ATURE can be a cruel mother to those who most need her love and care. Take the tiny island of Grenada, situated where the West Indies trails away within sight of the coast of South America.

Dependent on the spice trade and a small but growing tourism sector, Grenada was blasted and buffeted by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 and to a lesser extent by his sister Emily 10 months later.

Ninety percent of the trees that bore its primary crop, nutmeg, were destroyed - and as they take 10 years to grow again, the heady scent is no longer a permanent presence in the island air. Half the 95,000 population were made homeless, and although tourism also took a heavy hit, it has taken giant strides to regain its position as an uncomplicated destination with plenty to see and do.

'Building Back Better' is the slogan the government uses to inspire, and it is hard to fault the results to date. One of the prime concerns of the locals was that they had been asked to host six second-phase games at the Cricket World Cup in April. The national stadium was levelled and money was tight. Keen to establish some influence in the region, China offered to pay for, and build, a new 20,000-seat arena.

It was only in April that 500 workers arrived, but by early October they were installing light fittings and applying paint. Their miracle was only possible with round-the-clock shifts, with half the men sleeping while the rest worked, each replacing the other in the 250 beds.

The stadium, like the airport, is built on one of the few areas of flat land on this volcanic outcrop. The settlements and roads circle the island, with little to see inland except unspoilt rain forest. Perched on top is Grand Etang lake and several spectacular waterfalls and swimming pools. These falls have sparked entrepreneurial youths to dive 50 feet for a few tourist dollars. 'Butterfly' Baptiste cheerfully tells how he clambers like a mountain goat up a cliff 60 times a day before plunging into the tiny pool for the snapping cameras. "You've more balls than brains son, " chortled one British tourist.

A slightly safer way of making a living can be seen in the wonderful Grenada Chocolate Factory, a tiny four-room shack whose produce won the world championship of chocolate in 2003. The short tour is rough on the nostrils, but the suspiciously relaxed rastafarian is a real enthusiast for his work. The chocolate, with 70% or 81% cocoa, is bitter Nbut magnificent and a large bar costs US$4 (Euro3).

Bitter but magnificent can also be said about the produce of the Rivers Distillery where the local firewater flows. Its rum is fashioned organically from the landscape by a co-op, with the sugarcane mangled by a waterwheel and the husks burnt in the furnace. The whole process is revealed to visitors for $15, which includes a 70cl bottle of the rum. You can sample the 82% spirit, but won't be able to bring it home as customs seizes anything above 70% because of fears it might ignite on aircraft. Rivers produces a 69% version for export.

The tiny island of Carriacou is also worth a day-trip, particularly for the world-renowned Kido turtle sanctuary (which offers spartan accommodation) and a fascinating museum. Access to the island is by ferry, which gets a bit choppy halfway as it traverses an active volcano called Kick-'Em-Jenny.

The capital, St George, is built around a huge harbour where a volcano slipped into the sea and hosts a bustling daily spice and fruit market. Crime is low on the island - the front page of the Spice Island News concerned graffiti on a billboard - and tourists can travel around unmolested.

Before the hurricanes, Grenada was best known in this part of the world for the troubles that culminated in the US invasion in 1983. A Marxist government took power before an internal feud saw prime minister Maurice Bishop and seven associates shot in a basketball court in the fort that overlooks the town. Bishop's Cuban allies were put to flight by the Americans in an efficient exercise in regime change.

Many of the leftists still languish in the mountaintop jail with the small consolation of a spectacular view of the bay.

Sweeping down from the south of the city is the spectacular Grand Anse, regularly ranked high in the list of the world's best beaches. Clear waters snuggle up to pale sands with some of Grenada's best hotels resting in the shade of the beachside palms. The 4-star Coyaba Hotel suffered minimal damage in Ivan but has extended since and now boasts 70 rooms. Not so lucky was the jewel in Grenada's crown, the 64-room Spice Island Beach Resort, but a $10m rebuilding programme has produced a boutique 5-star hotel with a top-class dining room and specialises in all-inclusive service. Villas have their own pools and saunas while the beach-side accommodation affords stunning views as the sun rises and falls. The climate is tropical, with temperatures of 80ºF all the year around, with the rainy season falling April-October.

Grenada is a rarity in the Caribbean, an island of beauty that the tourism industry has yet to plunder. There are barely 2,000 beds on the island - which will be a headache for Cricket World Cup organisers - so you won't be bumping into Hank or Harry on every corner. With more direct flights from London starting this winter the Isle of Spice will be winning more and more friends.

»Caribbean Collection www. caribbeancollection. ie » Tourist board www. grenadagrenadines. com » Spice Island Beach Resort www. spicebeachresort. com » Coyaba Hotel www. coyaba. com » Bel Air Plantation www. belairplantation. com » Kido Turtle Project www. kido-projects. com

HOW TO GET THERE Irish travel agent Caribbean Collection (0818 22 24 26) has the following winter offers.

»Flamboyant 3 star hotel from ¤1,077 per person sharing room (room only). Price quoted valid for May and June (but must be booked before 23 January) and excludes tax of ¤174 per person
»Coyaba4 star hotel from ¤1,131 per person sharing (room only) Price quoted valid for May and June (but must be booked before 23 January) and excludes tax of ¤174 per person »Spice Island 5 star hotel from ¤2,411 per person sharing (all-inclusive). Price quoted valid for June and excludes tax of ¤174 per person
FLIGHTS
» Virgin Airways flies Gatwick to Grenada on Thursdays (9am)
» Excel Airways flies Gatwick to Grenada twice a week, on Thursdays (7.35am) and Sundays (11.25am)
» British Airways flies Gatwick to Grenada twice a week, leaving Fridays and Tuesdays (both 10.30am)