Beach within walking distance of town... or other ideas?

[lightninbug]

A friend just returned from her cruise and a day in Barbados and said this is a great island for a beach day. Knowing I'll be there next April, she suggested we just take a taxi into town from the cruise port for $2, and just start asking people for directions to the beach, which she said is only a short walk away... or to just pay $4 and take a taxi all the way to the beach. However, she doesn't remember the name of the beach, but said it's very nice.

 

I'm wondering if anyone might know the name of the beach she's talking about... and might be able to suggest better directions or even a better way to spend the day on Barbados???

 

I love the beach and all, but when we get the chance to visit someplace new, we really enjoy getting to see the island instead of just sitting on a beach, at least for our first visit there.

 

Any ideas/suggestions as to what beach she's referring to, or for other ideas for seeing the island? I do like some water time and am thinking of the turtles excursion too, but won't see much of the island that way either!

 

We've only cruised twice and have only used ship tours, so are not sure about waundering aimlessly in a strange place. We are planning to venture out on a private excursion with Cosul in St Lucia because we've heard such great things, but not sure about Barbados.

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[ricks2047]

I'd say you don't even need to bother with the taxi if you like to explore. Just get off the boat and start walking towards town. No need to worry about your safety. The people of Barbados are the nicest, most beautiful people. Once you get through town, cross over the pedestrian bridge over the careenage and look for the public parking lot (You turn right down the street just over the pedestrian bridge). Just walk across the lot to the gate in the fence and you are at the very beginning of Carlisle bay. This is probably the bay you were told about.

[lightninbug]

Thank you ricks2047... that sounds easy enough! At least with the name, if we have to ask for directions we won't sound too dumb by just asking "where's the beach?"

 

Still trying to decide if this will be the best way to spend the day there or whether to take some sort of tour and see more of the island, either by land or water. Appreciate any feedback!

[aimodels]

It all depends on what you like to do.

 

Barbados has amazing beaches... Forget white sand, we're talking pink sand...

 

If you like swimming with turtles, this is your place.

 

If you're not really into seeing beaches, then you can arrange an island tour and soak in the culture and history.

 

There is a lot to do on this island, it all depends on what you feel like...

 

Here are walking directions to Carlisle Bay:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1542329

 

Cheers, P:)

[lightninbug]

Thanks so much aimodels! The link was helpful too. Can't wait till next April! The beach does sound awesome. Suppose we have some tough decisions to make on how to spend our day! Oh, but if only all our decisions were this tough! :D

 

Thanks again to all who've assisted!

[Bird710]

My husband and I just got back from a Carnival cruise, and one of our ports was Barbados. We, like you, enjoy walking around getting a sense of the true culture of any new places we visit. But to be totally honest, we wished we had just gone for a beach day. We did not have a good experience with the people of Barbados. Every 2 steps you take, there is another taxi driver calling out to you asking if you want a ride. We never felt unsafe, but there were homeless people laying around (one with his pants down!!) on our walk from the cruise terminal to downtown. It just wasn't a pleasant walk.

 

The couple we ate dinner with went to the Boatyard on a recommendation from the ship's staff and they loved it. They taxied there. After hearing their rave reviews and disliking our experience on Barbados, we wished we had gone with them!

[aimodels]

there were homeless people laying around (one with his pants down!!)

 

 

I don't have to fly to Barbados to see that - I see that here every time I go downtown or to a mall... :eek:

 

Cheers, P:)

[cruisingrightalong]

The Boatyard is reasonable and fun. Your entrance fee gets you chairs and a drink! Get there early and you can have the loungers on the front row with padded cushions!

Oh and an umbrella is included!

 

Lou

[Ms411]

When cruising the Caribbean, you need to determine if you're a beach person or other person.

 

For persons not interested in beaches, I recommended island tours. What impressed me about Barbados on my first visit was the sense of order in their green spaces. Hard to describe, but someone else I know mentioned it also.

 

If you're a beach person, there are a number if excellent beaches close to the dock. I've walked solo to some of them, and enjoyed seeing the island close up at my own pace. I'm not a big fan of their downtown, though.