Surprises off-the-beaten path in Barbados
The tourist brochures are deadly accurate. Barbados took my breath away on our first visit ten years ago, and still does each March when we return. Here are seven memories far removed from the popular tourist haunts.
Lunchtime view at Zaccios Restaurant in Holetown.
Our favourite seaside restaurant on the west coast is Zaccios. It is easy on the wallet and offers spectacular views of the Atlantic (yes, it is technically the Atlantic, not the Caribbean) and easy walking distance to all Holetown has to offer.
Seeing how potter Hamilton Wilshire spins his magic.
It takes some work to find Hamilton’s Pottery in Sturges, St. Thomas, but it’s worth it. He took us outside to show future products baking in the sun. The clay in this region is ideal for pottery. He ships worldwide.
Race horses bathing on Pebbles Beach on Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown.
We left Holetown in our rental car at 5:30am to catch the daily bathing ritual of Garrison racehorses. The saltwater soothes the muscles of these powerful, athletic animals. Some will swim out to the moored sailboats, tugging their loyal riders with them. It’s a sight to behold.
Great timing over our condo pool.
A light drizzle brought this stunning double rainbow over our condo pool in Sunset Crest, Holetown. In our seven trips, we have never seen a heavy downpour. There’s usually a light sprinkle, then back to sunshine and 26 - 28 degrees Celsius.
Historic Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill in St. Andrews Parish.
Morgan Lewis is one of the only two intact and restored sugar mills in the Caribbean. It is now protected by the Barbados National Trust and considered the fourth of the Seven Wonders of Barbados. Our guide, Sherné Alleyne, shared the gruesome story of workers always keeping a cutlass (machete) nearby in case the grinding wheels caught someone’s clothing. It was either cut off your limb or be pulled into a horrific death.
Putting the hole in Holetown
This is where the first colonizers from Britain waded ashore in 1625. A small pathway inland where they could take small boats with supplies. Holetown was founded two years later, taking on a new name instead of the original Jamestown, in honour of King James.
Meeting Fyah Acobee, coconut palm weaver.
We had unknowingly seen Fyah Acobee’s crafts outside the Massey grocery store in Holetown before we met him on a walk one weekday morning. He explained the art of cutting coconut palms and then choosing the best for his baskets and other craft items.
BONUS: Sunset from the Beach House Restaurant, Holetown.
We tried every night to be near the water as the sun went down, usually around 6pm. Best spots were the Surfside Bar & Grill or the Beach House, where you don’t want to miss the potent rum punch.
For more information on Barbados, I recommend visiting https://www.visitbarbados.org/. You’ll find the information you need to make your visit to this island gem a lifetime memory.
