Dive in and find a new paradise in Grenada

Oct 29 2010 By Mark Cowan

Mark Cowan travels to Grenada and discovers some amazing treats for the senses, both on land – and under water.

The Last Correspondent is frozen in time, his fingers forever hovering anxiously over the typewriter on his desk as though he is struggling to find the words.

Slowly his motionless figure is being covered by the forces of nature, his featureless face and his anxious pose unable to shake off the ravages of time.

If he wasn’t sitting in front of a modern typewriter, some old newspapers still visible on his desk, one could think he was a relic of an ancient civilisation.

This is art – but not as we know it, for you can’t just walk into a gallery to see any of the 65 pieces by renowned artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Instead you have to don scuba gear, for they are 10 metres beneath the waves, part of the Underwater Sculpture Park off the coast of the Caribbean island of Grenada.

The Lost Correspondent highlights the rapid changes in communication between generations. While they all have something to say about human life, perhaps more importantly, amid the growing concern for the future health of our oceans, the figures – in Moilinere Bay, a short boat ride from the resorts on the popular Grand Anse Beach – are taking on a life of their own as they are slowing being colonised by coral.

“It all happens rather quickly – within two weeks, we will see green algae,” says Mr deCaires Taylor, when the results were first noticed as the project got under way.

“Then within a few months, juvenile algae will appear and the project will progress from there.”

Now, Grenada might not be first choice for a Caribbean holiday – our guide even called it the region’s best kept secret – but this undiscovered gem has been quietly going about its business building a tourist infrastructure that sits in harmony with the island itself.

With a host of shipwrecks, it is positioning itself as a scuba diving destination. But that is not to the exclusion of everyone else.

Our base for the first half of the trip was the Flamboyant Hotel, above Grand Anse Beach.

I’m always suspicious of resorts suggesting some grand design within their name. While there are others that focus on high-end and expensive luxury, the Flamboyant’s key is its unique Caribbean chic.

Perched on the side of the cliff, it also offers the best views on the island. But beware, anything offering great views from the cliff-top inevitably means a hike from beach to room.

Which is probably a good thing to help work off those calories because, alongside scuba diving food is the island’s other treat.

There is the exquisite cuisine of Oliver’s Restaurant, at the Spice Island Beach Resort, with its focus on the very best in fine dining and tastes that tip-toe elegantly across the tastebuds.

Or if you fancy something more local there is Patrick’s Home Style Cooking. It feels as though you are sitting on someone’s front porch, the host darting back and forth with plate after plate of traditional Grenadian dishes. But this is Caribbean-style tapas at its best.

For those who fancy a bit more luxury with their destination, True Blue Bay is a chic resort with beautiful rooms. Its Dodgy Dock bar and restaurant overlooking the bay was beautiful and a great place to relax. Popular with the yachting set, it offered some tasty culinary delights.

But back to the diving. Grenada has badged itself as the shipwreck capital of the region. And who can argue when they have an ocean liner five minutes off shore.

Justifiably known as the Titanic of the Caribbean, the Bianca C has few rivals in the realms of warm water wreck diving and has been listed as one of the top ten worldwide wreck sites.

Bianca C was a trans-Atlantic giant bringing wealthy European holidaymakers to the Caribbean. In October 1961, as she lay anchored off the capital St Georges, a fire broke out. A flotilla of boats piloted by locals helped save the 672 passengers and crew before the 180m cruise liner sank a few days later.