West Coast Beach

[bee-ess]

Hiring a car for the day in Barbados - looking for a West Coast beach to stop at for the last couple of hours. Thinking Holetown, Sandy Lane or Paynes - any suggestions would be welcome.

Are all the beaches 'free' public beaches on the West Coast.

[Johnthed0g]

All beaches in Barbados are public....unfortunately the access often isn't. You CAN get onto the beach at SL, there is a path but parking may be a problem, you could park in Holetown, have lunch in Surfside(local) or Zaccios (commercial) nice cakes at Café Flindt, depending on the state of the beach you may be able to walk South (left as you face the sea)along the new boardwalk past AB Club to SL or you could just rock up to the hotel & ask to have a look round. Paynes MAY be crowded with those pesky cruise people. You may be better off down South or even over at the Crane.

[Aplmac]

If you're hiring a car

 

why not do the ultimate..

-and go to Bottom Bay, where one definitely needs a car to get to/from

 

.

[bee-ess]

If you're hiring a car

 

why not do the ultimate..

-and go to Bottom Bay, where one definitely needs a car to get to/from

 

.

Thanks.........this looks gorgeous. Is there any safe parking nearby.

 

Thinking of going to Crane Hotel for early lunch, then this beach, then drive up to Bathsheba and back to Port for 5PM. Is that do-able in the time.

[Aplmac]

.this looks gorgeous. Is there any safe parking nearby. ===> Yes, just lock the car.

 

Thinking of going to Crane Hotel for early lunch,

then this beach,

then drive up to Bathsheba and back to Port for 5PM.

Is that do-able in the time.

Yes, doable -just keep an eye on your watch.

 

Your ship LEAVES AT 5 ?? -or at 6?

If it's 5 p.m. and if there are several ships in port, on your day here

try to be back to the Port area by about 3:30-4:00 p.m., because of traffic buildup/congestion,

as several thousand cruisers like yourself all descend on the area, getting back to their ships

.

[Johnthed0g]

Great point about traffic, can be heavy with the general daytime traffic too.

[Aplmac]

Great point about traffic, can be heavy with the general daytime traffic too.

Yes, it's a busy island

particularly in/around Bridgetown -and out into the extended suburbs, too!

 

Aside from that though, I've read posts telling about fairly bad traffic around the Port area

as everyone tries to get back to their ships!

 

Just look out for that and make allowance, particularly if you have to return your car

to a rental agency within the confines of the Port.

i.e. you'll have to slog thru the whole thing..

 

..whereas people in taxis can just pay the guy, hop out of his cab

and walk the last 1/4 mile or so, back to the port's gatehouse

and then from the gatehouse to the Cruise Terminal, :)

then to wait on a shuttle bus out to the end of the breakwater arm!

 

 

It all starts to add up, time-wise!

 

Don't miss your ship :cool:

[bee-ess]

Thanks, ship is due to sail at 21:00 but not sure what time the car agency closes (Stoutes in the Port)

[Johnthed0g]

Thanks, ship is due to sail at 21:00 but not sure what time the car agency closes (Stoutes in the Port)

When we did it they said just leave the car at the terminal, keys on the front wheel!

[Aplmac]

Thanks, ship is due to sail at 21:00

but not sure what time the car agency closes (Stoutes in the Port)

9 p.m.

Wow that's nice!

-in that case you've got oodles of time!

 

Might as well plan on not getting back to the Port until around 6 p.m.

to avoid both the cruiser logjam

and the 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. rush-hour traffic, exiting Bridgetown

.

[trevgbb]

Not only are all the beaches on Barbados (officially) free access, there is also usually a police presence on or nearby, but the last time I was on Paynes Bay, March 09, I was disappointed to find the Blue Monkey and the Coach House closed, permanently, it seems, so nowhere to get a drink?

A new large hotel has been built at the north end and the footpath access is just past this, but car parking is very limited, being used by taxi's dropping off cruisers. At the end of this path, you can turn right to access Sandy Lane, can be a bit wet if high tide, or left to Paynes Bay.

And don't forget, darkness falls rapidly just after 6pm.

[tobecool]

If you're hiring a car

 

why not do the ultimate..

-and go to Bottom Bay, where one definitely needs a car to get to/from

 

.

 

Hi, thank you for your so many beautiful pics, and we can't wait for our coming cruise to barbados in march. and we really like bottom bay you showed. our question is we'll have 3 hours cruise with shasa and finish at 1:00pm, our ship will leave at 5:00pm from barbados. do you think we have enough time to bottom bay? how long it will take from bottomo bay to port? is it easy to get a taxi at bottom bay? thanks.

