Western Barbados
Sourced from Wikivoyage. Text is available under the CC-by-SA 3.0 license.
Holetown is where the British first landed in 1625, the hole being the haven and freshwater creek; initially it was called "Jamestown" for King James I / VI. More settlers arrived in 1627, plantations and transatlantic trade were established, and the area grew up to be the first capital of the colony. However the Earl of Carlisle founded a new settlement with a better natural harbour to the south which overtook it, and is nowadays Bridgetown.
Get in
The coast highway runs north from Bridgetown via Holetown to Speightstown. All public transport runs along this road, some continuing up to St Lucy's Church. Bus #1 runs up the coast from Bridgetown Princess Alice Terminal to Holetown and Speightstown every 30-60 mins, but there are also very frequent minibuses. Bus # 1E crosses the top of the island every couple of hours daily between Speightstown and Bathsheba on the east coast.
Highway 2A, the Ronald Mapp Highway, has been built further inland and now takes most of the traffic. It links to the Earl Barrow Highway bypassing Bridgetown, so taxis or other private transfers between the airport and west coast resorts shouldn't exceed an hour. So the coastal highway is nowadays slow and congested in rush hour but not permanently thrombosed.
Highway 2A, the Ronald Mapp Highway, has been built further inland and now takes most of the traffic. It links to the Earl Barrow Highway bypassing Bridgetown, so taxis or other private transfers between the airport and west coast resorts shouldn't exceed an hour. So the coastal highway is nowadays slow and congested in rush hour but not permanently thrombosed.
Get around
The coast road is narrow and ratty with traffic, with poor sidewalks, so walking is no fun. Take a minibus for any distance along the north-south main drag; getting inland (eg to Harrison's Cave) will involve a taxi or joining an excursion.
See
- Holetown Monument commemorates the first English landing.
- Saint James Parish Church in Holetown was the first church in Barbados, founded in 1628. The present structure dates from 1874.
- (pictured at head of page) is at Benny Hall on Highway 2, straddling the boundary with Saint Andrew. The 19th C mansion is now a ruin. It's set in Barbados Wildlife Reserve; brick paths lead through four acres of mahogany forest. Adult B$30, child B$15, which includes admission to Grenade Hall Signal Station.
Do
- Scuba diving: the main concentration of shacks is in Bridgetown, but one operator is based in Holetown:
Buy
- Limegrove Mall in Holetown is full of clothing stores.
- New Town Square in Speightstown is attractive, with a collection of boutique stores.
Eat
- Bean & Bagel, Holetown, is open daily 8AM-3PM.
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phone: +1 246-432-2119address: Holetown, Saint JamesCaribbean influenced food: blackened shrimp, curries, and a delicious vegetarian stew.
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phone: +1 246 432-0134address: HoletownOcean-front dining. Open for Lunch & Dinner. Good value for money. Relaxed atmosphere. Happy Hour from 4 - 6PM. International cuisine - Pizza Take Away.
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phone: +1 246 422 2703address: Speightstown, Saint PeterReasonable priced pub with local food that is hopping on Wednesday nights with live music but sleepy and goes to bed early on other nights.
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phone: +1 246 432-1922address: Derricks, Saint JamesThe gourmand destination in Barbados with excellent food at astronomical, for Barbados, prices, and a fantastic cliff-side setting.
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phone: +1 246 432-2471address: Payne's Bay, Saint JamesDaphne's is a branch of a London restaurant of the same name.
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Roti Den
address: Highway 1, Payne's Bay, Saint JamesGood roti and curries at this small shop. -
phone: +1 246 4393000address: Little Good Harbour, ClinkettsDine above the breaking surf at this fine Barbados restaurant but call ahead for reservations. Hotel has doubles from B$1000.
Drink
- Red Door Lounge is in the Mango Bay Hotel, Holetown. It's open from 6PM, Th to 2AM, F to 4AM, Sat to midnight.
- Xplore is on Trends Tenantry Rd, Folkestone. It's open W Th M 10PM-2AM, F-Sun 9PM-4AM.
- Goggles Bar is at Mount Standfast.
- John Moore Bar and Carlton Variety Bar are near the junction of the coast highway with Carlton Rd.
Sleep
The west coast is prime territory for family beach holidays. There are good package deals to be found, but hotel rates for individual travellers are over-inflated. However this area also has a number of small B&Bs and guesthouses a few blocks inland for more reasonable prices. The Fitts Village / Risk Road neighbourhood is a good bet.
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address: Sandy Lane, HoletownLuxury hotel on a former sugar plantation. Opulent is the word, this hotel is in the top bracket for room comfort, amenities, service and price - reckon 2000 US$ per night.
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address: HoletownSituated on St James Beach within landscaped gardens, this is a Rex Resorts mid-range hotel in plantation-style chalets.
- Leamington Pavilion is a swanky Italianate beach villa, with a 1950s makeover (c/o the Heinz Ketchup fortune) to draw the Hollywood big names. It's at Little Battaleys, St Peter, 2 miles south of Speightstown. A mere US$ 2500 a night, or join the public tour on occasional open days.
- Fustic House: reckon 5000 US$ a night, minimum 5 nights, to rent this 7-bedroom 18th C villa in Saint Lucy; similar rates for weddings and photo-shoots. It's occasionally open for public visits.