My first stop today was Bathsheba on the eastern coast of Barbados. This coast faces the Atlantic and is very different from the western coast I visited yesterday: it doesn’t see many tourists, perhaps because waves are non-stop and undercurrents are strong, making it a dangerous spot for swimming. It is great for surfing, though: waves get big from August to March, and every November, there is an international surfing competition at Soup Bowl, the most popular point in Bathsheba. The beaches here are very unique, with huge limestone boulders jutting out of sea and sand, and inshore coral reefs spreading out all the way to the sand, forming tide pools where people soak in for hours.
Bathsheba’s scenery is pretty dramatic and it’s worth taking the path on the hill that runs alongside the beach to get a bird’s eye view of the rocky shores below, some of which are totally deserted. The path starts to the south of the picnic area, wide and flat at first, but getting narrower and steeper as you go, until it gets to a spot that looks impassable. I was told you could go all the way to Bath beach, some 2.5 miles (4 km) away, but I gave up when the path became too steep and slippery, about 2/3 of a mile (1 km) in.
My next stop was Crane beach, adjacent to the Crane Beach Hotel, reputedly one of the best beaches on the island, and rated as one of the ten best beaches in the world by Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous. The beach is small but quite charming, lined with palm trees, white sand so soft you barely feel it under your feet, multi-hued clear waters and moderate waves that make it a popular spot for bodyboarding. About a third of the beach is taken over by blue lounge chairs and umbrellas for hotel guests, while private vendors rent chairs and umbrellas on the other 2/3 of the beach. It was relatively crowded today, with dozens of people cavorting in the water or sunning like lizards on the sand. The beach is indeed a must on any visit to Barbados, but if I was filthy rich and famous, I’m sure I’d want some more seclusion…
My last beach of the day was Accra, the most crowded and developed I’ve seen on the island so far. Parking is easy, and the beach is lined with stalls selling clothing, crafts and drinks. Its popularity is due to easy accessibility and its location, right in the main tourist area. It was my least favorite beach here so far, if for no other reason that I’d rather not have soccer balls zipping around me when I’m trying to chill out. So if you ever come to Barbados, skip Accra Beach…there’s many better ones elsewhere.
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