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"ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES" EXPLORING BARBADOS |
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We found Barbados to be a sophisticated and enchanted island rich in history and culture. Unlike most of the Windward Islands, Barbados is not volcanic in origin, so it is relatively flat compared to the rest of the islands. It’s definitely a beautiful island blessed with white sand beaches and some of the most azure blue water to be found. Barbados has remained the most “British” of all independent Caribbean nations. It has its own currency, so either convert some US dollars to Barbados dollars or use US dollars and give up a few bucks due to the exchange rate (approximately $1.94 Barbados to $1.US). There are plenty of travel guides that have been written about Barbados and it is a popular European vacation destination |
CaribeSail recommends the Butterfly Beach Hotel, located close to the airport near Christ Church. The hotel served as the initial meeting point for our crew and then flying to St. Vincent the next day. The Butterfly Beach hotel was modestly priced, nice and clean, and located on its own beautiful white sand beach! Some of us decided to arrive in Barbados a couple of days early, allowing some time to explore the island. If you have the time and budget, I strongly recommend that you do the same. The main town of Barbados is Bridgetown. It is located on the southwest end of the island, nestled right on the coast at the mouth of a tidal river. Several unique bridges span the river, giving the city its name. Bridgetown is the cleanest city I have ever seen in the Caribbean! The store fronts were all brightly painted, and the streets were nice and clean. It looked like most of the store owners lived in apartments right above their stores. The people from Barbados are known as Bajans, the ones we met were all very nice, polite, and friendly. According to our local cab driver, Bridgetown is one of the safest cities in the Caribbean to walk around after hours! We agreed and on a personal note the Banks Beer (the local award winning brew) was a pleasant surprise to a beer aficionado like me. The Mount Gay rum goes without saying………….Until you get to St. Vincent!
Places To Stay
View from the pool – Butterfly Beach Hotel, Barbados
If you do decide to stay for a day or two on Barbados before flying to St. Vincent, you can rent a car for about $75 US a day plus a onetime $15 US fee for a temporary driver’s license. The staff at Butterfly Beach arranged it all. They will drop the car off at the hotel for you and allow you to drop off at the airport when you leave. Driving is on the left so it takes a little getting used to! Make sure your car comes with a GPS so you can find your way around the island. It’s very easy to get lost once you get away from the hotel as the roads seem to wind around and don’t go straight that often. I lost my sense of direction several times, without the GPS we would have got lost. You can drive around the entire island in a day and its well worth the time! You will see some incredible scenery, and meet many friendly locals along the way. We loved the rugged eastern coast, full of cliffs and crags and deep blue water crashing right up on the beach. In my opinion, the most scenic beach on the entire island was Bathsheba, a picturesque pocket beach located on the windward side of the island. Windward is a nautical term used to describe the side of an island facing the prevailing wind. In this case, the windward side of Barbados was the eastern side of the island. Bathsheba was breathtaking as we drove down the side of a limestone cliff encrusted with thick lush tropical vegetation to a white sand and pebble beach surrounded by rocky headlands and laced with large coconut palms. Right on the surf was several huge weathered boulders that seemed to be standing in protest as the surf continually pounded them. The boulders almost looked like they were sitting on golf tees, waiting to be driven out to sea. The boulders themselves were massive when you stood next to them. Shaped by many centuries of constantly crashing waves and a steady breeze, the boulders resembled the profile of a south pacific island! Most of the year, Bathsheba is not safe for swimming due to the large waves and strong currents; however, it offers up some of the best surfing in the eastern Caribbean. We bought a couple of cold Banks beers, found some shade under the palm trees and watched several of the local surfers rip a few!
Without a doubt, the best beaches for snorkeling and swimming are located on the western coast. In nautical terms, this is the leeward side of the island and is basically protected from the prevailing wind out of the northeast. The leeward side of the island is basically a continuous stretch of white sand beach, separated by rocky headlands and kissed by the most turquoise blue water on the planet. Most of the beaches that we visited had small fringe reefs and sea-grass less than 100 yards from shore, offering fair snorkeling, and prime real estate for sea turtles. Don’t expect to find any deserted or remote beaches on Barbados, especially on the windward side of the island. Most of the beaches we stopped at were adjacent to small or medium sized hotels, beach bars and water sport vendors. No worries, we were off to St. Vincent and the Grenadines!
Without a doubt, the best beaches for snorkeling and swimming are located on the western coast. In nautical terms, this is the leeward side of the island and is basically protected from the prevailing wind out of the northeast. The leeward side of the island is basically a continuous stretch of white sand beach, separated by rocky headlands and kissed by the most turquoise blue water on the planet. Most of the beaches that we visited had small fringe reefs and sea-grass less than 100 yards from shore, offering fair snorkeling, and prime real estate for sea turtles. Don’t expect to find any deserted or remote beaches on Barbados, especially on the windward side of the island. Most of the beaches we stopped at were adjacent to small or medium sized hotels, beach bars and water sport vendors. No worries, we were off to St. Vincent and the Grenadines!
Hotel Picks
Butterfly Beach Hotel $ - Nice and clean, close to the Airport and Bridgetown. Hotel is on a beach, has a pool, restaurant with breakfast buffet and a great little bar. The food was surprisingly good.
The House $$ - Adults only, designed for discerning guest. Very private, and quiet. Hotel is on the beach with amazing pool. Rooms include freshwater soaking pools, ocean views and roman baths. The price includes complimentary arrival cocktails, free water sports, cabanas and beach chairs!!
Butterfly Beach Hotel $ - Nice and clean, close to the Airport and Bridgetown. Hotel is on a beach, has a pool, restaurant with breakfast buffet and a great little bar. The food was surprisingly good.
The House $$ - Adults only, designed for discerning guest. Very private, and quiet. Hotel is on the beach with amazing pool. Rooms include freshwater soaking pools, ocean views and roman baths. The price includes complimentary arrival cocktails, free water sports, cabanas and beach chairs!!
Must See/do
Bathsheba Bay – Best beach for scenic views and surfing
Holetown – Best area on the island to stroll the beach, snorkel, and people watch
Bridgetown – Downtown market and harbor area is great for shopping – don’t go on a Sunday as everything is closed!
St. James Parish Anglican Church - Located in Holetown, the oldest church on the island built in 1643. Lots of history, old mahogany trees and interesting architecture
Bathsheba Bay – Best beach for scenic views and surfing
Holetown – Best area on the island to stroll the beach, snorkel, and people watch
Bridgetown – Downtown market and harbor area is great for shopping – don’t go on a Sunday as everything is closed!
St. James Parish Anglican Church - Located in Holetown, the oldest church on the island built in 1643. Lots of history, old mahogany trees and interesting architecture
Places to Eat
The Roti Shack $ - Located in Holetown across from the House hotel. They make the best roti on the island. The chicken roti is huge and will easily feed two!
The Roti Shack $ - Located in Holetown across from the House hotel. They make the best roti on the island. The chicken roti is huge and will easily feed two!
Bathsheba Bay, Barbados
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