Room 1
Christ Church & St Lawrence Gap holidays
Barbados has its dreamy west coast and dramatic east. And then there’s the south, claiming the best characteristics of both: white sands and the Caribbean Sea one moment, then rocky coves with Atlantic swell the next. And don’t forget the nightlife: most places can’t hold a candle to Saint Lawrence Gap, and the Oistins Fish Fry should be on every foodie’s bucket list.
- Flight time
- 9h
- From London
- Currency
- BD$
- Barbadian dollar
- Time zone
- GMT -4h
Getting to Christ Church
Christ Church has the bonus of the island’s only airport - Grantley Adams International (BGI) - within its parish, which makes getting here an absolute breeze. Even the drive from the airport to the most westerly part of the parish doesn’t take more than half an hour. Nonstop flights from London Gatwick and Manchester take around 8.5 – 9 hours, and if you fancy doing some island hopping there are direct flights from BGI to Antigua and Saint Vincent.
As you exit the airport, there’s usually a board showing popular destinations and the cost of a cab fare, with taxis waiting outside arrivals. It’s custom to agree on the price of the journey before you set off, as well as whether you’re paying in Bahamian or US dollars. Last time we checked, journeys to Christ Church locations cost about 12 – 20 $US.
Otherwise, private and shared transfers can be booked in advance – sometimes included in the overall cost of your holiday.
Average weather in Christ Church
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in Christ Church & the South Coast
When it comes to nightlife, this neck of the woods is the beating heart of Barbados. For the buzziest bars, head to St Lawrence Gap – known to friends as The Gap. Here, Café Sol’s a favourite for its cocktail happy hours and Tex Mex food. For music, we like Scoopie's Jazz and The Old Jamm Inn, while Hal’s Carpark Bar is popular for karaoke. If you want to dance, head to Sugar on a Thursday night for DJ sets and good (though a little pricey) cocktails. Besides these big boys, don’t miss the smaller beach bars and pubs (like My Friend’s Place) where you can enjoy a beer and chat to locals.
By hook or by crook, don’t miss the Oistins Friday night fish fry, a legendary part of Bajan life where locals of every age and background come to drink, dance and dine on freshly caught and fried dish. Reggae and calypso beat in the background, street performers leap and dance and market stalls overflow with treats – it’s incredible. For the rest of the week, you’ll find quieter evenings for challenging locals to games of dominoes.
Home of the Oistins Fish Fry, trendy beach cafes and some seriously swanky restaurants, there’s plenty to feast on around the south coast.
You just can’t come to Barbados without experiencing Oistins on a Friday night: spots like Uncle George, Fred’s and Chillin & Grillin are part of the legendary Fish Fry, bringing locals and tourists together for a shared love of freshly grilled seafood, Bajan beer and music.
For the morning after, Ruth and Nick serve all-day breakfast at Happy Day’s Café in St Lawrence, while Bliss Café in the same area does amazing coffee and waffles.
Surfer’s Café in Oistins is a cool spot for lunch (try their fish tacos) and has live music from local musicians on Wednesdays and Sundays. Another favourite is the Mr Delicious snack bar near Miami beach for incredible fish cutters. Check out Tapas on the boardwalk too, for mix and match seafood tapas.
For really posh nosh, book a table at Champers in Hastings (way before you travel if you’re here for New Year’s or Valentines) and enjoy beautifully presented Bajan cuisine on the waterside. With The Cliff and The Tides in Holetown, it’s one of the three finest restaurants on the island.
At the other end of the scale, Just Grillin’ in the Quayside Centre is as laid back as it gets – order your BBQ food, share a picnic bench with a local and chow down.
On Wednesdays and weekends, the Hastings Farmers Market is usually hosted at the ArtSplash Centre – a buzzing spot where you can pick up products that have been grown and created in Barbados. There are a whopping 120 shops in the Sheraton Mall, selling cosmetics, books, fashion, food, homewares and electronics, as well as a six-screen cinema. On a smaller scale, the authentic Chattel House Shopping Village in The Gap has small huts where you can buy souvenirs, clothes and accessories. It’s also worth paying a visit to the famous Best of Barbados Gift Shop – there’s one in Rockley’s Quayside Centre and another in the Southern Palms in St Lawrence Gap. Mother and daughter owners Jill and Sue sell their own paintings here, depicting Bahamian scenes and everyday life, as well as a bundle of other locally created goods.
