Day 1: Remote Beaches
We had some time to fill today between checking out of our hotel in St Lawrence Gap and into our studio in Holetown. So we checked out some of the beaches in the southeast part of the island.
We hit a big Massy store on the way to Holetown. The store was congested and checkout was prolonged. But they had a good selection. The shopping area the store was in — Warrens — is confusing too. We had to exit and come back in to get to the store. We almost hit a cow in the road.
The Art Studio complex is really nice and the neighbors are friendly. We took a walk down the beach when we arrived.
We went back later for the sunset, with our neighbors from Toronto. That’s what you do here, the beach at sunset.
We had taramasalata and caesar salad for dinner. (Yes, they had taramasalata at the supermarket!) We got a hundred Barbados dollars from the ATM and it gave us one $100 bill. That will be fun to break. (It was not, in fact, fun to break.)
Day 2 Folkestone Marine Park
It’s nice that our terrace is covered so we get shade in the afternoon and we can still sit outside when it rains. (Like it did this morning.)
We walked down to the marine park today by road, past the oldest church on Barbados, then came back via the beach. The park looks nice and shady. They have a “boardwalk” on this stretch of coast that is actually a concrete walkway. It’s not continuous but connects the beaches where there are rocks and seawalls. The track in the top left photo goes from the main road past the Art Studio condos to the beach.
We had dinner at Sitar Indian restaurant. It’s one of a handful of restaurants on 1st and 2nd streets just across the bridge in Holetown, so it’s very easy to walk to.
Day 3 Walking the Beach
We thought about touring again today but one of the gardens we wanted to visit is closed. So we went for a walk down the beach and got in and out of the water. So handy to have the beach so close. We saw a stingray close to shore.
We also saw land-based wildlife today: lizards on the terrace, green monkeys in the nearby trees, and a mongoose.
We went down for the sunset again and had snacky food for dinner. Steve was woken up at 3:00 AM by some guy shouting. He wasn’t the only one who woke up. We met several of the neighbors the following day as people were trying to piece together what happened.
Day 4: Speightstown
We drove up the west coast to Six Mens today. Six Mens was … nothing? A village, but we didn’t see anything worth stopping for. We parked in Speightstown on the way back and walked around. Not a whole lot to see but it was pleasant.
While we had the car we stopped at the Massy supermarket in Holetown on the way home and walked around the chattel houses next door. They’re cute, colorful buildings become eateries and boutiques.
I did some snorkel scouting when we got back. The reef down by the Calma beach club does have some fish, as people had told us, and a few corals. There was nothing near the rocks closer to us.
We had a nice seafood dinner at Sea Cat. We brought some Crystal Light drink mix from home to mix with rum. We ran out of it today so we tried some unsweetened Kool Aid as a mixer along with pineapple juice. It was good but not as good as Crystal Light.
Day 5: Gardens
Today was our main sightseeing jaunt. We hit Hunte’s Gardens first, a personal garden now open to the public. We ran into the English couple we met at the Rostrevor Hotel in the gift shop.
Then we made a stop at Bathsheba Park to check out the giant rocks. There was a school group there and a woman with the same pants as me.
Then onto Andromeda Gardens right outside Bathsheba village.
We drove some rough roads and took a couple of wrong turns. We’re still finding people helpful here. Someone honked at us as we started down a wrong road. I guess they knew tourists wouldn’t want to go there?
We caught another sunset today, and had salami sandwiches for dinner.
Day 6: Beach Day
We were scheduled to return the rental car at 1:00 PM today so we went down to the beach earlier. There’s been controversy and concern over construction that’s going on next door. Some return visitors were worried about noise and dust. It hasn’t bothered us. In fact, it’s kind of fascinating to watch them work.
We went to the Horney Ram for dinner. It was good, but not as good as Sea Cat and more expensive. (They have the same owners and are right next door to each other.)
Day 7: Beach Walk
We took a proper walk north on the beach today. It was high tide so we spent some of it walking in the water. Then we took a dip to cool off. Steve tried out his old snorkel mask.
We dropped off our stuff at the room — housekeeping was finishing up — and went back down. She was still there when we got back. She left the door unlocked for us and grabbed us a mat to put inside the door so we could dry our feet.
Our neighbors highly recommended the “white tent place” for dinner, so we checked it out. Officially it’s called the Nomad Grill.
Day 8: Another Beach Walk
Today we walked south on the beach down past the Paul Owens restaurant. We saw lots of nice beach areas along the way and several bars and restaurants.
The local bananaquits like eating something off the cigar plant on our terrace.
For dinner we ate leftover fish and plantains from yesterday plus taramasalata. We’ve been snacking on chips and cookies too.
Day 9: A Really Lazy Day
It’s my birthday so we were very lazy today. Though we did have to go to the store. We keep overdrinking beer because we’re enjoying hanging out with the neighbors in the evening.
We had a delicious splurge meal at Nishi then sat out until 11:30 or so talking to the neighbors. (So yes, we’ll have to go back to the store tomorrow!)
Day 10: One Last Snorkel
Yes, we made yet another trip to the store for rum for my brother, pineapple juice, and beer. I did one last snorkel and we bobbed in the water for the last time. Tonight’s sunset was angry. Appropriate, since we have to leave tomorrow!
At least we caught this dramatic sunset on the plane, as we flow to Charlotte for our overnight layover. (Cheap airmiles flights sometimes mean awkward scheduling.)
Essentials
Lodging
Art Studios is one of those places people return to again and again. (We met some of them!) You’re maybe a 3 minute walk through the small complex to the beach, which is nice and sandy for swimming and extends in both directions, great for walking. Lots of shops and restaurants within 10 minutes in both directions.
We rented Art Studio #2 from Vrbo. The studio was clean and comfortable and exactly as described. Plenty of room to store our stuff, table and chairs both inside and out for dining, and even a sun lounger on the terrace for relaxing. Great shower, and an outdoor shower for rinsing off. Plus everything you need. Relaxing Caribbean decor. Julia cheerfully answered our questions, gave great dining recommendations, and helped arrange a taxi to the airport when we left. Many other guests were repeat visitors and were welcoming. A nice neighborhood vibe. There is construction going on next door. The noise didn’t bother us. We would love to come back!
Dining
There is a wide selection of restaurants within a few minutes walk. We tried a few while we were there.
At Sitar Indian restaurant we had Vetoor prawns to start, which were interesting and different; kind of a chunky sauce. The Madras and dopiazza curries had a good level of spice.
The Sea Cat was our favorite local place. We split a mixed ceviche then had swordfish and calamari, with excellent garlic mashed potatoes and coleslaw. The same people own the Horney Ram next door. We liked the mussels in garlic & cream sauce/broth though the mussels were in the shells so difficult to eat. The fishburger and were good, but not as good as Sea Cat and more expensive. They had live music; kind of a professional karaoke singer.
We got some of the best fish ever (grilled marlin) plus salad, fries, grilled plantains from the Nomad Grill, the food stand with the white tent roof right across the street. Plus the chef, Tyrrell, is a really nice kid too.
For my birthday splurge meal at Nishi we had steamed dumplings with chili oil and spicy maki roll, plus spicy beef and lamb shank with black garlic sauce. And two new cocktails: Mexican Tabanca and Tropical Rum Smash. The food and the service were excellent without being unnecessarily fussy.
Transportation
We rented a car from Stoutes to use for sightseeing and to get us to Holetown. We arranged a taxi to get us back to the airport. We were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go in Holetown. If we went back we’d probably skip the car; the bus runs right down the main road.