Grenada

Grenada Overview To the uninitiated, the Southern Caribbean island of Grenada is better known for its political  history -- U.S. troops intervened in a coup during President Reagan's administration, at the  time a controversial volley in the Cold War -- than it is for being a vacation paradise. But,  for the tourists pouring in through the island's increasing cruise business (on a recent day , five ships were docked at the capital of St. George's) to explore its numerous beaches or hike its mountainous rain forests, such associations belong in the past. So, too, does Hurricane Ivan, which damaged 90 percent of Grenada's buildings, destroyed  85 percent of its nutmeg trees and left more than half the population homeless in  September 2004. While you'll still see some lingering effects as you tour around the island  -- churches without roofs, homes still being rebuilt -- St. George's is as colorful and charming as ever, and most restaurants, tourist attractions and hotels are back in  business -- in many cases refurbished and looking even better than they did before. Visitors can still bask in the sun on the wide, white-sand Grand Anse Beach, visit the Mona monkeys that live near Grand Etang National Park or enjoy a lazy waterfront lunch  along the horseshoe-shaped Carenage harbor. Take advantage of Grenada's  topography, and work up a sweat hiking to one of the island's multi-tiered waterfalls ; then, cool off with a relaxing swim in chilled waters. Make sure to sample some of the diverse -- and, as befitting Grenada's "Isle of Spice" nickname -- wonderfully  seasoned cuisine. At St. George's market, you'll find ginger, cinnamon, mace, turmeric and nutmeg sharing space with coconuts, bananas and more exotic fruit,  such as star-shaped carambola. While Grenada's famous nutmeg industry is still recovering from the 2004 hurricane  (the trees take between seven and 15 years to mature enough to bear fruit), interested  visitors can still tour spice plantations and processing stations to learn about the  hardy new varieties of nutmeg trees that are being planted -- varieties that will hopefully  survive the next big storm. Or, tour River Antoine Estate, a rum distillery that still uses a 19th-century water wheel to produce 152-proof liquor, considered too strong  for visitors to bring home on a plane. Either way, the natural bounty of one of the  Caribbean's friendliest islands will entice those searching for eco-tourism adventures or laze-the-day-away relaxation. Grenada truly has assets to fulfill both.