Barbados revisited
As I visited in June I was expecting some rain as during our summer it is ‘wet season’. ‘Dry season’ is from January to June. Therefore there were a couple of showers, but generally the rain came during the night leaving most of the days gloriously sunny which was excellent.
I started off on the South Coast. Dover Beach is lovely, just along from St Lawrence Gap and great for an early morning stroll along the sand and a dip in the sea. Whilst here I visited the Turtle Beach Hotel and was very impressed with the facilities. The kid's club looked fabulous and the rooms were spacious and well equipped.
A little up the beach is Ocean 2. This is a fairly new hotel. It is spotlessly clean and well maintained. The suites are stylishly decorated and come complete with fully-fitted kitchens that include dishwasher and washing machine. The two bedroom suites are huge and the adults-only rooftop deck and pool has amazing views - a fabulous place to watch the sunset. Both hotels are walking distance to St Lawrence Gap which comes alive at night with a fantastic range of bars and restaurants.
Moving up to the West Coast I visited Tamarind Hotel and Sandy Lane in St James. Tamarind enjoys a great beach-front location and includes water sports with its room rates. It is right next door to Daphne’s restaurant and I can highly recommend watching the sunset from here with one of their speciality cocktails. A top tip - happy hour is 5-7!
Sandy Lane is spacious, spotlessly maintained and the rooms are sumptuous. The kid's club looked amazing as did the spa and you have a choice of three golf courses.
The sea on this coast is a lot calmer than on the south or the east and Lime Grove has appeared since my last visit. This is a luxury shopping centre featuring brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton as well as some great local shops such as Pure Source which specialises in amazing candles, perfume and beauty products from around the world. Moving upwards I visited Little Good Harbour in St Lucy - a stunning boutique-style resort with 21 rooms. They have a three bedroom Fort suite which is right on the beach. It features four poster beds, spacious lounge and kitchen. It even has a laundry room and is simply breath-taking! They also have a range of one bedroom split-level suites as well as two and three bedroom suites all with large balconies and living areas. The décor is gorgeous and this is combined with amazing views. The Fish Pot restaurant is right next door and has the most impressive views of the sea!
Work is on-going for the new development at Port Ferdinand which will feature luxury accommodation around a newly built marina.
The Sugar Cane Club is a friendly resort located inland with regular shuttle buses to nearby beaches. It has a tropical, peaceful feel to it and has a minimum age of 14 for guests. They organise complementary nature walks through the gulley near the property. You can spot monkeys swinging through the trees. The spa is a peaceful haven of tranquillity offering a full range of services.
Harrison’s Cave is well worth a visit. It has recently been updated and the tour takes you up to 170 feet underground and is amazing! Right at the top of the island is Animal Flower Cave. Outside there are stunning views and is the spot where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet.
All the beaches in Barbados are public so you can take your pick! I love Lone Star Beach where many of the boats moor to see the turtles. It also has the lovely Lone Star restaurant that was recently bought by Dave Whelan, Wigan FC’s owner, who has apparently said he'll take the FA cup to Barbados! I would also recommend a stroll along Paradise beach down to Brighton beach.
There are so many more things I could tell you about Barbados, so please feel free to contact me if you are thinking of going and we can have a chat!