ST. GEORGE'S. Grenada -- This little island has long been sort of the stepchild of the Caribbean, but a British developer is in the process of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop this city's lovely waterfront and make this spice capital of the West Indies a major player in the tourism game.

Peter de Savary, a well-heeled entepreneur who ranks among the world's most active resort developers, is combining his assets with business partners to sink about a billion dollars into putting a shine on this ancient isle.

de Savary bought nearly 100 acres of hilltop and bayfront property just off this city's colorful seaside business district, transplanting low-income residents from dozens of shacks to more modern quarters.

de Savary is building hotels, numerous villas, restaurants, shops, yacht club, home sites and a huge marina, etc., in his project, which he is calling Port Louis.

The development is well underway, with a hillside luxury villa complex called Mount Cinnamon (with 21 villas ranging from about half a million to one million dollars, already more than 80 percent sold) and a beachfront restaurant already completed.

Work is also underway on a 120-room, five-star hotel. The entire project is expected to be finished within three years, including the construction of a huge marina that can accommodate hundreds of boats, including private yachts of 300 feet or more.

Port Louis is not the only major project set for Grenada, with at least two more significant developments underway, including the 360-acre Levera Bay Project -- a $112 million eco-tourism plan that will include a 250-room housing unit. Also underway is the five-star Bacolet Bay Project, a 43-acre area to feature dozens of seaside villas.

St. George's is blessed with the Caribbean's deepest bay (200 feet or more) as the waterfront sits right on an extinct volcano. The horseshoe-shaped bay, colorful downtown oceanfront orange-roofted shops and forested mountain background provides a very picturesque scene. Several cruise lines make regular stops here.

The crystal-clear azure water, swaying palm trees and white sand beaches provide miles of idyllic relaxation.

Grenada at one time produced about one-third of all the world's spices, but Hurricane Ivan played havoc with the island in 2004, knocking down the vast majority of the nutmeg trees. But the island still produces a significant amount of spices (cloves, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cocoa, mace), rum and sugar cane. The hurricane was the first to hit the island in 49 years, with none since.

Tourism has suffered to a degree because Grenada -- located at the southern tip of the Caribbean and some 100 miles from Venezuela -- is not blessed with a lot of tourism flights from the U. S. More than half the flights to Grenada originate in England, with only a handful per week from the U. S.

The hurricane in 2004 wiped out a lot of buildings, including some small hotels/inns, but the island is now back to its pre-hurricane accommodations offerings with about 1,600 rooms, with the 100-room La Source Resort expected to reopen in December 2007. Grenada's business theme is now "Build Back Better," with an eye on Port Louis as the big sparkplug for future development. Officials say they expect hotel/villa capacity to nearly double over the next five years.

The island also does not offer tourists much more than beautiful beaches, peace and solitude. Shopping is varied but limited. There are no casinos, no golf courses, no major entertainment complexes. Mostly just a lot of sand, sea, sunshine and seclusivity.

The exclusivity part is what attracts a lot of people, particularly the rich and famous. It is easy to find a secluded seafront villa here, affording a great opportunity to escape the paparazzi media and the hustle and bustle. Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman and Jerry Hall have properties here.

Several moguls and entertainment luminaries visit Grenada for these reasons, with some calling the island "the new St. Tropez" -- an in place to relax in today's society. Several magazines (including Sports Illustrated), for example, chose the hideaway villa LaLuna to do swimsuit editions. LaLuna is reachable by a narrow, bumpy road some two miles from St. George's and is relatively small, offering 16 oceanfront cottages on a hillside set amid a sea of jasmine and bougainvillea -- and a beautiful private beach.

Grenada is not a very big island, some 22 miles long and nine miles wide, and is very mountainous. What little level land there is here seems to be taken up by soccer or cricket fields (the island is very big on cricket and even has an oval cricket stadium seating several thousand).

The 1957 movie "Island in the Sun" with James Mason, Joan Collins, Joan Fontaine, Harry Bellafonte, etc., was filmed here.

The island does have several festivals and entertainment events each year, including Carnival each August.

The island also has a rain forest that includes some very nice waterfalls of up to about 200 feet. Another nice thing about the waterfalls is that there is large pool areas at the bottom, affording some wonderful swimming and diving opportunity. And, there are a couple of old military forts visitors can visit and hear tales of the island's interesting history (including French-British battles and the famed U. S. invasion of 1983, a short military campaign designed to free the island of potential Marxist rule).

Shopping in St. George's is much like shopping at many other Caribbean West Indies islands, with lots of local spices, fruits and crafts. There are also several good restaurants, some offering local dishes.

Rental cars are available, but due to the hilly terrain bicycles are hard to find. Motorists drive on the left side of the road, a holdover from British rule.

Grenada is a very safe island to visit, with violent crime almost non-existant. There is a small police force and very few even carry any weapons.

U. S. dollars and credit cards are widely accepted, but the official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (about $2.67 EC for each U.S. dollar). Passports and return or onward tickets are required.

Grenada is actually made up of three islands, with the smaller isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinque some 20 miles to the north.

Many of the villas offer luxury accommodations, but are a bit pricey for the average tourist, averaging in the $400-per day range. One such villa is the well-appointed Maca Baca Resort, located only about a mile from the airport and offering spectacular views overlooking the bay. One of the best values is the 240-room Grand Beach Resort, the island's largest housing complex, offering a huge beach area, several restaurants and lots of amenities.

For more information about any facet of Grenada contact the Grenada Tourism Board at the Internet web site www.grenadagrenadines.com.

This story was published on 23 Oct 2007.