The White Beaches of Platinum Coast
The quiet, transparent waters of the Caribbean, and the idyllic white sand beaches of the west coast, surrounded by palm trees and casuarinas, are authentic tropical paradises, to the point it is known as the Platinum coast. Here are the most elegant hotels of the island, with centers offering the opportunity to practice several water sports.

South of Holetown (a city at some 5 km. north of the capital, on highway 1), is the Sandy Lane Hotel, the most famous of the island, where rich and famous go to enjoy their vacations. Built in 1961, this hotel has closed recently, for restoration.

In May 1625, captain Henry Powell landed, accidentally in Holetown, in the middle of a trip to some other place. As any Englishman of that age would have done, Powell grounded the Union Jack, and claimed its sovereignty in the name of the King of England. It seems the English captain fell in love with this land, because in February 1627, he came back with an expedition of several men to establish here. Each year. In February, is celebrated the Holetown Festival, commemorating this date with lots of street parties, among which stands out an water skiing show.

To the north of Holetown, you can find the Folkestone’s Park and Marine Reserve, here you can learn how the coral reefs are formed. Around the Dottins reef is a submarine itinerary so you can practice scuba diving. Offshore are the rests of a Greek ship that was deliberately sunk to form a coral reef.

The Spectacular North
Speighstown, is the second city in Barbados. In the old times was a prosperous city, with lots of ships arriving to the port to load sugar, that later was transported to Bristol, in England. Now it’s recovering part of the lost splendor, specially thanks to the support of the Barbados National Trust that contributes to the restoration the old balcony buildings of the XIX century. Another reason for its renaissance is Port St. Charles Marina, a modern sporting port just north of the city, around which is a luxurious district, with houses owning their private docks.

Highway 1, goes climbing to the north, through the precious fishermen village of Six Men, before going into St. Lucy, the most northern parish of the island, and the less inhabited. Here you’ll find the best corners for a picnic, like Archer’s Bay, a quiet and, almost always, lonely region, covered by herbs, under the shadows of a small casuarinas forest, and River Bay. Just in the north end of the island is Animal Flower Cave (open daily, entrance fee), a cave next to the sea, with ponds in which grow diminutive sea anemones. Along thousands of years, the sea power has carved the magnificent cliffs, and this rocky and arid land has the aspect of a moon landscape.

From here, the highway cuts through inside the island, till reaching St. Nicholas Abbey (open from Monday to Friday; entrance fee), the mansion of an old plantation. It’s name its tricky, because there’s no relation with an abbey. It is believed that this lordly house, surrounded by beautiful gardens, and inside which are many and delicate antiques, is the oldest of the island.

The narrow road south, leaving from this place, reaches the main highway of the west coast, where you will find the Barbados Natural Reserve (open daily, entrance fee), where a huge piton serpent is the only creature in a cage. Green monkeys, land turtles, iguanas, otters and porcupines, are some of the animals living in this reserve, and where the visitors can take incredible photographs.