Grenada Facts

This Grenada Facts section is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions about Grenada. Some of these facts about Grenada are trivial … just little things that you might want to know for knowing sake. And then there are the other Facts about Grenada that you can’t live without or should I say vacation without. Either ways I have you covered so read on.

Country Name: Grenada (pronounced Gree-Nay-Dah NOT Gren-Ah-dah)

Other Names:
Spice Isle, Isle of Spice

Capital:
St. George’s

Location
: South Eastern Caribbean, between Trinidad, St. Vincent, and Barbados. About 100 miles north of Venezuela on the South American Continent

Grenada Flag:

grenada flag

Sub Divisions/Parishes
Parish Pop-2001 Area(km.²) Area(mi.²) Capital
7 divisions 100,895 345 133
Carriacou 6,063 34 13 Hillsborough
Saint Andrew 24,661 91 35 Grenville
Saint David 11,476 47 18 Saint David’s
Saint George 35,559 67 26 Saint George’s
Saint John 8,557 39 15 Gouyave
Saint Mark 3,955 23 9 Victoria
Saint Patrick 10,624 44 17 Sauteurs

Emergency Numbers – write these numbers down, better to be safe than sorry:

grenada emergency contant numbers

Medical Facilities

  • Two hospitals on Grenada and one on Carriacou. Also a couple clinics scattered throughout the island. Note telephone numbers above.
  • Pharmacies and doctors are widely available.
  • Note: Emergency response services such as ambulance are not the best. That means if you are injured, you should use the first available means of transport to head to the nearest hospital or clinic. Don’t wait for the ambulance to show up unless told to do so.

Money/Currency – No business will turn down your US dollars or Euros. But the official Grenada Currency is the Eastern Carribean Dollar which is pegged or mimics the fluctuations of the US Dollar. Read more about Grenada Money and Grenada Currency Conversion.

Entry Requirements – If you are British, Canadian US, or CARICOM citizen you do not need a Visa. And in most instances a valid form of picture identification verifying citizenship in those countries will be fine. However your best bet will be to just use a valid passport, and cut out any potential hassle.

US citizens cannot reenter the US without a passport so you definitely want to get one before you depart the US. And for everyone else it’s just a good document to have, so if you have not yet done so why not get one today? All other nationalities check with your travel agent or Grenada Tourism Board to determine what other documents you required.

Departure – there is a Departure Tax that you must pay at the airport, it’s the last thing you do before you enter security.

  • Children under 5 free
  • Children 5 – 13 years US $10 or £7
  • Everyone else – US $20 or £14

Weather/Climate – Rain Yes. Dry spells Yes. But absolutely NO SNOW, NO COLD weather, you can take this fact about Grenada to the bank. Find out about seasons, hurricanes and best/cheapest times to travel by reading more about Grenada Weather.

Dress – You’re in the islands man so keep it casual … it’s time to get that noose called a tie off your neck, swap out the work suit for a swimsuit and trade in the high heels for some flip flops or sandals.

Driving – find out what is required for Driving in Grenada, and how to keep safe on Grenada’s roads.

Telecommunications – Grenada has excellent telecommunications services.

  • Country area code is “473”.
  • Direct calls from your hotel room without a problem.
  • Island wide land line coverage, and rapidly growing cell phone usage/coverage
  • Card Operated Phone Booths to call overseas. Cards are available from Cable and Wireless the main phone carrier on the island.
  • Cell Phone Tip: Check with your mobile phone carrier to see if you will be able to use your cell phone in Grenada with an international plan. Or If you have a GSM phone you can subscribe with the local company and use your mobile on the local network without worrying about roaming charges.

Business Hours – The key things to keep in mind are:

  • As a rule 24 hour service and late hours of operation is non-existent. Exceptions: critical services like fire, police, hospital, etc and hospitality establishments like hotels..
  • In the US the expression “9 to 5” is common, well in Grenada it is “8 to 4”.
    • Regular Business
      • Weekdays: 8 AM – 4 PM
    • Saturday: 8 AM – 1 PM
    • Sunday: Closed
    • Banks
      • Monody – Thursday: 8 AM – 3 PM
      • Friday: 8 AM – 5 PM.
      • Saturday – Sunday: Closed
    • Supermarkets
      • Monday – Saturday: until 9 PM
      • Sundays: limited openings, most will be closed
    • Tourist Vendors/Shops
      • Open whenever there are cruise ships or heavy tourist activity, including public holidays or Sundays.
  • Government Offices – Closed during lunch hour 12 PM – 1 PM Monday – Friday

Electricity – US visitors take note: we use 220 Volts in Grenada. And most of the electrical outlets require a 3 prong plug. Most likely your US electrical device is 120 Volts so it will blow if you plug them in directly. You need a transformer/adapter, or similar deceive to keep your device safe. The hotels normally can provide this, so ask them. But it’s not a bad idea to travel with your own to charge your cell phone, camera, or shaver.

Religion/Churches – Grenada is predominately a Christian community with several denominations represented: Catholic, Anglican (Protestant), Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and several others. Ask your hotel staff and they will make sure you find an appropriate church for Sunday service.

Language – British English is the official language of Grenada. Of course when you throw in local slangs, accents, and fast talk, it can sound like a completely different language. But no worries you will still feel right at home.

Postal Information – Fedex, DHL Worldwide, along with the Grenada Postal Service make shipping and rece
iving mails and packages easy.

  • DHL Worldwide Express
    • Tel: 473-440-5009
    • Location: Carenage, St. George’s
  • FedEx Express
    • Tel: 473-440-2206
    • Location: Carenage, St. George’s

Time Zone – Atlantic Standard Time, that means 4 hours behind GMT. If you are in the US think of it this way: During Daylight Savings Time (March – Nov) we are on the same time with New York and the rest of the Eastern seaboard. When the US falls back to Standard Time (Nov – March) we don’t; so that makes Grenada one hour ahead of New York and the US East Coast.

Embassies and Consulates – it is always a good idea to know where is your nearest home away from home. And when you are traveling often times that is your home embassy or consulate. Find out more about Grenada Embassy and Foreign Embassy offices, in case of emergencies.

10 comments

  1. this is a really helpful article. i wish i could copy it, but then my report would get an F… i don’t suppose my history teacher would take your word for it that this is okay to copy write? Probably not…

    1. @Luckstartgrl:Thanks. Glad the article helped. And you definitely don’t want to get an “F” grade so don’t copy but you can paraphrase or use it as a guide for deeper research. Let us know what other interesting Grenada Facts you find as you work on your paper.

      Good Luck

  2. Grenada is one ofthe most beautifyll and tranquill place i have visited tHE PEIPLE VERY FRIENDLY AND EASY TO KNOW I love Grenada

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