Delights galore whenthings go pear-shapedTourists are in fora treat, whateverdirection theychoose to head in,writes Tony Dawe

Is there an island on the touristtrail with delights so varied andevenly spread than this pear-shaped gem in the Caribbean?Its skin sparkles with luxuryhotels and condominiums, a“strip” that never loses its bloom,pounding Atlantic waves and

hidden coves. At its core are quietlanes that lead to highlands, tropicalgardens and swaying sugar canes.Global recession and Britain’s air

passenger taxes have deterred somewould-be tourists recently butalthough the numbers might besmaller, the delights are as great asever. They are poised to become evengreater as new hotels are built,exciting cultural and sporting eventsare held and facilities for touristsbecome even tastier.Richard Sealy, tourism minister, says

that because the island is so safe,

Barbados is “a destination where weencourage our visitors to explore, walkaround, hire a car and use publictransport. It’s not unusual to seetourists getting on and off our busestogether with Barbadians, somethingunheard of in most destinations.”So, starting from Bridgetown, still a

very colonial capital, where shouldthey go? The west coast road, skirtingthe Caribbean Sea and grandly namedHighway 1, is lined with bougainvillea,flamboyant and tamarind trees andleads to four and five-star hotels—most famously Sandy Lane— modernapartment blocks and restaurants.Between them are such splendidseaside spots as Paynes Bay andMullins Beach. Beyond them isSpeightstown, known as Little Bristolduring the heyday of sea trade withBritain and now home to theFisherman’s Pub and innovativeArlington House Museum.The road along the south coast

passes historic buildings oncegarrisoned by British troops. Thencome hotels, shallow sandy beachesand St Lawrence Gap, with itsnumerous pubs, clubs and restaurants.The road heads inland at the fishing

port of Oistins, where the Friday nightfish fry is the most cosmopolitan eventon the island. Here, locals and touristsshare stories, eat fresh fish and

macaroni pie, drink Banks beer, swayto the reggae music and even indulge,in one bar, in ballroom dancing.To find a contrast, head for the east

coast. Atlantic waves pound into sandybeaches and hotels are scarce apartfrom in Bathsheba, where the surfingis at its best. In a nearby valley lies theAndromeda Botanic Gardens, whileskirting the cane fields a couple ofmiles away is the simple parish churchof St John, one of the eleven parisheswhich form Barbados.Lying discreetly off the roads to the

east are historic and scenic sites, suchas Sunbury Plantation House, GunHill Signal Station, Harrison’s Cave,Orchid World and the Flower Forest.For city dwellers, the north of the

island, off most tourist itineraries, isthe most fascinating. Empty roadslined with thorn and handkerchieftrees lead to whitewashed St LucyChurch, more than 350 years’ old, toremote Archers and Cove bays and onto Animal Flower Cave.Those who venture as far north as

Speightstown might head east, past theBarbados Wildlife Reserve and FarleyHill National Park. A slight detourfinds St Nicholas Abbey, a Jacobeanmansion at the centre of an old sugarestate being brought back intotraditional production; and to CherryTree Hill, with breathtaking views.

4 1GZ Wednesday July 30 2014 | the times

Barbados

He sells sea shells of all shapes andsizes on the Barbados seashore

Rub shoulders with Rihanna

In property as in its customs, “LittleEngland” follows London’s lead.After the recession has come anupsurge in the price of villas,plantation houses and plots on golf

courses, most notably on the everpopular west coast. Rihanna, the Bajanpop star, is reported to have spent$22million (£13m) on a home built ofcoral stone at One Sandy Lane, closeto the famous hotel. A new beachfronthouse, also in St James, has come onthe market with Chestertons inBarbados for $25m.There is no shortage of British

individuals, including the inevitablecelebrities, who are keen to investalong the west coast. The owners ofRoyal Westmoreland, a 500 acre golfcourse and residential site, are todevelop a further 250 acres of adjacentsugar plantation. Among thesportsmen to have bought propertiesin the complex already are thecricketers Michael Vaughan and

Marcus Trescothick (who has neveractually stayed there, regarding hispurchase purely as an investment),footballers Wayne Rooney, StuartPearce and Andy Cole, and IanWoosnam, the golfer who was one ofthe first to be attracted.Development at Apes Hill, another

picturesque course, is almost complete.There are already 40 residences openon the complex, where the BarbadosOpen, the Sir Charles WilliamsInvitational Tournament and the SirGarry Sobers Festival of Golf arestaged. Tennis courts are ready forplay, construction is about to start on anew clubhouse and two new villas willbe built before the end of this year.Not far from Westmoreland,

Lascelles, built by a slave trader andthought to be the oldest plantationhouse on the island, has beenrenovated by Robert Griffiths, aprominent Welsh QC. Hollywoodstars have taken to renting it.Investment in hotels, which stalled

when work on Four Seasons, nearBridgetown on the west coast, wasdelayed for years, has picked up.Sandals is developing two sites,investing $65m in rebuildingCasuarina on the south coast andpurchasing Almond Hill from thegovernment, which will become aBeaches brand resort aimed atattracting families in the more quietmonths of July and August.