[Aplmac]

our question is we'll have 3 hours cruise with shasa and finish at 1:00pm,

our ship will leave at 5:00pm from barbados.

 

do you think we have enough time to bottom bay? ===> I rather doubt it!!

how long it will take from bottomo bay to port? ===> About an hour?

is it easy to get a taxi at bottom bay? ===>Absolutely not.

Bottom Bay is clear across the other side of the island

and is quite remote.

On the difficult side to even find, there is no taxi stand closer than Crane, about 2 miles away. :cool:

 

 

When your tour finishes at 1 p.m. your best bet is Accra/Rockley.

 

Crane and Bottom Bay are waaaay far away -at 1 p.m.

.

[tobecool]

Bottom Bay is clear across the other side of the island

and is quite remote.

On the difficult side to even find, there is no taxi stand closer than Crane, about 2 miles away. :cool:

 

 

When your tour finishes at 1 p.m. your best bet is Accra/Rockley.

 

Crane and Bottom Bay are waaaay far away -at 1 p.m.

.

 

 

thanks for your quick response.

 

so pity to me, wo..wo..woo... then i think we don't have any other choice but accra. do you know how long it will take by taxi from accra to the port? and carsilse is close by?

[Aplmac]

i think we don't have any other choice but accra.

do you know how long it will take by taxi from accra to the port? ===> Depends on the traffic

and carsilse is close by?

Carlisle Bay is close by -you can see your ship from Carlisle Bay.

Accra's a bit further out.

 

The one time consuming factor re. your return to the ship in the afternoon,

is that there are sometimes many thousand other cruisers

with the same idea, same time schedule!

 

If there are several cruise ships in port, on your day,

that can amount to anything like ten thousand cruisers ashore in Barbados.

Traffic jams around the port area are not unknown on busy days,

often adding travel time to what would otherwise be a far shorter trip.

 

Average time from Accra to the Port is about 15 mins.

but on busy days this might get up to 20-25 mins.

Allow for that.

 

carlisle Bay to the Port is a quick 5 min. trip under normal conditions.

On busy days it might be 15.

Allow for that.

 

Don't miss your ship.

.

[tobecool]

Carlisle Bay is close by -you can see your ship from Carlisle Bay.

Accra's a bit further out.

 

The one time consuming factor re. your return to the ship in the afternoon,

is that there are sometimes many thousand other cruisers

with the same idea, same time schedule!

 

If there are several cruise ships in port, on your day,

that can amount to anything like ten thousand cruisers ashore in Barbados.

Traffic jams around the port area are not unknown on busy days,

often adding travel time to what would otherwise be a far shorter trip.

 

Average time from Accra to the Port is about 15 mins.

but on busy days this might get up to 20-25 mins.

Allow for that.

 

carlisle Bay to the Port is a quick 5 min. trip under normal conditions.

On busy days it might be 15.

Allow for that.

 

Don't miss your ship.

.

 

thanks for the details. i'll see.

 

i really don't want to give up any chance to bottom bay, may just half an hour there to take some pics. how long will it take from the port to bottom bay? or crane?

[Aplmac]

i really don't want to give up any chance to bottom bay,

maybe just half an hour there to take some pics. ===> Have your taxi wait on you ;) -you'll see.

 

 

how long will it take from the port to bottom bay? or crane?

About 45 mins. -maybe an hour if traffic is bad in/around Bridgetown

which can be the case when several ships are in port.

[tobecool]

About 45 mins. -maybe an hour if traffic is bad in/around Bridgetown

which can be the case when several ships are in port.

 

thanks so much. we'll see.

[bee-ess]

Carlisle Bay is close by -you can see your ship from Carlisle Bay.

Accra's a bit further out.

 

The one time consuming factor re. your return to the ship in the afternoon,

is that there are sometimes many thousand other cruisers

with the same idea, same time schedule!

 

If there are several cruise ships in port, on your day,

that can amount to anything like ten thousand cruisers ashore in Barbados.

Traffic jams around the port area are not unknown on busy days,

often adding travel time to what would otherwise be a far shorter trip.

 

Average time from Accra to the Port is about 15 mins.

but on busy days this might get up to 20-25 mins.

Allow for that.

 

carlisle Bay to the Port is a quick 5 min. trip under normal conditions.

On busy days it might be 15.

Allow for that.

 

Don't miss your ship.

.

 

You can always walk to Carlisle Bay - about 20 mins from ship.

[trevgbb]

You can see all these locations on Google earth and measure distance using the ruler tool, also lots of photo's there as well.