Southern Barbados is one of the main tourist bases of Barbados. Starting just beyond the Garrison Savannah district of Bridgetown, the parish of Christ Church is a strip of hotels, bars and restaurants along Highway 7, one long traffic jam honking its way through Hastings, Worthing, Rockley, Saint Lawrence (the main party zone), Oistins and Silver Sands. This south-facing section of coast is good both for water-based activities and family bathing. East of the airport is Saint Philip parish: this has fewer hotels and amenities, the coast trends north-east and becomes rugged and the seas are stronger.
Understand
[edit]- "A wild, mad, drunken fellow whose lewd and extravagant carriage made him infamous in the island"
- - description of Austin, an early landowner and likely origin of the placename Oistins.
- "A wild, mad, drunken fellow whose lewd and extravagant carriage made him infamous in the island"
The west coast of Barbados is sheltered and had the first European settlements, the east coast is exposed with a dangerous lee shore. The south coast is something between, with a transition at Oistins and South Point. Oistins became a fishing village but was never a port for long-distance shipping. In the late 20th century the area was boosted by the expansion of flights into Seawell, on the flat terrain a few miles inland - in 1976 this airport was renamed for Grantly Adams (1898-1971), first premier of Barbados. (Pure coincidence that in 1976 his son Tom Adams became Prime Minister.) Budget flights brought active holidaymakers who weren't content to sunbathe on a beach, and who wanted water sports such as wind-surfing. That clientele, plus short travel times to the airport and to Bridgetown, turned the southwest coast into the major tourist strip on Barbados.
Get in
[edit]1 Grantley Adams Airport (BGI IATA) is in this area, so travellers staying in the south of Barbados have short transfer rides. See Barbados#Get in for airport facilities and flight connections.
Highway 7 is the main road along which all public transport runs. Runs? - more often crawls, especially around commuter times, though they fly like hellbats whenever they spot a clear stretch. Buses westbound all go to Bridgetown, with some continuing up the west coast as far as Speightstown. Buses eastbound all go to Oistins with some continuing to Silver Sands and the airport, and a few beyond into Saint Philip.
Get around
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See Barbados#Get around for the different types of bus and minibus; in 2026 it's a flat fare of B$3.50. Almost every third vehicle on Highway 7 is a minibus plying between Bridgetown and Oistins; they stop anywhere, even if you weren't hailing them, with a tirra-lirra-lirra blast of horn to get your attention. (They succeed in this whenever you try to sleep in your hotel.) Services beyond, north to Speightstown and east to the airport, are every ten minutes.
Private taxis start at B$2/km. These are the better option at night, and for anywhere off the main drag.
See
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- 1 Garrison Savannah: see Bridgetown for this historic district a mile south of city centre. This was the 18th- and 19th-century military base, centred on the "Savannah", once the parade ground and sports fields, now the island's racetrack. Its chief attractions are the George Washington House, the Barbados Museum, and St Ann's Fort.
- Mallalieu Motor Collection is a private enthusiast's collection of mostly mid-20th century classic motors. It's next to the Courtyard by Marriott, and open M-F 8AM-11AM, adult B$20.
- 2 Harry Bayley Observatory on Clapham Rd has lectures, viewing evenings and other events. Harry Bayley (1908-1958) elucidated the cause of "Barbados jaundice" - leptospirosis - and built the island's first modern hospital.
- 3 Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Worthing Main Road, ☏ +1 246 435 9727. Daily 9AM-4:30PM. Wetland RAMSAR site with reptiles and apes, but the main attraction is the bird life. Adult B$80, child B$15.
- 4 Christ Church in its present form is from 1935, a sturdy cod-castellated parish church open Tu, Th & Sa noon-2PM, Su 8-11AM. It's best known for the Chase family vault outside, which 200 years ago sparked a mystery - the coffins within were said to re-arrange themselves when no-one was looking. The corpse of this paranormal non-story is re-arranged from time to time by modern publicists.