Activities in Christ Church & the South Coast
Most resorts have plenty of activities to enjoy without having to leave the resort or spend any more money for that matter. Water sports like kayaking, paddle boarding and diving are often part of the all-inclusive package, and you’ll also find tennis, volleyball, yoga and more to get stuck into. Explore the wider area of Christ Church, and you’ll find lots more to do.
Golf is popular here, and visitors can enjoy a round of golf at Barbados Golf Club or Rockley Golf Club. For something quirkier, visit the Globe Drive In cinema or Banks Brewer, where the national beer is produced. St. Lawrence Gap has a bustling town during the day and night, filled with rum bars, Bajan restaurants and local markets.
Watersports
Diving in Christ Church
There are oodles of dive sites off the south coast, from colourful natural reefs to purpose-sunk wrecks – with locally-based companies like West Side Scuba and Seahorse divers to show you the best of them. On the southwestern tip of the island, Needham’s point’s where you’ll find the Old Fort dive site, home to a shallow barrier reef, cannonballs, old glass bottles and a gazillion tiny fish.
Further along, off Drill Hall Beach, the Muff has all kinds of corals and sponges, a good spot for swimming with turtles and rays, while Carribee’s a barrier reef teeming with sea life. This area’s also where you’ll find Friar’s Crag, a 100ft Dutch freighter sunk in 1984 and now broken into three, and the Asta Reef – the two are usually paired on diving trips due to their closeness. Off Worthing Beach, Mount Charlie is a deep barrier reef with turtles, snapper and barracuda.
Pieces of Eight is a popular drift dive reachable from St Lawrence Gap, where you can also access the Graham Hall reef from. Near Dover Beach, Close Encounters or Southwinds is a favourite inner reef for diving among rays. And that’s just this parish – within easy reach off the west coast is the Carlisle bay marine park, where a trail of cannons, bottles and anchors leads divers between six spectacular shipwrecks. If you want to snorkel, our favourite spots include St Lawrence Bay, Rainbow Beach and Dover Beach.
Surfing in Christ Church
The waves here are a little tamer than you find on the east coast, which means perfect conditions for beginners, improvers and anyone who likes to longboard. Waters are bath-like warm and eye-poppingly turquoise, with pale sands and palms to ride back towards. You’d struggle to find a better place to learn surfing in the Caribbean (maybe the WORLD) with schools dotted along the south coast – Dread Or Dead on Drill Hall, Barry’s Surf School on Dover Beach, Ride the Tide in Freight’s Bay, Brian Talma’s deAction on Silver Sands and Zed’s on Surfer’s Point.
Freight’s Bay near Oistins is a favourite surf spot for having the longest left around – the 6ft swells here can be gorgeously hollow. At the very south tip of the island, South Point sees long lefts and sharper rights, which are amazing for experienced surfers at low tide. There’s also Surfer’s Point, which is one of the most consistent spots on the island with fun, cruisey left and right-handers. Silver Sands gets SE swells which create hollow right-hand waves over beach and reef breaks.
For more challenging swells, head up to Bathsheba on the east coast – you’ll need experience to take on the world-famous Soup Bowl, but on a good weather day (which is often) it’s an absolute dream.
If you prefer to paddle, companies like WhatSUP provide beach to beach tours (Dover Beach to Pebbles Beach is a popular one).
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Christ Church
You’ve come to the right place if you want to windsurf or kite in Barbados – Silver Sands and Silver Rock beaches rule the waves in this department, hosting international events and with cracking conditions for every level. Nab a lesson with pro Brian Talma who runs the deAction sports centre here and whether you’re a first timer or seasoned ‘sufer you’re sure to learn a thing or three. Further westwards, the gentler waves around Maxwell beach can be perfect if you’re looking to master the basics or freestyle.
