Crane Beach Barbados
Rated by the premier American television show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" as one of the top ten beach resort areas in the world, Crane Beach offers tourists sensational sights and scintillating sensory experiences that cannot easily be duplicated.
One of the most enchanting aspects of Crane Beach and its surrounds - and one which sets it apart from many other Bajan beaches - is the view afforded by the cliff that overlooks the entire expanse of this stunning beach. The Crane Resort and Residences, which is one of the most sought after accommodation venues in Barbados, clings to the cliff above the beach and offers incomparable views of the pinkish-white sand, azure surf and never-ending cerulean ocean. Honeymooning couples from around the world flock to this delightful inn to experience watching the sunrise over the sea's edge while marveling at the exquisite artistry of the Grand Jeté statue that decorates the complex's gorgeous formal gardens.
Crane Beach itself, which is situated on the island's south-eastern coast, also has much to offer, including calm and coral-reef protected surf that is, nonetheless, still well suited for boogie boarding and body surfing. Visitors should also make a point of exploring "the horse": the rocky outcrop set into the side of the cliff that provided discreet bathing facilities to the ladies of long ago. The Crane Resort has also recently completed work on a magnificent four-pool facility, which, in its construction, takes advantage of the cliff's natural shape and which has as its main attraction a rare negative-edge pool.
The Crane Beach area is also rich in history and, in 1898, saw the opening of the first ever Bajan holiday resort, the Marine Villa Mansion. The resort's ruins are still available to be explored as is the spot on which the original sea-crane, from which the area takes its name, once stood. The Parish of Saint Philip, which is home to Crane Beach, also offers numerous other intriguing attractions including the stately Sunbury Plantation House, which dates back to the 17th century, and the Fousquare Rum Distillery, which specializes in offering guided tours of its rum-making facilities.
Crane Beach and its surrounds can make a legitimate claim to being the most beautiful spot in Barbados - if not in all the world - and, for over a hundred years, has been one of the most sought after of all Bajan holiday spots.