- 5 South Point Lighthouse is Barbados' oldest, installed in 1852 and still active. Its 89 ft / 27 m tower was first erected at the Great Exhibition in London that year, then transplanted. No interior access.
- 6 HARP supergun, rusting away at the east end of BGI airport, was Barbados' venture into space. HARP stands for High Altitude Research Project - in the 1950s better data on the outer atmosphere was needed to calculate space vehicle low orbits and their re-entry. Those heights are beyond aircraft or balloons, but rockets were expensive. The idea was therefore to fire probes from a great gun. The largest was the 16-inch (41 cm) supergun, which in the 1960s fired over a hundred probes. Similar sites were established in Quebec province and Yuma Arizona - the latter achieved a record firing to 179 km altitude, well beyond the 100 km considered the edge of space. But they never achieved orbital flight and the future was rockets, so funding was pulled. The site is within a military zone but the guards are relaxed about visitors, walk down the track from the parking lot.
- 7 Foul Bay in spite of the name is an attractive bay, beach and village along the southeast coast, one of the more unspoiled beaches on the island. It probably got its name because fishermen landed and gutted their fish here, leaving stinking heaps.
- Sam Lord's Castle is now a fenced-off ruin within the grounds of Wyndham Grand Barbados, see Sleep. Sam Lord (1778-1844) amassed a pirate fortune by pillaging local shipping, and built a mansion in Long Bay, Saint Philip. This was later turned into a swanky hotel, which went bust, and the money to revive it couldn't be raised. (Hard to imagine now, but mid-20th century banking rules actually forbade piracy and pillage.) The derelict building was gutted by fire in 2010. The new Wyndham hotel was built adjacent, as it wasn't practical to restore the old structure.
- 8 Kitteridge Point is the east tip of the island. The coast to the north is exposed to the worst of the Atlantic weather. A three-mile strip of it is still within the southern parish of Saint Philip but in character it's more like Central Eastern Barbados.
Do
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- Beaches are sandy especially in the southwest. They sometimes suffer heavy dumps of seaweed after rough weather.
- Surfing: The south coast is the best part of the island for surfing, wind surfing or kite surfing. West towards Maxwell is better for beginners, while east towards Silver Sands suits those with more experience.
- Scuba diving: the nearest dive shacks are clustered around Bridgetown but they pick up from the south coast hotels.
- Foursquare Rum Distillery has tours and a bar M-F. They're at Four Roads, Saint Philip.
- Banks Brewery suffered a fire in 2024 and has not yet re-opened.
- Golf: Barbados Golf Club is a mile east of Oistins. White tees 6805 yards, par 72. Rockley Resort also has a golf course.
- Cinema: Globe Drive-In is two miles northwest of Oistins. Olympus is a conventional cinema nearby within Sheraton Mall.
Buy
[edit]- Supermarkets along the beach strip include Shopsmart Express at Worthing (M-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 9AM-3PM), Dover Market at Dover Beach (daily 7AM-10PM), Massy in Oistins (M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 9AM-2PM) and Montrose also in Oistins (M-Sa 8AM-7PM, Su 9AM-2PM).
Eat
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- Many hotels serve walk-in non-residents. Those mentioned here are free-standing.
- Rockley Beach has Buzo Osteria, Sipping Room, Artsplash Cafe, Tapas, Salt Cafe, Sake, Shakers, Madison Landis Bistro, Chefette, Chicken George, Bean n' Bagel and Champers.
- Worthing Beach has a food court on The Square open daily 9AM-1:30PM, plus Mojo, Uva, Lemongrass, Lucky Horseshoe, Little Caesar's, Afrobeats, Guang Dong, Carib Beach Bar, 6Mix Bar and Seafood Shack.
- Dover Beach and St Lawrence Gap has Cafe Sol, Primo, Tabú, Mimosas, New Century, My Friends Place, Happy Days, Gary's Irie Bar and The Rhum Stop.
- Oistins is a small fishing town, where fish straight off the boats is prepared and cooked by the beach. Friday night is the Oistins Fish Fry, with a carnival atmosphere and beach huts selling fish dinners.
