Diana Petterson Caribbean Islands, Grenada

Grenada: From its Fort and Views to its Rum Making Distillery

The 36-acre Grand Etang Crater Lake in the distance of the Grand Etang Forest Reserve in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)

Grenada: Country #87 on my Countdown to 100 countries by the time I turn 70 in 2026.

We arrived in Grenada, one of the seven island countries we’ll be visiting on this Caribbean Chorus itinerary aboard Oceania Cruise’s Insignia. 

For this “Discover Grenada” excursion, we spent the day traversing this island country first stopping at its Fort Frederick high on a hillside for its  history and magnificent views; then driving through its dominating lush rainforests as we made our way along the narrow hilly streets around and through its various villages. Plus we got to hang out at both a rum making distillery and an organic chocolate making factory. 

Spend a day with me on the island country of Grenada. 

Me at the 18th-century French-built Fort Frederick atop a hill providing sweeping views of the island and the Atlantic ocean. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Driving through the capital city of St. George’s in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Driving through the capital city of St. George’s in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Walking up towards the entrance of Fort Frederick in Grenada which was started by the French while the local Spice Band are playing. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Walking up towards the entrance of Fort Frederick in Grenada which was started by the French. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The Spice Band trio playing at the entrance of Fort Frederick in Grenada which was started by the French. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Seeing down into St. Georges, the capital city of Grenada from atop the 18th century Fort Frederick. Also that smaller ship, next to the bigger one, is our Oceania Cruises Insignia ship. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Grenada’s Fort Frederick was established by the French in 1705. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Fort Frederick in Grenada was started by the French. The British captured Grenada from the French in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War; the Treaty of Paris formally ceded the island to Britain in 1763. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Fort Frederick in Grenada was started by the French. The British captured Grenada from the French in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War; the Treaty of Paris formally ceded the island to Britain in 1763. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Fort Frederick in Grenada was started by the French. The British captured Grenada from the French in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War; the Treaty of Paris formally ceded the island to Britain in 1763. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Me at Fort Frederick with views of Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
More views of Grenada from a top Fort Frederick. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Driving through the hilly, forested villages of Grenada on the tight main roads in the countryside. (Dec. 13, 2024)
A gorgeous rainbow eucalyptus tree in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
A close-up of the colorful rainbow eucalyptus tree in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Driving through the lush Grand Etang Forest Reserve, the oldest and largest protected area in the country of Grenada. It covers over 3000 acres of tropical rainforest on the interior of the island. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The lush Grand Etang Forest Reservethe is the oldest and largest protected area in the country of Grenada and covers over 3000 acres of tropical rainforest in the interior of the island. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The Grand Etang National Park in Grenada was a brief stop to see a very small portion of the Grand Etang Forest Reserve. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The 36-acre Grand Etang Crater Lake in the distance of the Grand Etang Forest Reserve in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Getting in a selfie on a trail at the Grand Etang National Park in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
A trail into the Grand Etang National Park in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
A post office at one of the villages in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The beautiful landscape of Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The beautiful landscape of Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Grenville, the second largest city on the island country of Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Grenville, the second largest city on the island country of Grenada. And pretty much all the roadways are the size of single lane streets with two-way traffic and cars parked along the sides of the road. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Grenville, the second largest city on the island country of Grenada. And pretty much all the roadways are the size of single lane streets with two-way traffic and cars parked along the sides of the road. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Grenada’s first airport, Pearls, is located along the northeast coast two miles from Grenville, the island’s second largest town. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The old runway of Grenada’s first airport, Pearls, is located along the northeast coast two miles from Grenville, the island’s second largest town. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The villages in Grenada celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence in February this year by painting the streets in the color of the flag. The red colour of the flag stands for courage and vitality, yellow for wisdom and warmth, and green for vegetation and agriculture.
The overall theme of the celebrations is ‘One People, One Journey, One Future’, which is intended to capture both the painful history of slavery and colonialism, and the resilience, strength and determination that achieved a free, independent Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada has been in operation since 1785, making it the oldest functioning watermill powered distillery in the Caribbean.
The watermill powers uses the force of flowing water to turn the wheel, which drives a mechanical system (on the back) that crushes the sugar cane, the primary ingredient for producing the rum. (Dec. 13, 2024)
On the back of the watermill at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada is this set of rollers that crushes the sugar cane, several times, into cane juice that flows via the wooden gutter into the boiling house. (Dec. 13, 2024)
