On any vacation to Grenada, a stop at a spice plantation is an absolute necessity. There are many plantations and gardens to explore because the island is like one big garden. We recommend visiting the largest facility on the island, Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station, to get a fascinating look at how employees hand-pick and package Grenada’s most well-known commodity. In addition to the flavorful spices, Belmont Estate cocoa estate offers tours of its organic farm, where visitors can see wandering goats and chickens and learn the fundamentals of creating chocolate. The River Antoine Rum Distillery, which is practically next door to Belmont and is the oldest operating distillery of its sort in the Caribbean with a rum production method that has remained essentially unaltered since the 1800s, allows you to savor a small portion of Grenada’s history!

Divers travel to Grenada solely to get a peek of this contemporary masterpiece, a pioneering wonder that is impossible to take your eyes off of. In the shallows of Molinere Bay, British artist Jason deCaires Taylor established the world’s first underwater sculpture park in 2006. A gallery of over 80 concrete sculpture sets are now submerged here, ranging from a group of kids holding hands to a man typing away at a computer. This makes for an interesting snorkel or dive. But each installation serves as an artificial reef, covered in coral, and filled with tropical fish, so it’s more than just art.

Annandale Waterfalls, a short distance from St. George’s, the nation’s capital, is like visiting a little Garden of Eden. The 30ft Annandale Waterfalls is a picturesque cascade that you can admire while floating or swimming in its plunge pool on its own, but when you take into account the surrounding rocks covered in ferns and the lush vegetation that surrounds them, it feels as though you’ve been transported to a tranquil oasis. The chatter of the mona monkeys provides an enchanting backdrop for excursions into the jungle that take place beside the spice and botanical gardens.

The forested peaks of Grand Etang National Park are located in the middle highlands of Grenada’s main island, so if you want to visit a genuinely wild area of the island, climb up. On the several walking trails that round the park, mahogany and gommier trees tower over you, and the central crater lake makes a nice rest area. Mona monkeys, armadillos, and mongooses can be seen slinking through the underbrush. Grenada doves, the nation’s bird, Antillean crested hummingbirds, and broad-winged hawks are just a few of the birds that fill the area’s skies.

The vibrant St. George’s market is the perfect spot to see Grenada’s culture on a smaller scale. A riot of fragrances fills the air as friendly people watch over stalls piled high with fruit, vegetables, and spices. Even without the fun environment, it’s worth a stroll, especially on a Saturday morning when it’s at its most vibrant. Make sure to gather your own supply of spices so you may continue your Grenadian vacation in the kitchen at home.