Western Barbados

St. James Parish is in Barbados. The oldest parish, Holetown is the site of the first settlement in Barbados, it is fronts the western side of the island on the Caribbean Sea. The sea-front is lined with cottages and resorts but, like most of Barbados, the parish retains a low key feel.

Cities

• Holetown
• Speightstown

Other destinations

Culture and History

Tours and Getting around Western Barbados

There is one road, with barely two lanes, that runs up the coast in this parish. Perpetually packed with traffic, it makes for a slow but not unpleasant drive. Watch out for pedestrians (there are practically no sidewalks)!

Buses, both public as well as private, run continuously up and down the west coast road and it is easy to get around without a car. Bus number 12P (about every 20 minutes) connects this area with the airport, albeit slowly.

Western Barbados tourist attractions and sightseeing

Western Barbados city tours

Beaches

Western Barbados Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

There are plenty of restaurants ranging from beach-front shacks to high-end chef run restaurants. Holetown has the highest concentration of restaurants in this Parish but there are others dotted along the West Coast Road, including a cheap but good Roti place at Paynes Bay. Most of the restaurants on First and Second Street in Holetown are moderate, by Bajan standards, and quite good if you prefer not to venture further afield.

Budget

• Roti Shop, Payne's Bay, St. James(Across the Exxon gas station). Good roti and curries at this small shop at the turnoff to Harrison's Cave.B$5-10.  
• Chefette, Holetown, St. James(Across the West Coast Mall). Bajan fast food (dolphin burgers anyone)B$5-50.  
• Barbecue Barn, Holetown, St. James(By the chattel houses). Barbecued steaks, chicken,etc along with a salad bar that vegetarians will love!B$10-50.  
• The Fisherman's Pub, Speightstown, St. Peter. Reasonable priced pub that is hopping on Wednesday nights with live music but sleepy (and closes early) on other nights. 

Mid-range

• Ragamuffins, Holetown, St. James, ☎ +1-246-432-2119. Caribbean influenced food: blackened shrimp, curries, and a delicious vegetarian stew.B$50.  
• Olives, Holetown,, ☎ +1-246-432-2112. In a traditional Bajan townhouse with seating in a lovely courtyard garden, Olives serves up excellent modern European cuisine with an Italian bent. The bar upstairs is beautiful and a good place for a drink or three accompanied by bar snacks. 

Splurge

• The Cliff, Derricks, St. James(West Coast Road between Fitt's Village and Holetown), ☎ +1 246432-1922, [1]. The gourmand destination in Barbados with excellent food at astronomical, for Barbados, prices, and a fantastic cliff-side setting.B$200.  
• Daphne's, Payne's Bay, St. James(West Coast Road between Fitt's Village and Holetown), ☎ +1 246432-2471, [2]. Daphne's is a branch of a London restaurant of the same name.B$150.  
• The Fish Pot, Little Good Harbour, St. Peter(Bear left after Speightstown on the West Coast Road), [3]. Excellent seaside setting with eclectic food. Lunch includes lighter panninis and pastas. Ask for a table by the water. Reservations required.B$100-150/B$50.  

Self catering

The Super Center at the West Coast Mall in Holetown has almost everything you can possibly need. Jordan's, at Fitt's Village, is good though the choices are more toward the simple life (all cheese is cheddar!). The Exxon gas station at Payne's Bay is open everyday with staples like beer, bread, and baked beans, plus a few meats and veggies, cheese and milk. There is also a small fish market at Payne's Bay where you can pick up fresh flying fish or dolphin fish.

Western Barbados nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Western Barbados cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

The West Coast tends to be on the expensive side. Anything with a seaside location is likely to be expensive and, if you want budget accommodation, look for rentals in the interior (Risk Road is a good bet).

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Gurland House, Gurland House -Luxury Villa Sandy Lane Estate, St James, West Coast

Gurland House is a 4/5 Bedroom Luxury villa situated on the old 9 hole Sandy Lane Golf Course.
Included: All Bedrooms have ensuite, Dining Area, Central Cortyard, Lounge, Pool, Fully fitted Kitchen.

Website www.barbadoscaribbean.net Contact info@barbadoscaribbean.net

Stay safe

Watch out for the traffic on the West Coast Road. Otherwise, the area is very safe!

This page was last edited by D Merchant. Based on work by Wandering. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license