A Beach for Every Mood…and Occasion
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison and surrounding areas boasts several beautiful beaches to explore at leisure – each with a different charm, but all with an island enchantment that has brought them international attention.
At almost all of these beaches, there are beach chairs and umbrellas available to rent, perfect waters for swimming or snorkeling, lifeguards and shops within walking distance or on-site vendors. Jet-ski operators are also usually close-by.
Brandons and Brightons Beach
These white sand beauties line the popular Spring Garden highway, a length of road with a venerable connection to Barbados’ Crop Over festivities. They are perfect for cruise ship passengers, who arrive just a short distance away at The Bridgetown Port. They are especially popular among locals on weekends.
Find on Spring Garden Highway, just minutes walk from the Bridgetown Port.
Adventure/Boatyard Beach
This beach is ideal for family fun and great for children because of its full indoor amenities, along with its outdoor water-sports activities, available for a fee. During the day, there’s a sea-side restaurant, the Boatyard, complete with shower and a pool table as well as an ocean trampoline, iceberg climb and rope swing.
Brownes Beach
Many scuba-divers and snorkelers indulge in the translucent waters found here, which are usually meek with no undertow. It is not a very private beach and becomes even more animated in the evening as joggers and sports groups practice on the beach. However, this beach is quite long and perfect for a stroll, featuring a number of sea-side restaurants. For the more adventurous diver, the historic Carlisle Bay is the king of underwater exhibition, offering not only shipwrecks –some from almost a century ago – but also rare underwater fauna.
Pebbles Beach
Children would enjoy Pebbles beach, which is part of Needham’s Point in Carlisle Bay. It accommodates a play area and spots for picnics, with a beach bar for the adults. There is also the possibility of an exciting sighting of a Hawksbill Turtle! There are also tasty Bajan “fish-cutters” for sale a few strides from the beach.
Drill Hall Beach
South-Coast surfers, boogie-boarders and some windsurfers favour Drill Hall Beach, also in the Carlisle Bay area. This beach has neither beach facilities nor rentals, and its rocky seabed and intermittent current undertow don’t make it ideal for children or swimming. Still, it proves to be a good picnic spot because of its wide sheltering trees.
Visitors are encouraged not to touch any trees with red bands or warning signs, as they may be poisonous. As for our beautiful coral reefs which protect our coastlines from erosion, they are considered endangered, and swimmers or snorkelers are also warned against breaking pieces of the reefs for souvenirs.
This story was originally published in the 2014 edition of Bridgetown & its Garrison (Map + City Guide)