West Coast Beaches

Calm, translucent, turquoise water, good swimming, snorkeling and swimming with the turtles, a marine reserve, glass bottom boat tours and lots of water-sports.

Speightstown

Speighstown's gem of a beach is quiet, peaceful and the perfect spot for relaxing. A new walkway allows you to traverse the coast up to Cobbler's Cove. Mangos By The Sea Restaurant serves light lunches and drinks on the beach and hires out high quality chairs and umbrellas. Cassareep Cafe and Fisherman's Pub also serve snacks, Bajan specialties and delicious drinks.

Mullins

Mullins, Gibbes and Reeds (below) comprise a gorgeous St. Peter stretch of beach with glassy, aquamarine water. A variety of water-sports is available and snorkeling is quite good there. Mullin's Beach Restaurant is an ideal choice for lunch and offers service right to your beach lounger, which they rent out to you, along with umbrellas. At the southern end of the beach there is a lovely picnic area.

Gibbes

Gibbes Beach offers easy access and glorious peaceful swimming, but no rentals or beach facilities.

Reed's Bay

Reed's Bay has the best parking of the three, and has beach chairs for rent and food and drinks on sale.

The Garden and Heron Bay

Between the Fairmont Royal Pavilion and Carlton in St. Peter, The Garden and Heron Bay is a fine stretch of beach with several little access paths. Lunch is lovely at the Lone Star or for a more economical casual lunch or drinks on the beach try Juju's, a cute little beach bar. You'll have to take a towel or your own deck chair, but the swimming is nice. Sometimes there is even a turtle or two around.

Holetown and the West Coast Boardwalk

There are some really good expanses of beach along the waterfront and a new boardwalk in the Holetown area. Holetown has one main beach and few small ones further south. There is no shortage of lunch stops around this area. The Tides Restaurant, Spago at Settler's Beach Hotel and The R estaurant at the Sandpiper Hotel are particularly good and right on the beach. Patisserie Flindt is off the beach but worth a stop. Folkestone Marine Park's shallow bay is a 2km marine reserve with a snorkeling trail and a small museum about Barbadian marine life. There are also a play-park, picnic tables, parking, bathroom facilities and equipment and lockers available for rent.

Payne's Bay

Payne's Bay has a gorgeous sandy beach and calm water but because of its popularity it can be a bit crowded at times - it's a favourite with families. This isn't necessarily a drawback though. It's a great opportunity to interact with Bajans and maybe join in a game of beach cricket, football or volleyball. It's ideal for swimming and snorkeling with turtles; you may see a few people fishing just off the shore with a makeshift line. There is a well-kept public area just south of Sandy Lane Hotel with limited roadside parking. Chairs are available for rent and cold drinks are sold nearby.

Batts Rock and Prospect

Just past the north end of Spring Garden Highway, public access is provided to this superb beach with parking, shade, picnic tables, a play-park and great swimming.

Brighton

Home of the Cockspur Beach Club, Brighton has loads of water-sports. You can tour the rum distillery and relax on the club's beach chairs. Beach umbrellas, lunch and drinks are also available. The beach stretches all the way down to the outskirts of Bridgetown and is just within walking distance of the cruise port. At this end of the beach there is also Weisers Beach Bar if you wish to have a meal or enjoy beach and water-sports.

More about the West Coast of Barbados.