St. Lawrence Gap
Any holidaymaker in Barbados who's up for a bit of nightlife owes it to themselves to take a trip to St Lawrence Gap, or just “The Gap”. The Gap is a 1.6 km strip between Bridgetown and Oistins with nothing but restaurants, hotels, pubs, and shopping, located in Christ Church not far from the airport.
The Gap's Nightlife
Save Friday nights for the fish fry in nearby Oistins; on Thursday nights, head over to St Lawrence Gap, where you'll find plenty of “Buy one, get one free” drink specials all along the strip. McBride's Irish Pub is one of the most popular places on the strip, offering drink specials and regular live music. Nearby Jumbies is another popular place that also has periodic live music.
Speaking of live music, the Reggae Lounge is a primarily outdoor reggae joint with world-class Caribbean music. You'll enjoy dancing outside on the warm, starry nights.
Cafe Sol is a margarita bar that offers excellent cocktails and daily drink specials. The Ship Inn is a little bit more low-key, offering dinner, sports on the telly, followed by dancing and live music. For jazz and R&B music, visit Time Out At the Gap; for karaoke, head towards the Whistling Frog.
The Gap's Restaurants
If drinks and music aren't so much your thing, you can still enjoy the culinary delights of the Caribbean islands at St Lawrence Gap's many restaurants. The restaurants are mostly Caribbean, but there are also British, American, Chinese, Italian, and French restaurants to choose from. In Barbados, the national dish is Flying Fish with CouCou, which is available at most any restaurant you visit in The Gap.
Expect to pay around £40 – 50 for a nice three course meal for two. If that sounds too pricey for you, don't worry, there are plenty of beachside shacks nearby that can offer you a fresh catch for much less.
The Gap's Shops
St Lawrence Gap is also the best place in Barbados for a little shopping therapy. At The Chattel House Shopping village, you'll find a great variety of stores, some of which have unique Barbados souvenirs that you won't find elsewhere. Likewise, The Best of Barbados Gift Shop, located just across the street from the Chattel House inside the Southern Palms Hotel, is packed with Barbados souvenirs and gifts.
Everywhere along The Gap are street vendors with stalls selling their Caribbean arts and crafts. Walker's Caribbean World is a shop offering similar local crafts.
The Gap's Beaches
As if all the man-made pleasures of St Lawrence Gap weren't enough, the area is also home to St Lawrence Bay and Turtle Beach.
St Lawrence Bay, sometimes referred to as “Little Bay”, lies near the entrance of The Gap. At low tide, the sea is so shallow that you can walk far into the bay without the water even reaching your knees. Protected by a reef, many people enjoy snorkeling in the bay, where schools of tropical fish can be found. Although it's not the best spot in Barbados for more adventurous water sports, nonetheless St Lawrence Bay usually has the few odd windsurfers, kayakers, and kite surfers.
Turtle Beach, located at the eastern edge of The Gap, is a safe place for swimming and is perfect for boogie boarding. Further out into the sea, windsurfers ride along the strong currents. The white, almost pink sands of Turtle Beach is popular with families and tourists from the nearby resorts.
The beach earns its name from the sea turtles who lay their eggs there. At night during the hatching season, the hotels turn down their lights so that the baby sea turtles head in the right direction towards the shoreline.
St Lawrence Gap is a must-see for holidaymakers headed for Barbados. Designed for visitors, it is a particularly enjoyable part of the island.