Sailing in Christ Church
While some of the south coast’s bigger all inclusive resorts have their own fleet of hobie cats to use, most of the sailing action can be found by heading up west to Bridgetown. You can reach Pebbles Beach by car in 15-20 minutes, where the Barbados Cruising Club provide hire and lessons through LRN 2 Sail. Carlisle Bay is the capital of sailing in Barbados, with regattas hosted throughout the year including the famous Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race.
Fishing in Christ Church
Southwest Barbados is the capital of sport fishing, with the bulk of charter companies based up in Bridgetown, and others dotted along the south coast (like Seascape in Oistins). For the best conditions, come in the winter months, when you’re likely to see an abundance of dolphin fish, barracuda and marlins – as well as yellow fin tuna if you’re lucky. Charters usually include drinks, bait and equipment, with the option to add on snorkelling around shipwrecks or swimming with turtles for added fun. Nothing beats a trip that ends with your catch being cooked for you on the beach and served with a cold bottle of Banks. Besides deep sea fishing, shorefishing is possible from Silver Sands and spearfishing off Drill Hall Beach.
Canoeing & kayaking in Christ Church
We love the mix of calm-as-can-be sea and choppier waters along the south coast, letting you pick a beach that suits your paddling pace. If you’re staying in one of the bigger hotels or resorts, often you’ll find a fleet of kayaks available for guests. One of our favourite things to do is paddle from Maxwell beach to Welches beach in Oistin Bay – the sea is beautifully clear here, and often you can spot tropical fish swimming beneath you as you glide along.
Land activities
Golf in Christ Church
With Saint James on the west coast, Christ Church is one of the main golfing centres on the island. This is where you’ll find the famous Barbados Golf Club, which has hosted events like the PGA senior’s tournament and Barbados Open. Ron Kirby designed the 18-hole course here, which features the notorious “Amen Corner” with its prayer-inducing challenges of a lake and wind. To the west, the Rockley Golf & Country Club is a nine-hole course, with alternative tees if you want to play a full 18. The course covers flattish parkland, with strategically placed trees mid-fairway and around greens for a technical challenge. Weekly competitions are hosted here, which visitors are usually welcome to take part in. If you want to explore further afield, head up to Saint James where the Royal Westmoreland, Apes Hill and Sandy Lane courses have incredible views over the sea.
Cycling & mountain biking in Christ Church
The south coast has some of the island’s safest roads to ride on, with other biking bonuses including easy access to the East Coast Road (for scenic paths looking over the Atlantic) and locals like Ells Man. Cycling champion Ells runs Bike Caribbean which is based in St Lawrence Gap and provides guiding as well as hire of road bikes, mountain bikes and hybrids. There’s also MountainBike Barbados based in Saint Phillip, where Lynx leads rides all over Barbados. Popular tours take you between the beaches of the south or up along the east coast’s Bath trail to Tent Bay, where narrow paths are cut into white cliffs. It’s also possible to circuit the island (with stints in the car to preserve your pedal power) which is an amazing way to see the best of Barbados.
Walking & hiking in Christ Church
Whether you prefer long haul hikes or shorter rambles, the south coast is perfectly positioned for exploring the island on foot. If you prefer a guide in the lead, Steve from Hike Barbados is based in west Christ Church and can usually do pickups and drop-offs from your hotel. The Barbados Hiking Association also often run hikes that set off in the morning, afternoon and evening and come in a range of lengths and difficulties – Silver Sands, Carrington Factory, Gun Hill and the Drax Hall Plantation being popular starting points nearby. You can reach the east coast within half an hour’s drive, where there are some incredible trails around Bath Beach and Bathsheba, showing off the gorgeously rugged side of the island. Even north Barbados is only an hour away by car, with spectacular trails to the coral cliff of Pico Teneriffe. These south coast beaches were made for walking along, with never-ending stretches of sand on Worthing Beach, Maxwell Beach, quieter walks along Crane Beach and Ginger Bay in Saint Philip and of course the boardwalk up to Bridgetown.