On the back of the watermill at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada is this set of rollers that crushes the sugar cane, several times, into cane juice that flows via the wooden gutter into the boiling house. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Walking on the sugar cane pulp, after being squeezed several times at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. The pulp is used as fuel for the boiler which powers the grinding mills and the distillation column. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Walking on the sugar cane pulp, after being squeezed several times at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. The pulp is used as fuel for the boiler which powers the grinding mills and the distillation column. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Walking through the dried out pulp of the sugar cane at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada to the boiling house. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The boiling house at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada is where the cane juice enters via the wooden gutter, then is filtered and collected before being processed into syrup. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The boiling house at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada is where the cane juice enters via the wooden gutter, then is filtered and collected before being processed into syrup. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The cane juice in the boiling room at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada is then transferred into a holding tank for a period of two days where it is expected to cool off then made ready for the fermentation process. (Dec. 13, 2024)
This is the fermentation process at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada where the boiled cane juice, now called “wash” is pumped up from downstairs into these fermentation tanks or vats where during the next eight days, it is fermented by the natural yeast. (Dec. 13, 2024)
These are the kinds of rum made at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. One is 69 proof and the other one is 75 proof. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The restaurant at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada where we ate lunch amidst the sugar cane fields. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Getting in line for our buffet lunch at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada where we ate amidst the sugar cane fields. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Eating lunch surrounded by the sugar cane fields at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Eating lunch surrounded by the sugar cane fields at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Lunch of chicken, rice, noodles, fish and pumpkin at the River Antoine Rum Distillery in Grenada. In all honesty the food was rather bland considering Grenada is known as the “Isle of Spice.” (Dec. 13, 2024)
Sugar cane workers carrying their machetes, a valuable tool for cutting down the sugar cane. (Dec. 13, 2024)
After learning how to produce rum, we moved onto the chocolate factory of the Belmont Estate in Grenada to learn how they produce their single source organic dark and milk chocolates. This is where the cocoa beans are dried both outside in large trays and inside the greenhouse. Both of these processes can take up to eight days. Other than being told about the cocoa processing and seeing where the beans are dried, we didn’t really see the chocolate making process or even get to see the cocoa plants. The Belmont Estate is said to date back to the 1600s when they produced nutmeg, sugar and coffee. (Dec. 13, 2024)
This is where the cocoa beans are dried both outside in large trays and inside the greenhouse. Both of these processes can take up to eight days. Other than how to dry the beans, we didn’t really see the chocolate making process or even get to see the cocoa plants. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The African Tulip tree at the Belmont Estates in Grenada had nothing to do with processing chocolate, but it sure grand and beautiful. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The chocolate factory grounds of the Belmont Estates in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The chocolate factory grounds and shop of the Belmont Estates in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The chocolate factory grounds and shop of the Belmont Estates in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Other than being told about the cocoa processing and seeing where the beans are dried, we didn’t really see the chocolate making process at the Belmont Estates in Grenada or even get to see the cocoa plants. But we did get to taste their delicious chocolates and buy them. Maybe that was the point. I definitely bought three of these Organic Milk Chocolate. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Inside the chocolate factory shop of the Belmont Estates in Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Passing through the village of Samaritan on our way back to the ship docked at St. George’s. Again love the colorful flag colors celebrating the country’s 50 years of Independence. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Passing through the village of Samaritan on our way back to the ship docked at St. George’s. Again love the colorful flag colors celebrating the country’s 50 years of Independence.
Making our way back to the congested capital city of St. George’s in Grenada and to the ship. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Coming back into St George’s, the busy capital city of Grenada. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The Sendell Tunnel in St. George’s, Grenada, is a passageway built in 1894 that burrows through the hill to reach Bruce Street and the rest of St. George’s. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Getting in a selfie with the colorful Grenada sign at the Grenada Port Authority Cruise Ship Terminal before getting back on board our Oceania Cruises ship, the Insignia. (Dec. 13, 2024)
The Captain and senior crew introduction of the Insignia. They are from different parts of the world including Croatia, France, Serbia, Mexico, Malaysia, Germany and the United States. (Dec. 13, 2024)
Having dinner tonight at the Grand Dining room on board our Oceania Cruises Insignia ship. To eat dinner here requires a reservation. It’s just a bit too formal for me considering anything on the menu here can also be ordered in the less formal Terrace Cafe. (Dec. 13, 2024)
My desert, a pistachio soufflé tonight after my dinner in the Grand Dining room on board our Oceania Cruises Insignia ship. (Dec. 13, 2024)