We arrived in Barbados via a little island hopper plane from Antigua. The service has the reputation of being notoriously unreliable and flights are cancelled at very short notice, however ours took off only an hour late and fellow passengers told us we should be grateful.
We landed at Grantley Adams Airport in a huge rainstorm, were met by our friends and whisked to their villa about 45 minutes away in Dairy Meadows, near St James and Holders Hill. By the time we arrived the sun was out and we were drinking cocktails by their pool.
From Dairy Meadows there are some fabulous walks to be had around the Sandy Lane golf course, and if you’re around on a Sunday the Farmer’s Market by the polo club is a real treat with lots of gorgeous food as well as antiques and crafts.
Snorkelling at St James was a real highlight of our trip. Our friends organised a private boat for our gang of seven, and everything was provided – including rum punch! We got to see turtles, sting ray, shipwrecks and a huge variety of beautifully coloured fish over the reef.
Hunte’s Gardens is a stunning botanical garden located in the central part of the island near the village of Bathsheba. It was created and designed by horticulturist Anthony Hunte, who is often present at the gardens, chatting to visitors, and covers about six acres. The garden boasts a diverse and lush collection of tropical plants including rare and exotic species from all over the world.
The two sides of Barbados are very different. The West Coast has sandy beaches and many hotels look out to sea from their luxury rooms, restaurants and gardens. The East side of the island in contrast is rocky, wild and the sea is rough. I recommend you stay on the West side but we had a local give us a tour of the island taking in the more rugged coastline, which is well worth seeing, as it has a beauty of its own, though it’s advisable not to swim there.
Dinner at The Tides:
On Valentine’s evening we dined at Tides restaurant in Holetown, right on the beach with stunning views of the Caribbean. The shellfish starters and the beef tenderloin main course was second to none, as were the cocktails. With a pianist playing softly in the background our table of 7 had the most wonderful evening, followed by a walk along the lit beach path after dark.
Lunch at Local & Co
Local & Co is exactly what it says on the tin. All their food is sustainably sourced from local farms and producers. The Chef Patron is British chef Sophie Michell who you might have seen on UK TV shows such as Saturday Kitchen and Market Kitchen back in the day. The menu is fabulous – stand out dishes were the breadfruit tacos and the tuna tartare.
What’s more they have their own beach, and you can hire a sunbed, go for a dip, order cocktails while you sunbathe and make a complete day of it.
Lunch at The Bearded Rose
Our last meal before flying back was at this cool courtyard restaurant off the main drag in Holetown. Again the breadfruit tacos were delicious as well as the chargrilled octopus salad and the fried fish sliders.
