We had been invited to visit by the entrepreneur Peter de Savary – the man with a big history in developing and responsible for over 25 international resorts and private clubs including the St James Clubs worldwide, Cherokee Plantation in Carolina, Bovey Castle on Dartmoor, the Aboco Club in the Bahamas and, venue of Madonna’s wedding, the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, Scotland.

de Savary has big plans for Grenada and we planned to find out just what they were.

Ten hours after leaving Gatwick, the aeroplane appears to be attempting a sea landing and even though we were on the Boeing 747’s “upper deck”, we seemed to be just yards away from the waves. Thankfully the tarmac at Point Salines International airport appeared and we stepped off into the searing but welcome heat. The hotel was only minutes away from the hotel which is always a welcome relief after a long, hot flight.

We were staying at Spice Island which is apparently Richard Branson’s favourite hotel on the island, and it’s easy to see why. The intelligent lay out fully exploits the idyllic outdoor space. It is situated directly on the two-mile long Grand Anse beach; the best known in Grenada and many of Spice Island’s rooms are actually on the beach itself.

As the bell boy opened my ‘room’ door I realised that it was actually the doorway to a private garden complete with its very own pool. A cooling dip started off proceedings nicely – as did the complimentary bottle of chilled fizz in the room.

I swapped rooms half way through the trip to experience the beach option. Walking out of the room’s patio doors took me directly onto the white sandy beach and ten seconds later wading into the wonderfully warm turquoise water. This really was an amazing hotel room and so incredibly relaxing.

We were being looked after by Peter de Savary’s team and our itinerary ensured we would get to experience all aspects of Grenada. Part of a tri-island state that also includes Carriacou and Petit Martinique, Grenada is just 12 miles wide by 21 miles long. It has over 40 pristine white beaches and one sixth of the island is preserved as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Currently there are only 1500 hotel rooms in Grenada although if all plans come to fruition this will double by 2010. de Savary is not alone in moving into Grenada and amongst others the Four Seasons building a large hotel here.

Our first night saw us dining with de Savary at his Azzura Castle property. As the entry door was quite modest, we were all taken aback by the interior. Moroccan inspired with a blurring of outdoor and indoor space, vaulted living quarters with interesting antiques and private nooks filled with ottomans and the warm, moody colours of the Kasbah. A step outdoors takes you to a central pool, bright with mosaic and fretwork and just when you feel that (in the words of Wham!) all that’s missing is the sea, you take a few steps further and realise that the bay is right below you, and reachable via the garden steps.

It’s possible to book the castle for exclusive use and as well as six bedrooms with bathrooms it contains an air-conditioned luxury cinema and board-room. The cost is around £12,500 per week for 2008. It is available staffed and would certainly be the ultimate location for a private house party, family holiday or board-room getaway.

Our first tour of this small island took us to the capital St George’s situated in reputedly the prettiest harbour in the Caribbean. Here we toured the castle and the roofless churches damaged in Hurricane Ivan in 1994. It appears that everything barring the churches has been repaired since this tragedy, and as Grenada is actually out of the Hurricane belt, thankfully the locals do not live in daily fear of this happening again. Talking of locals, we met many wonderful characters in the St.George’s bustling open-air market which is a feast for the senses, and alive with spice aromas, exotic fruits and plenty of loud chatter and laughter.

The Grenadian people are warm and friendly and with English being the main language, it’s a pleasure to stop, chat and share a joke.

Our lunch stop was the superb Almost Paradise. This was a modest almost beach shack type affair with a jaw-dropping view of the stunning coastline. It is owned by a welcoming German couple who really knew how to cook some fresh and tasty dishes. They have also opened some accommodation on the same plot which we discovered all contained balconies with the same stunning vistas. It was incredible to realise that it was cheaper to stay here and covet this view for less than the cost of a Travelodge room in England.

For the next stop we were promised a swim in fresh water, but wait – what was this? A gift shop? Warning bells rang as I envisioned noisy crowds ruining the atmosphere, but these were completely unfounded as we found that we were all alone. This is the great appeal of Grenada, nowhere is too busy and even the best beaches are largely empty. In the midst of lush green vegetation, a natural waterfall of around 60 feet gushed into an inviting pool below. We took turns jumping in and the cooling fresh water was a refreshing change from the warm salty sea. There are more waterfalls like this around Grenada and they typify the little surprises to be discovered in this jewel of an island.

Next on the list was the rainforest. I’d experienced the paradise beaches and the wonderful colonial architecture of St. George’s so it was slightly surreal to encounter rainforests so nearby. The most spectacular of which is the Grang Etang National Park. You can choose between short walks and long hikes, and take in sights including the Seven Sisters waterfalls and the volcanic crater lakes.

No time to lounge, the team then took us out to sea for a spot of snorkelling. Diving and snorkelling are big out here and as well as the coral reefs and tropical fish there are a good few shipwrecks to explore, including the Bianca C - known as the Titanic of the Caribbean. There are also a series of underwater sculptures. Somehow an artist has managed to carve a series of sculptures out of the rock under the sea. We managed to discover only two, but there are guided trips where it’s possible to investigate them all. We also came across a few secluded beaches only accessible by boat, and the de Savary service will organise personal day trips to such places if you’re in a castaway mood.

I was expecting Grenada to be similar to Barbados but whilst the beaches compare, Grenada is nowhere near as developed. It also has the advantages of mountainous scenery and an abundance of greenery due to its rainy season. This is from June to December but even in the height of this season, it doesn’t usually rain every day and the showers are brief. Average temperatures are around 23 degrees centigrade all year round.

Spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla are in abundance on the island and there are in fact, more spices in Grenada per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. Often you catch the aromas wafting on the breeze.

As the trip progressed we got to see more of the plans that Peter de Savary has for Grenada and they’re ambitious to say the least. de Savary believes that Grenada is about to boom and that he’s in right at the beginning. His brother was visiting at the time and has apparently chosen to invest a sizeable amount into the project. Interestingly, out of the 30 or so developments de Savary has been involved in, this is the only project his brother has chosen to invest in.

The planned Mount Cinnamon resort has already begun and it has a prime position on Grande Anse beach. The first twenty-one villas and apartments are complete and all have fabulous elevated and far reaching views of the coastline. Prices start from £236,000 for a one-bedroom unit and for that view and locality, it seemed very good value. Whilst they are totally self-contained the great benefit is that owners or guests will have full use of the facilities of the resort which will include beach cabana, diving, tennis, gym, spa, indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar. We had a few drinks in the new restaurant and with a pool on one side and the stunning azure sea on the other, it’s a completely uplifting space. Taking centre stage will be a five-star 125 room hotel – although reassuringly - this and everything else in the development will not be over three storeys high.

The overall project overall is costing de Savary almost £300 million, so it’s clearly going to have a significant impact into Grenada’s tourism and property investment infrastructure. It’s certainly got the backing of the Government and the locals seem to be happy with the prospect of the increased tourism that it will attract.