were lambi (conch) and Borden pork with the aroma of lemon and spice. On my heaped plate were island staples — coocoo (cornmeal and coconut milk), dasheen and plantain. Pudding was the sweetest scoop of banana ice cream with brown cubes of guava jelly.

You won’t find nightlife and casinos here — yet — but Grenada is one of the most unspoilt and safest islands in the Caribbean. And for this — and its food — it surely merits another gold medal.

Spice Trip: Grenada is on More 4 on Sunday at 8pm.