Grenada & Carriacou / Special Interests / Hiking & Walking

There are good opportunities for hiking in Grenada. There are trails leading all around the rainforest and to many of the summits in the centre of the island. The Forestry Department has cut some trails to the lake in the Grand Etang area, which are clearly marked and well used. Other trails lead from here to other points on the island, including Concord Falls, Fedon’s Camp and Mount St Catherine, for example. Some of the remoter trails have not been reopened since Hurricane Ivan, when they were all blocked because of fallen trees.

If you are going off the beaten track like this, you are advised to use a qualified guide as the trails can be easy to lose, but also because a good guide can explain the forest, bringing it alive with extraordinary stoies of the flora and fauna. Guides can be contacted direct below, through the Forestry Department at Grand Etang or through Caribbean Horizons. The forest can be wet and slick underfoot (February to May are the driest months) so you will need a pair of walking boots or trail shoes with a good sole.

Recommended guides on Grenada include:

Mandoo Seales

Telfor Bedeau - Takes walks all over the island and gives an extremely revealing commentary about the local wildlife and the flora and all its uses.

Caribbean Horizons - They offer a number of hikes, with experienced guides, lasting 4-5 hours. Their most popular hike is the 45 minute ‘Hike and Spa tour’ to two of St Margaret’s seven waterfalls. Moderate - advanced.

Some sample hikes on Grenada include:

Seven Sisters/St Margaret’s Falls - Approached from near Grenville, a nice place to walk for a swim. Easy.

Morne Gazo, in the south - A nice trail with lovely views of the southern peninsulars of Grenada. Easy.

Concord Falls - A series of three waterfalls that can be approached from the west coast. A single-track road gives access to the first waterfall and from here you can walk to the second and third waterfall. Easy – moderate. The higher level path down from the Grand Etang (moderate – advanced) has not yet re-opened.

The trails to Mt Qua Qua, Mt St Catherine and Fedon’s Camp and the upper two Concord Falls are open, but we would recommend taking a guide.

Also see under Eco/Nature

Non-profit organisations and Government links:

For social hiking and running, contact the Hash House Harriers, www.grenadahash.com, who go every other week on a variety of trails. They range from short to treacherous!

One of the DC team decided to join the Hash House Harriers whilst on a research trip to Grenada, here's a quick clip to wet your appetite....

Carriacou

Old tracks and trails criss-cross every part of the island and it can make interesting hiking. The countryside, open land and dry tropical forest, is very steep in places, but it is worth the effort because of the ancient ruins and the breath-taking views of the Grenadines to the north and south. Tropical flora is also endlessly fascinating and so it is worth having a guide. A nature hike can be taken in the proposed National Park in the north of the island, where a guide can be arranged through the KIDO Project.

If you’re feeling adventurous why not head out on your own like Adriana Rowswell and her friends who went out on early morning walks to discover new beaches, historical markers and trails.

Limlair Nature Trail, Tibean - Newly established nature trail in the north east of the island around Windward. Expect to see Ningo Well, the first well built on Carriacou, Hugh Munro’s mausoleum and a huge variety of indigenous birds, from zenaida doves to maricou, black-faced grassquits and Caribbean elaenia. There is a small eatery at the entrance (just down the road from Bayaleau Point Cottages), which offers simple West Indian food and tamarind sweets picked and rolled from the trees around the trails. Guides are on duty, Monday to Friday from 8am-4pm, cost from US$5 per person, depending on the length of the tour and the number of people in your party. Easy to moderate.

Non-profit organisations and Government links:

KIDO Ecological Research Station (KERS), The Sanctuary, Carriacou, t 443 7936 | kido-ywf@caribsurf.com | www.kido-projects.com