Our Images of Barbados

We have visited many beautiful and interesting places in Barbados and we thought we should put together a post of some of our favourite photos that we have taken during our visit here.

When we started looking at our huge collection of photos we realized that there are far too many to include in a single post, so we are just providing a few highlights that capture the feel of our stay.

Part of our family came to visit us in November and we had a great time with them. This photo was taken at the Foursquare Rum Distillery in Parish of St Philip. A great tour of the distillery by our new friend Gayle. An awesome rum tasting experience of a world famous rum maker! Foursquare Rum Distillery makes the rum that is sold at St Nicholas Abbey. They have international awards for their rum.

Flying fish are one of our favourite meals here in Barbados and they are fantastic on a nice soft bun as a sandwich or as a dinner with Bajan rice and black peas, and with Bajan macaroni pie. It's a bit labour intensive to fillet and prepare as they have a special way to take out all the bones.

It took a little while for Cyndi to find her confidence when we go snorkeling as the motion of the water and the "unknown" wonders of the sea were a bit scary. With a life jacket and some practice she overcame her worries and now she speeds by me when we are out there!

We spend a lot of time at our pool socializing. The Beach House right next door has a nice restaurant and bar and we like to enjoy things from their menu from time to time. The beach is just off the gate on the top left corner of this photo.

Sunsets are really nice from the pool area. There are social events held every couple of weeks and they are well attended by property owners and their guests.

The beaches in Barbados seem to be endless. Every where you go you see the soft white sand and amazing blue water. It's no wonder this is a playground for the rich and famous.

The sunsets are spectacular almost every evening. Both of these shots were taken from the beach at Surfside Beach Bar.

This sunset picture was taken while we sat at the beach side rail enjoying happy hour at Zaccios Restaurant and Bar.

Giant sea turtles can be seen in many of the bays and beaches throughout Barbados. This photo was taken in Oistins just off the main pier. We have also seen them up close and personal when we snorkel along the west coast. They are about 1 metre in length not including their head. They are very graceful when they swim and we love to see them. We get a good look when we snorkel in Carlisle Bay - they come right next to us and we can gently tough their shell when they swim by - feels like hard leather.

Plantation Houses have been built everywhere on the island and they were the homes of the rich plantation owner's families. This photo is of the St Nicholas Abbey. See a previous post on Plantation Houses for more info...

Ruins of Plantation Houses and Great Houses can also be found in many places across the island. This photo is of Farley Hill Great House. It was once considered to be the largest mansion in Barbados.

It was built during the early 1800's on 30 acres of land by Sir Joseph Briggs and it was primarily used for wooing and entertaining royal visitors to Barbados. He gave it to his son Thomas Graham Briggs in 1856. The building was said to have 99 windows. Sadly now in ruins.

Chattel Houses are the homes of the workers here in Barbados. This photo was taken on the way to St Nicholas Abbey where Jenny had a flat tire. These small homes are moveable so they can be relocated to where the workers' families are needed for carrying out the work of the plantation owners. See previous post for more info.

Little Rum Shacks are found on many streets and street corners. These are the pubs where locals go to have fun and socialize.

The Oistin's fish fry is always a fun place to go as there are anywhere from 1000 to 3000 people there joining in the fun. All sort of Bajan dishes and drinks are available there and the seafood selection is amazing - barracuda, shark, mahi mahi, swordfish, flying fish, octopus, sea urchins, red fish, white fish, ...oh, and chicken or beef. The side dishes are macaroni pie, coleslaw, garden salad, rice with black peas, french fries, potatoe wedges. I believe most people would toss in a few Banks beer or rum punches too... There are vendor stalls set up where you can buy all manner of interesting things. There are also several monkeys being carried by their handlers and, for a small tip, they will let them sit on you...

The North Point of Barbados is a spectacular place to visit. The ocean shows its power with mighty crashing waves - a place you definitely don't want to swim. These cliffs are 15 metres high (about 50 feet).

Cherry Tree Hill is just a bit east of St Nicholas Abbey. A great spot to get photos of the east coast of Barbados. The drive to the vista is through a grove of mahogany trees that are overgrown into a "tunnel" of branches and leaves. Off in the distance in this photo is the picturesque and breezy Bathsheba Beach where locals escape to when the west coast gets too warm in the summer months. Jenn and Derek are cooling their feet in this lower photo.

The Barbados Wildlife Centre is one of our favourite places on the island as they have many different animals and birds that can be seen up close and personal. It is owned by our friends Jean and Suzanne Baulu - I have known them for over 35 years. They have wild monkeys, deer, land tortoises, peacocks, snakes, all sorts of tropical birds, caiman (mini crocodiles), iguanas, and much more. Great place to enjoy a day with family and friends.

A photo trip to Barbados would not be complete without seeing lots of boats. The pictures we are showing here are the wooden fishing boats used by local fishermen who make their living selling fresh fish.

Of course there are also lots of plastic boats that are chartered to tourists for sailing and deep water fishing.

...and then, every once in a while... one of these comes by.