Investment inproperty is on theup and Britons areleading the charge,writes Ivo Tennant

Houses at Apes Hill skirt the golf course, a venue for major

We have to compete toattract new visitors, isthe message fromRichard Sealy,Barbados tourism

minister, after numbers droppedduring the global recession. Thatmeans working more closely with touroperators, airlines and cruisecompanies— and a stronger focus oncultural and entertainment tourism.“The British market has always been

tour operator driven and we haveredoubled our efforts to work withthem, coming up with creativecampaigns to offer added value totheir customers,” the minister says.“The Island Inclusive Package isone example but we are also workingwith our airline partners inmarketing campaigns.”Virgin Atlantic operates daily flights

from Gatwick and two at weekendsfrom Manchester; British Airways willbe running 12 flights a week when thewinter season starts and Thomas Cookhas a weekly charter from Manchester.Sealy is eager to encourage

operators to combine a week’s cruisefrom Barbados with one week’s stay onthe island and says that new laws willallow cruise ships which stay at least12 hours in port to open their casinosand related facilities.He adds: “The Caribbean is still the

number one region for cruising, so wetook a decision, at a substantial cost tothe government and people ofBarbados, to invest in a modern cruisefacility at Sugar Point. When finished,we will integrate the whole localexperience: the story of Barbados, our

cuisine and craft, together with amodern entertainment centre.”Cricket world cups, England tours,

concerts and a variety of festivals allattract overseas visitors. The plan is tobuild on these with world-classyachting championships, motorsportsand more entertainment and culturalprogrammes. “Events have workedvery well for us, promoting thedestination and even creating alegacy,” Sealy says.He is delighted at Sandals’ plans for

Barbados and that local businessmenintend to renovate the Sandy BeachHotel, closed in 2009. “I am thrilled atthe prospect of not one but twoSandals brand of properties. I’mequally thrilled to see that localplayers are responding to what we’reoffering and are prepared to take therisk to get properites back on stream.”TONY DAWE

the times |Wednesday July 30 2014 1GZ 5

Back on an even keel

Cruise control is key

A feast of entertainment,from scrums to rums

Sir Garry Sobers, a national heroof Barbados and arguably thegreatest of cricketers, takesissue with the notion thattraditional sports on the island

have declined in popularity owing toAmerican influence. But there is nodoubting that Bajans are increasinglydrawn to a wider range of activitiesthan the traditional outlets of cricket,horseracing on the Savannah, windsurfing and, for the well-to-do, polo.The tangential involvement of old

players in this year’s World Cup hasmeant that there will not be anyfootball camps for children thissummer, but the Banks hockeyfestival goes on next month anda beach volleyball tournamentwill take place from October toNovember.Run Barbados will take place

again in December and there isscope for netball matches tobe played against visitingschools. The inauguralBarbados Top Gear festival,Jeremy Clarkson and all,held in May, will berepeated over the nexttwo years. Opera will beheld at Holders Hill fromMarch 12-28.There will, of course, be

plenty of cricket: theCaribbean Premier League,

which attracts Kevin Pietersen, theformer England batsman, will takeplace from August 5-10. The Sobersinternational schools tournament,which has been in existence since1986, runs from August 4-25 —Alastair Cook, the England captain,took part when a boy at BedfordSchool— and England will tour theWest Indies next spring.

The biggest festival on theisland, however, remains

Crop Over, the August carnivalthat signals the end of the sugar

crop. Talented musicians take tothe streets of the capital in colourfulcostumes, attracting huge crowds,

while parties spring up across theisland and more sedate artsand craft events are staged.Also next month is an

inaugural charity golfinvitational tournament. Then

follows an international rugbysevens tournament at KensingtonOval in September, an internationalunder-15 table tennis tournament atthe Sobers gymnasium in October, adarts festival and a surfingchampionship on the dramaticAtlantic side of the island atBathsheba. Finally, if all that activityhas worked up an appetite, there is thefood, wine and rum festival fromNovember 20-23.IVO TENNANT

a for $22mOf the boutique establishments,

Treasure Beach, the favourite hotel ofthat most demanding of sportsmen,Geoffrey Boycott, has been extensivelyrefurbished on the west coast. next toPaynes Bay.Another large scale investment is

the development of Sugar Point, acruise terminal. In the south of theisland, the planned Pierhead Marinaon Carlisle Bay will compriseresidential and commercial buildingsas well as a berth for yachts andwater taxis.The government continues to focus

on property investment, althoughthere is a concern over the extent of it,particularly the development nearCrane Beach on the east coast. “Wehave had a very good six months,” saysa spokesman for Chestertons. “Mainlythe buyers have been from the UK andfrom Canada.”There is an increasing realisation

that natural resources, not least thetrade winds, can only benefit theeconomy even if the sugar industryhas been supplanted by tourism as theisland’s most profitable industry.The first phase of a 16-acre inland

waterway site at Port Ferdinand onthe north west coast, adjacent to thecompleted Port St Charles, is nowopen. Forty-six homes can be boughtor rented. When finished, it willprovide 82 residences and 120 berthsfor yachts.major tournaments

HOLGER LEUE/GETTY

island, however, remainsCrop Over, the August carnival

that signals the end of the sugar

the streets of the capital in colourful

inaugural charity golfinvitational tournament. Then

follows an international rugby