Tropical
beaches, underwater adventures, sugar cane fields, colonial buildings and oh
the fantastic seafood – Barbados is a wonderful ‘getaway’ destination for
adventure or simply relaxing. The
majority of visitors to the island step off a cruise ship, unfortunately for
them, they usually only have a day to explore the island which has so much to
offer. We counted ourselves extremely
fortunate as we flew in to spend a full week, enjoying every minute. We like to ‘go local’ and staying in a vacation home
exchange is perfect for us.
If you enjoy
fresh fish, the markets in Oistins (open Tuesday to Sunday) are a perfect place
to start. Over the week we enjoyed
freshly caught swordfish, mahi mahi and marlin.
I’m sure everything is fantastic.
Add a little seasoning and lime sauce, then grill (we used a George
Foreman) – the result is absolutely wonderful.
At our vacation home we enjoyed a balcony with stunning views over the
ocean with perfect sunsets, making every dinner an experience to last in our
memories. If you want to treat yourself
and not cook, Oistins is full of local beachside restaurants that will prepare
the fresh fish pretty much anyway you desire – our choice, grilled. Friday night in Oistins is the big party
night. There are bands and DJs set up
around the area, good fun for all ages, just be careful as the rum punch goes
down pretty easy.
You are sure
to find a great beach in Barbados. The
West Coast is famed for its vast selection from popular resort beaches to quiet
beaches where you can enjoy the sand and surf all to yourself. If surfing is your sport, there are several
schools on the island to either get you started or enhance your experience on
the waves. The East Coast boasts much
stronger surf (beware as there are also strong currents) and several more
challenging surfing spots.
Take
advantage of these Caribbean waters and go snorkeling or scuba diving. Just in the main Bridgetown bay is a lovely
Marine Park with several shipwrecks and plenty of underwater life. Turtles, lobsters, rays, seahorses and a wide
variety of both fish and coral can be enjoyed by both snorkelers and scuba
divers. Travel by boat less than 20
minutes from the main port area and scuba divers can explore many more reefs
and wrecks. The local dive community is
proactively attacking the incoming Lionfish problem. Though beautiful, these are very dangerous to
the local ecosystem and if not kept in check will destroy much in their
path. We were fortunate to visit during
a local Lionfish festival week where the dive community and restaurants join
forces to catch as many Lionfish as possible and then feature them on local
menus. With prizes to team with the most
caught, larges and smallest, it was good fun – and for a good cause, the
protection of the local reefs and ecosystem.
We dived with Barbados Blue
(they also run snorkeling trips) and were extremely impressed with their
professionalism, safety, guides and equipment.
Feel like a
little night life? Check out St Lawrence
Gap, full of restaurants and bars, all with plenty of smiles to enjoy. The casual atmosphere of Barbados really
makes to all every easy to simply kick back and relax.
If you are
fortunate enough to have a luxury
vacation home exchange as a base for your Barbados holiday, you might
simply choose to spend time relaxing with a great book by the pool or sea. That is one of the great attractions of Barbados,
the extremely warm and friendly people combined with a relaxed atmosphere. Overall a great location for both recharging
your system or exploring some great sites and culture. Enjoy Barbados.
