Grenada is a much more lush green island, more unspoiled, laid back, natural. The scenery is spectacular. Not the kind of shopping or restaurants as SXM. People are very nice, which isn't to say you don't take the normal precautions. Spice Island Beach Resort on the quiet end of Grand Anse is terrific. Rooms/suites only steps from the sand, most with water views.

While I like St. Martin (esp. Grand Case), I LOVE Grenada. While Grenada is hilly and green, that's where the comparisons end. Grenada is lush, wild, and geologically active -- with rain forests, waterfalls, lakes, and plenty of native crops (including spices and all sorts of exotic fruits and vegetables), which SXM lacks. Because of the locally-available produce, there is a vibrant cuisine in Grenada -- not like Grand Case's wonderful restaurants, but more typically Caribbean. You can get high-end continental food, too, but I'd rather have some callaloo and fresh fish.

The beaches on Grenada are not as nice as St. Martin's. Grand Anse is certainly a contender, and nicer than Grand Case. It's whiter sand, calmer water and 2 miles long. There are other beautiful beaches as well (Morne Rouge, and my favorite La Sagesse are examples), but not as many as SXM has to offer.

Above all, Grenadians are the friendliest and warmest people I've encoutered in the West Indies. The feeling of safety and security in Grenada is much greater than St. Martin, though we certainly take nothing for granted and exercise normal precautions.

If you can live without SXM shopping, and can endure the difficulty in actually reaching GND, you will find plenty to love.

I would second everything callaloo just said!

Thanks for the helpful replies! I'm glad to hear it's not as much like SXM as I thought. I can definitely live without the shopping and the Caribbean food sounds delicious. Spice Island looks amazing, but above our budget for this trip. We'd like to keep hotel/villa costs to 2000-2300 (or less!) for the week. Any suggestions on the best areas of the island to stay? Are there downsides to staying on the Atlantic side?

The main downside to staying on the windward side is the driving time to get to everywhere else. I'd recommend staying in the southwest part of the island, at least on your first visit, where most of the restaurants and other tourist facilities are.

Check out Nick Hughes' website, www.spiceislevillas.com, which features beautiful villas in every price range. I've personally stayed in Turtleback and Tradewinds and will be returning to Turtleback this June for my next trip. There are some really good values being offered on his site right now.

For other places to stay...consider Grenada Grand Beach resort for a traditional resort experience (it's not really my style 'cause I like smaller places and it has some service issues, but it's in a primo location!). Other options might be a place like Blue Horizons, which is the sister property of Spice Island Beach resort, but with full catering facilities. It's across the street from Spice Island and you have charging privileges and use of beach chairs there.

Or Coyaba. Or for a more off the beaten path possibility, think about La Sagesse.

Or bid on La Luna, a very romantic hotel, on skyauction.com

If you are OK with renting a car, an advantage to the windward side (and Lanse aux Epines is not too far from the action) is that, in some parts, it is indeed very windy. Mosquitoes and many other flying bugs find it difficult to fly around in a strong breeze.

If you don't require staying on a beach (and a pretty bay will do), consider True Blue Bay resort. It's priced within your budget, very comfortable, pretty, and conveniently located between L'anse Aux Epines and the Grand Anse area. You'll want a rental car (there is an agency right on site, and they have reasonable weekly rates).

We stayed on the windward side of the Prickly Bay peninsula many years ago (at Coral Cove), and were literally blown away. It was so breezy that the "wind chill" made getting out of the pool or water downright uncomfortable, while out of the wind, it was quite warm.

One of the very nice things about Grenada is the wide range of accomodations, both in price and style. You'll have no problem finding something that suits your wishes and budget.

My wife and I have vacationed on both islands and would never hesitate to recommend Grenada over St. Martin (and a few other islands we have been to).

We have been to Grenada twice now, most recently in January 09. Both times we have stayed at the Blue Horizons and would certainly stay there again.

Grenada offers some wonderful oppotunities to explore nature, visit some very interesting historic sites and to interact with some of the friendliest people I have ever met.

Thanks for all the helpful replies! We're thinking about True Blue or Blue Horizons now.

Any restaurant or activity suggestions?

ejcrowe- I've never used skyauction! Do I really just bid and, if I win, I can choose my dates? Do you have any strategy tips?

I agree with everything everyone has said. I Grenada!

I highly recommend Boots Cuisine for local flavor. It is a hidden gem, run by a lovely couple (Boots & Ruby) in the patio of their home. Delicious food!

The Beach House is good, with wonderful views. I had one of the best pasta ever at the LaLuna restaurant.

Everyone loves the Sunday bbq at the Aquarium.

For a no-frills, local lunch flavor, grab some eats from the ladies at the old SGU campus on Grand Anse. Yummy and very inexpensive.

As for activities, there is a long list. Visit a spice plantation, nutmeg processing station, go see some of the waterfalls, hike Grand Etang, walk the market in St. George's on a Saturday morning and buy spices, spend the day at La Sagesse (you'll feel like you are in the south pacific), hop over to Carriacou and experience a slower pace of life. You can even take a daytrip to the Tobago Cays (expensive but worth it).

Since I am on a roll I will comment on skyauction. I have used it several times successfully. As long as the dates that you want are within the timeframes that is on offer, if they cannot meet your dates for some reason, they do not charge you. No harm no foul. Be sure you set a limit as to how much you are willing to pay (don't forget the taxes & svc charges) and stick to it. Do not overbid, because most of the time, the same auction will be offered again. I usually watch and wait, then come in at the last couple of minutes with my absolute maximum that I am willing to pay.

I agree with everything mymoosie says (I usually do!) about Grenada and SkyAuction. It's easy to get caught up in bidding wars and wanting to win, so I like to set my maximum bid with the autobid system shortly before the auction ends. There's no trick to it--I've used it quite a few times with no hassle. The one time I wasn't able to get the date I requested (and they were within the parameters specified by the auction) I wasn't charged.

Definitely read all of the fine print--some auctions are per person, some are per room, and there are always service charges per night for every auction. But even with these, you can get a tremendous deal. A word of advice, if I may: stick with La Luna or Grenada Grand or Maca Bana or Lanse Aux Epines Cottages on Sky Auction, as I think you might be disappointed with the others (one is an eco hotel that gets pretty poor reviews and the other is simply a motel covenient to the airport).

One other place you might consider is Twelve Degrees North, a perfect combination of being in a villa and a resort--you get a private cottage with a personal housekeeper who will make breakfast & lunch for you, so you get privacy and space as well as a taste of local cooking. I think the website is twelvedegreesnorth.com.

Good luck!