The first of countless Insta-worthy views hits you as soon as you walk in to the lobby at Silversands Grenada –stretching out before you as far as the eye can see is the 100-metre-long infinity pool, the longest in the Caribbean.
This opening architectural statement demonstrates the intent of a resort seeking to connect seamlessly with the nature that surrounds it. Look more closely and you’ll notice the colour of the water in the pool does a pretty good job of mirroring the ocean beyond – achieved by a painstaking process of filling, draining and refilling the pool as different colour tiles were trialled to find the perfect match. It’s the kind of attention to detail that was instilled in the resort’s development by owner Naguib Sawiris, the Egyptian billionaire who made Grenada his home, and Silversands his passion.
On his first visit to the island in 2013, Sawiris took a stroll with a friend along Grand Anse beach, a beautiful two-mile stretch of pristine white sand not far from Grenada’s capital, St George’s. He stumbled across an overgrown plot for sale, and his friend, who’d grown up on the island, said it had once been a small hotel called Silversands in the 1970s, famous for its open-air dance floor, where his parents used to party under the stars.
Sawiris was immediately smitten with the island and its people and proceeded to invest a reputed $125 million of his personal fortune into transforming that overgrown lot into Grenada’s premier resort, which opened in 2018.
It seems many others have followed in his footsteps in developing a taste for Grenada. My visit coincided with unprecedented interest in the island, which is increasingly appearing on the radar of Brits looking to see another side of the Caribbean.
Despite its sometimes turbulent past, including a military coup, revolution and the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the country has successfully managed to press the reset button and become one of the region’s most sought-after destinations, famed for its pristine beaches, vibrant gastronomic scene and a local population known for its friendliness and good humour.
Rising star
After reinstating the island to its Caribbean portfolio post-Covid, Kuoni is one of the operators seeing a big increase in business to Grenada, and director of communications Rachel O’Reilly says the island – and Silversands – is ideal for clients looking to celebrate a special occasion. “It’s also perfect to sell as part of multi-centre itinerary,” she adds. “Either combining with a stay on another island or splitting the time with a different hotel on Grenada.”
After dragging myself away from that awesome lobby vista, I checked in to my Ocean View King Room, one of 43 rooms and suites at Silversands, which also features four beachfront villas and four hillside villas. There’s everything you’d expect from a property of this calibre, including a mini-bar including Grenadian rum and local beers – as I sat on the balcony with a local Stag beer taking in the picture-postcard sea view, I made full use of another simple but welcome feature, the outdoor fan providing a cooling breeze from above.
I could have sat there for hours gazing out to sea, but my loafing had to wait – there’s so much to see and do on this Caribbean gem and there was a full schedule of activities ahead.
Jumping on to the bus, I was welcomed by driver Carl and Marielle and Chanelle of St James Travel and Tours who began a whistle-stop tour of the island with a drive through the pretty capital city of St George’s, with its colourful buildings, restaurants and shops and buzzing markets selling the food and spices Grenada is renowned for.
Making our way further up the steep hillside surrounding the city we stopped off at Fort Frederick, perched 800 feet above sea level, possession of which yo-yoed between the French and the British as the two former colonial superpowers vied for control of this strategically and economically important island.
Local flavour
Next up was a visit to the home of Kennedy Roberts, a former university professor turned chef, who now gives visitors a taste of traditional cuisine (and his recipe for rum punch) using ingredients from his garden.
After helping Kennedy prepare – and eat – a lunch of Grenadian staple oildown (a stew consisting of salted chicken, breadfruit and vegetables including spinach-like callaloo) it was onward to see the mona monkeys at Grand Etang National Park followed by visits to tree-to-bar chocolate maker Belmont Estate and the River Antoine Estate Rum Distillery, which is still powered by its original 18th-century watermill.
Still reeling from the 75% proof Rivers Royale rum, there was a double-whammy on the coach when passengers sampled a quick sip of driver Carl’s own home-made rum punch (better than Kennedy’s, he claimed) on the way back to the resort.
Therein lies the beauty of staying at a property like Silversands – you can do as much or as little as you like. Take a tour and explore the island or soak up the sun in a cabana by the infinity pool; visit a local restaurant or enjoy a meal at the resort’s informal Grenadian Grill and Thai-inspired Asiatique; take a stroll along breathtaking Grand Anse beach or book a pampering session at the on-site luxury spa – all are options. My advice? Mix and match your experience by doing a bit of both – you’ll find you fall in love with the island just like a certain Mr Sawiris did…
How to book it
Kuoni offers seven nights at Silversands Grenada in a Garden View King Room on a room and breakfast basis from £3,199pp, including complimentary 60-minute spa massage and bottle of wine, and British Airways flights from Gatwick on selected departures in September 2023.
