Traveler resorts in Barbados to a beach crawl

Sharing is caring!

One of the top key words for Barbados in Google search is resorts in Barbados, but this post is not about any resort in Barbados. Apparently, people only care about all-inclusive and resorts in Barbados. If I tricked you into clicking on this post into reading and were looking for resorts, feel free to move on. If you are impressed that a human is writing this post and not AI and would like to read about an adventure in Barbados, then keep reading.

The adventure begins at the Gemini House Bed & Breakfast

Geri and Steve were lovely hosts. I had a wonderful breakfast, and I learned a key fact from Geri while having breakfast and coffee. She informed me that every beach in Barbados is public domain. No hotel, no private group, no personal person owns any beach in Barbados. Every person has the right to enjoy every beach on this beautiful island. This bit of information made a profound impact on me, and it is central to this story. If Donald Trump built a hotel on the beach in Barbados, anyone could swim on that beach. Here I am using SEO trickery again by including Donald Trump in this blog post.

Related: Maracas Beach in Trinidad & Tobago

Geri also informed me that the number 11 route taxi drops off and picks up just across a little trail in front of Buffy’s Bar. A route taxi is a minibus that follows a route and picks people up on the route and drops them off wherever they want on the route. The price is 3.50 BBD or 1.75 USD. I jumped on the route taxi and took it all the way to the capital. I walked around in Bridgeton for a while and then began to walk back.

Instead of taking a route taxi back, I began to walk back while exploring options along the way. Since every beach was open to me, I planned to go for some swims, check out some history, and get a little something to eat before heading back. If you are interested in starting your Barbados adventure at Gemini House Bed & Breakfast, click on their website.

George Washington House

My first order of business, as an American, I needed to check out some presidential history. Our famous first president, George Washington, only visited one other country other than the U.S. That U.S. country was Barbados, and the home he once lived in was on the route back to the guest house.

George’s brother Lawrence was suffering with tuberculosis. George accompanied him to Barbados in hopes of improving his health. George contracted smallpox while in Barbados and nearly died himself. The narrative about the fact that living in Barbados almost killed our president is worn proudly by the audio guide telling this story. They claim that George contracting and surviving smallpox toughened him up for the battles that he faced living with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Thank you Barbados for almost killing our national hero, but letting him survive.

Related: Swimming with dolphins in Ponto Do Ouro

I spent a little more than an hour and did the self-audio tour. The grounds were well maintained, and the tour was well done. I highly recommend, especially if you are American. The tour was $20.00 USD for adults and children under 12 cost $10.00. The audio tour highlights a dozen spots on the premise that are numbered and there is an informative video that plays in the small theater.

Traveler resorts in Barbados to visiting Carlisle Bay and Pebbles Beach

One of the scenes in the movie shows a re-enactment of George swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Carlisle Bay. This would be my first stop on my beach crawl. I crossed the road and entered a parking lot where some people were hanging around. If I was not aware that all beaches are public, I might have been hesitant or at least asked the people there if it was ok for me to swim. Instead, I confidently entered the beach and plopped my towel down on the sand and jumped right in the water.

This is what I did on the way back to my guest house. I would walk for a couple of miles until I got hot, find a beach, and then jump in and swim for a bit. I also enjoyed a few beers and perhaps a pina colada at one of the many seaside bars and grills. There was no shortage of eating and drinking establishments as this route went through some of the most popular Barbados hangouts like Worthing, St. Lawrence and Oistens.

So many beaches, so little time

Other beaches I visited on this crawl included Rockley Beach and Maxwell Beach. Later on, I moved closer to the coastline and stayed at Little Arches Boutique Hotel, which was just across the street from Miami Beach. All the beaches were wonderful. There is not one that stands out above the other. You cannot go wrong visiting a Barbados beach, and if you do, go to another.

Oistins Fish Market for dinner

I ended up walking all the way from Bridgeton to Oistins. I could have hopped on the number 11 route taxi at any time, but I enjoyed walking and stopping at the different beaches. It started to get dark as I entered Oistins. They had neon fish signs that were lighting up as I entered the village. Oistins is world renowned for its restaurants and fish market. They have dozens of fish stands here.

There are so many options here that it is kind of confusing. I found a busy stand and decided to order mahi mahi. It took awhile to get my order, but so worth it. I was given a huge plate of fish placed on top of a salad and cole slaw. I was absolutely starving having walked 27,000 paces without much food. They have long picnic tables, so even if you are by yourself, if it is busy, you will be seated with people. I enjoyed my dinner sitting next to a really nice couple from the area.

Route taxi back to Gemini House

They have live music and plenty of beer, so Oistins can get a little rowdy, but I was not up for night life having walked all day and swam. I grabbed the next route taxi home for some much-needed sleep. I was back at Gemini House Bed and Breakfast in 20 minutes and probably asleep in another 20 minutes. It was a great day in Barbados. I explored the capital, visited an important historical site, swam in many beaches, and had one of the best meals ever.

Adventure on!