Colourful tropical birds, tiny frogs and lizards, and rare orchids punctuate the dense rainforest vegetation, and the trails meander around the area's stunning waterfalls as wellas the azure waters of Grand Etang Lake.
The most popular area in Grenada for hiking and trekking is undoubtedly the rainforest around the Grand Etang Forest Reserve, high up in the mountains of the island's interior.
Grand Etang's varied elevations and terrains maintain several different ecological subsystems, culminating in the elfin woodlands high up the slopes of the reserve's central mountains.
The focal point of the forest reserve is Grand Etang Lake, which fills the crater of one of the island's extinct volcanos.

The rainforest around the lake holds a stupendously rich diversity of flora and fauna.
Colourful tropical birds, tiny frogs and lizards, and rare orchids punctuate the dense rainforest vegetation, and the trails meander around the area's stunning waterfalls as well as the azure waters of Grand Etang Lake.

Grand Etang's flora includes towering mahogany and giant gommier trees as well as a multitude of ferns, tropical flowers, and other indigenous plants. The lush vegetation provides shelter for a wide variety of animals, particularly for the island's many species of birds.

The broad-winged hawk (known here as the gree-gree), Lesser Antillean swift, Antillean euphonia, purple-throated carib, Antillean crested hummingbird (known as the little doctor bird), and the Lesser Antillean tanager (known as the soursop) are all common sights.

In addition, the Grand Etang is populated by plenty of frogs and lizards, as well as playing host to opossums, armadillos, mongooses, and the mona monkey.

Hikes at Grand Etang range from easy 15-minute jaunts to rigorous expeditions of several hours.
The trails are quite good, and the Forest Reserve provides excellent guides (both written and human).

The reserve's hikes include:

• Grand Etang Mountain Road
• Grand Etang Shore Hiking Trail Grenada