The Best Beaches in Barbados
Bajan beaches are truly unique as their appearance can change from year to year depending on, among other things, the strength of the tides. The south and west coast beaches are also completely different in character from the east and north coast beaches as the calm Caribbean that laps the island's south-western edge is worlds apart from the tempestuous and testy Atlantic that attacks the north-east.
Exactly which beaches will be classed as the "best in Barbados" will depend on, for instance, exactly what the beach goer is looking for, and he who frequents the surfing hotspots will not have the same beach at #1 as he who is looking for a safe children's swimming area.
In general, swimming beaches are those located on the Caribbean side while surfing beaches are those that hug the Atlantic. Swimming and surfing are not, however, the only water sports the Bajan beaches have to offer, and diving, snorkeling, kite-surfing and boogie-boarding are also highly recommended.
Some of the more popular Bajan beaches get fairly crowded, especially over the weekends, and, if it's a quiet beach that's wanted than nothing could be better than Miami Beach. This south coast shore, which is also known as Enterprise Beach, is perfect for the off-the-cuff picnic and also hoards thousands of delicate seashells until time and tide conspire together to give them up to visitors.
The island's celebrity beach must, however, be the stunning west coast Sandy Lane as, not only is it one of the most famous Bajan beaches, it is also the one that movie stars and sports personalities flock to. Sandy Lane is also a great place to put one's boating skills to the test and take a catamaran or a jetski out for a spin.
The pools in the Animal Flower Cave on the wild Bajan north coast may not exactly constitute a beach but they are also one of the most unforgettable natural attractions on the island, and there is nothing to match the sensation of swimming through an anemone-filled cave-pool while looking out on the gorgeous ocean.
The Cattlewash, on the other hand, is one of the most popular of the east coast beaches, but, given the Atlantic's temper, walking along this magnificent seashore should replace swimming in the surf on top of the casual visitor's to-do list.
The bottom line? North, east, south, west: Barbados beaches are simply the best.
