Calabash – Grenada
Overlooking the fabulously named, yacht-filled Prickly Bay, Calabash Luxury Hotel is an elegantly understated, luxurious Caribbean retreat. Neat lawns run down to a white sandy beach, fringed with palms, framing the view that you’ll never want to stop looking at. It is family owned and run, with some of the friendliest and happiest staff you could meet, meaning each guest is made to feel immediately at home, and quite deservedly, it has won a slew of awards. Relaxed, yet with an old-fashioned glamour, it’s a Caribbean gem.
At A Glance
Luxury Hotel
Why We Love It:
For its intimate setting & beautiful beach.Style:
Colonial beach chic.Location:
On the sheltered Lance aux Épines beach on the south coast of the island, close to St George’s & Grand Anse.Rooms:
30 luxurious suites & villas, some with private plunge pools.Swimming:
Hotel infinity pool & the beach.Children:
The resort has no specific facilities for younger guests – this one is better suited to grown-ups.Accessibility:
2 suites are suitable for those with reduced mobility.Open From:
October - July.food
Whether on the beach, or your private balcony, the day starts with a truly fabulous breakfast. An à la carte menu with pastries, fresh fruit and an extensive cooked choice is a delicious way to start the day. The Beach Club is open all day and for dinner two nights of the week for grilled evenings and Caribbean Night. Serving tapas, salads and light meals, it has a relaxed atmosphere. The menu at Rhodes Restaurant is bursting with local flavour and fresh, local ingredients.
This is where you dress for dinner and the reputation of both restaurants has spread far and wide. Calabash’s newest restaurant Izakaya serves Japanese cuisine using local seafood and speciality produce.
activities
The cerulean waters around the island could not be more perfect for water sports – above and below. From the hotel’s beach, non-motorised water sports are all complimentary – guests can take out kayaks – so you can see the coral beneath – paddle boards, hobie cats and snorkels. The diving around the coastline is exceptional, with a number of wrecks, an extraordinary underwater park and some truly spectacular marine life. Calabash has three full-time diving instructors for beginners right up to experienced divers.
To explore further afield, you can charter a yacht, or head off on a deep sea fishing trip. Inland and around the coast, there’s no end to discover. A private driver can take you on an island tour, stopping off at the Grand Etang – a natural pool in a volcanic crater – and many of the stunning waterfalls that dot the island. There are countless hiking trails through the rainforest and up to one of the many peaks in the island – the views are worth the climb. For culture, there are cocoa plantation (a chocolate lover’s dream) and spice garden tours, or you can just simply wander the colourful lanes and markets in St George’s. If you need a bit more exercise, Calabash has a well-equipped gym and tennis courts with a private instructor. You certainly won’t be short of things to fill your time. In resort Calabash has a great range of activities available including yoga, rum tasting, chocolate tasting and cooking demonstrations.
sustainability
Calabash supports the Pack for a Purpose initiative – a programme that encourages travellers to bring essential education material which is distributed to a variety of children’s charities and orphanages on the island. Calabash also has its own onsite solar farm which produces a third of its operating energy, as well as a rainwater harvesting system.
A Farm to fork approach is taken across Calabash’s restaurants, using produce from their family-run farm on the north of the island where regenerative agroforestry and intercropping is used to farm sustainably.
Location
Grenada
On the sheltered Lance aux Épines beach on the south coast of the island, close to St George’s & Grand Anse.