Drink
[edit]Astronomical numbers of bars along the main drag, no standout. More rum, anyone?
Sleep
[edit]- Highway 7 along the south coast is lined with mid-scale to upmarket accommodation.
- 1 Sugar Bay, Hastings, ☏ +1 246 622 1101. Great reviews all round. B&B double $1000.
- 2 Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown, Hastings, ☏ +1 246 625 0000. Decent chain hotel a block back from the beach. B&B double $400.
- Coconut Court, Hastings (opposite Courtyard by Marriott), ☏ +1 246 427 1655. Efficient comfy hotel. B&B double $300.
- 3 Soco Hotel, Hastings, ☏ +1 246 537 7626. Relaxing comfy hotel. B&B double $700.
- Pommarine Hotel, a couple of blocks back from Rockley Beach, is a 20-bedded hotel run as a training institute for the hospitality industry.
- 4 Accra Beach Hotel, ☏ +1 246 435 8920. Mid-range 4-star on beach, good location and restaurant, housekeeping erratic. B&B double $300.
- The Rockley opposite Accra Beach is a quality hotel but not related to Rockley Golf Resort.
- 5 Coral Mist Hotel (Blue Orchids Hotel), Worthing Main Road, ☏ +1 246 435 7712. Friendly place with apartment-style rooms.
- 6 Rockley Golf and Country Club, Golf Club Rd, Bushy Park, ☏ +1 246 435 7606. The club has spacious self-catering apartments.
- 7 South Gap Hotel, St Lawrence Gap, ☏ +1 246 420 7591. Welcoming place with great ocean views. Double (room only) $200.
- Divi Southwinds, St Lawrence Gap (on main road), ☏ +1 246 418 7300. Smart friendly chain hotel. B&B double $400.
- 8 Southern Palms, St Lawrence Gap, ☏ +1 246 428 7171. Relaxing hotel on Dover Beach. B&B double $400.
- Time Out Hotel, St Lawrence Gap (quarter mile east of Southern Palms), ☏ +1 246 420 5021. Simple hotel near Dover Beach, some noise from nearby bars. B&B double $200.
- O2 Beach Club, ☏ +1 246 418 1800. Pleasant beach hotel with an adults-only side and a family side. B&B double $900.
- The Sands, ☏ +1 246 538 4000. Comfy efficient beach hotel.
- Turtle Beach (next to Sandals), ☏ +1 246 428 7131. Marriott chain, friendly staff but too much is worn out or not working.
- 9 Sandals Royal, ☏ +1 246 428 7131. Good reviews for this all-inclusive resort hotel. Sandals (minus the Royal) adjacent is their less expensive wing. B&B double $1000.
- 10 Sunbay Hotel, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church, ☏ +1 246 537 7229. Simple hotel, but they’re asking a mid-range price. B&B double $300.
- Sea Breeze Beach House, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church, ☏ +1 246 428 2825. Comfy hotel with swimming pool and beautiful beach front, child friendly, good reviews. B&B double $900.
- 11 Abidah by Accra, Enterprise Beach Rd, Oistins, ☏ +1 246 538 8920. Charming hotel with great views. B&B double $500.
- 12 The Crane Resort, Diamond Valley, St Philip, ☏ +1 243 423 6220. Upscale place perched on the cliffs near Foul Bay. Too many let-downs in service and maintenance. B&B double $450.
- 13 Wyndham Grand Barbados, Belair Road, Long Bay, ☏ +1 246 622 1200. Also called Sam Lord’s but it’s next to (not part of) that historic mansion. Many guests are disappointed by the catering, limited services and lack of maintenance. B&B double $700.
Connect
[edit]The south coast has 4G from Flow and Digicel. 5G is rolling out in 2026.
Go next
[edit]- Bridgetown the capital has a pleasant riverfront promenade. Buses towards town run past Garrison Savannah.
- Western Barbados has more sheltered beaches for kiddy-bathing.
- Central Eastern Barbados on the exposed Atlantic coast is the most scenic and least developed region.