The Boatyard Barbados
When going to the beautiful island of Barbados, people need to know there are some great places to go and different beaches to try. The Boatyard situated along Carlisle Bay in Barbados is one of the places that needs to be visited. Why? Because their bit of the beach has to be experienced! I was so impressed I’ve been 3 times!
The Boatyard
This place is NOT like an other day beach resort! They do not charge for the use of a sunbed on a stretch of public beach with nothing more to offer – oh no this place actually has loads of great reasons to visit and saving some money is just one of them!
To make the most of this place an entire day needs to be spent there from early morning to late evening, it is worth a day of your trip. If you arrive from the road you will go through the brightly coloured entrance or as we did walk the length of the public beach and go through the bar. When you arrive at the pay desk there is a big sign explaining the costs and what you get. Essentially if you are staying on the island you pay $50 (Barbados) and they give you back $40 on a charge card to be spent in the bar or on food. You do have to wear a wrist band for the day otherwise you are not allowed in any of the Boatyard areas.
So what do you get for essentially $10, well you get the beach package – including hire of a sunbed all day, umbrella, use of the facilities, ocean trampoline and iceberg climbing (um….) thing. There is a pier that has a dive platform and a rope swing but the best bit it is this same pier is used to offer paying guests a free boat transfer (needs to be booked at the back of the restaurant) to turtles and reef in the bay. There is free Wi-Fi around the bar and restaurant and the staff are always wandering around tidying and taking away rubbish and empty glasses.
The staff at the bar are great, with the bright paint work, music and constant vibe going on, you can guarantee that if it gets too hot on the beach people start to gather int he bar.
We saw from a distance that they gave out free shots and entertained the customers with special offers (check the menus of times and of what they offer). There were loads of seating areas, next to the bar, around the edges and further away but where ever you sit you will get the Caribbean feel. A bucket of beer is a great offer and the 2 for 1 cocktails seemed a good offer as well.
The Boatyard has a restaurant area, where kids are allowed and food ordered collected. The food it good and the Coconut Shrimp has to be one of the best tasting on the island.
Everywhere is well designed and comfortable including the sunbed, all well maintained and clean.
The Boatyard Beach
Now the important part, the Beach! the whole beach is soft, golden sand and beautiful clear light blue waters. The sea runs out from the shallows to around 3-4 meters deep but the best bit is the entire swimming area is roped off and safe to swim in. The inflatables in the sea, the dive and swing platforms all safely inside the area. Jet skis and boats do not come in swimming is a joy.
When I say it is clear, I mean you can see the bottom of the seabed even at the deepest part. It is warm, calm and just perfect. There are loads of sunbeds and the beach is so big you can find a quiet area. There are loads of beds, even when the cruise ships were in and the passengers made their way there we had no trouble using the beds.
The combination that this place has to offer, a day at the beach is worth every penny and it will make you want to go back time after time. We even tried to get another visit in but ran out of time, maybe next year?
