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St. James & Holetown holidays
Take the softest stretch of sand your toes can imagine, and the calmest, bluest waters your eyes can cope with. Line with exclusive estates, palatial villas and 5* hotels and throw in some designer shops, golf courses and gourmet restaurants for good measure. What have you got? Barbados’ Platinum Coast - Caribbean luxury in a [coco]nutshell.
- Flight time
- 9h
- From London
- Currency
- BD$
- Barbadian dollar
- Time zone
- GMT -4h
Getting to St. James
Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) is about 25 – 30km away down in Christ Church, and the drive to destinations in Saint James tend to take 30 – 40 minutes. You can get direct flights to BGI from London Gatwick and Manchester airports, which usually last 8.5 – 9 hours.
It’s possible to arrange a shared or private airport transfer before you arrive, with some hotels including these in the overall cost of your holiday.
Average weather in St James
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in St. James
For drinking with the locals, head to the bar in front of the famous John Moore Rum Shop in Weston, or if you prefer a ritzier scene, clink craft cocktail glasses at Scarlet Bar behind Paynes Bay. Drift Ocean Lounge on the Holetown boardwalk is our favourite place to watch the sunset, and if the views make you want to burst into song, you can do just that at the TML One Love Bar – a rum shack often hosting karaoke nights. When it calls for the holy trinity of DJ’s, drinks and dancing, try the Dukes Night and Red Door lounges. Whatever you do, don’t miss the reggae Fridays and rum punch at the Golden Anchor Bar.
There are some seriously spectacular restaurants in this neck of the woods: The Cliff is easily Barbados’ finest place to dine, serving stunning seafood on the seafront, while The Tides serves artistically presented seafood injected with amazing Asian flavours. If you book a table at Cin Cin by the Sea (and you should, if you’re hungry for more fabulous cuisine – this time ingenious Mediterranean-Bajan fusion), ask for a table by the ‘railside’ and book it in time to see the sunset. Don’t miss the Italian restaurant Daphne’s in Paynes Bay either, which has a sister restaurant in Chelsea and A-List visitors like Claudia Schiffer and Kevin Bacon.
But it’s not all formal dining – and you could have a wonderful week of feasting without having to fork out too much… It doesn’t get more casual than Just Grillin’, where you can order your choice of BBQ favourites, collect it from the kiosk and enjoy it on their picnic benches – or bring it to the beach for a picnic.
The range of shops here is terrific. For high end, designer hauls, head to Limegrove in Holetown where you’ll find duty free jewellery, artworks and clothes from big brands like Burberry, Cartier and Ralph Lauren. If you fancy something more traditional, Chattel Village is a huddle of authentic shops in traditional chattel houses, surrounded by lush gardens. Here you’ll find art, clothing and gifts, with the star of the show being the Best of Barbados Gift Shop. A lot of the stock has been hand printed in the shop’s studio and there are some incredible paintings of Barbadian scenes and life created by mother and daughter Jill and Sue who run the shop. Elsewhere, the Sunset Mall’s home to the Cave Shepherd department store and some small gift shops while the Indigo courtyard’s popular for its designer shops. The Holders Farmers market is the place to pick up fresh fruit and veg, and get to know the locals who grow the produce here. Something well worth doing is heading inland to Saint Thomas parish and the Earthworks Pottery shop. The drive alone is worth it for incredible views over the island and sea, and once you’re there, you can buy locally made pottery (even watch it being made) or commission your own pieces.
Activities in St. James
We could easily spend all week snoozing on the beach in St. James, but when you see the number of activities available, sitting still isn’t so easy...
Watersports
Diving in St. James
There are some incredible dive sites around this stretch of the west coast, with companies like Hightide Watersports providing instruction and guided dives. Favourite spots include Tropicana, a long, wide reef with ledges where you can often spot nurse sharks (a good one for drift dives), and Dottins, which has a range of depths and plenty of opportunity to see rays, creole wasse, barracuda and turtles. Barracuda junction and Little Sandy Lane reef are other nearby sites worth visiting, for dozens of species of colourful sea life. For wreck diving, don’t miss the famous SS Stavronikita, a Greek freighter that was sunk in an upright position in the seventies, where you can swim through cabins and corridors. The six wrecks of the Carlisle Bay Marine Park near Bridgetown are also well worth exploring. In the snorkelling department, we love Alleynes Bay, Mahogany Bay and Prospect.
Surfing in St. James
It doesn’t happen often on this part of the island, but when there’s a good north swell, Tropicana’s left barrelling waves are excellent for seasoned surfers. For more consistent conditions, your best bet is hiring a car to explore the other parts of the island. The south coast is a 30-40 minute drive away for surf schools, board rentals and good beginner-intermediate swells, while seasoned surfers will want to do the half hour drive over to Bathsheba on the east coast for the legendary Soup Bowl.
Where the west coast does really shine is for paddle boarders – the water’s calm as can be, and so clear it sometimes looks like you’re floating on air. Local businesses like WhatSUP provide WPA approved lessons for all levels, as well as tours where you can snorkel with turtles and paddle along the coast.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in St. James
A 30-50 minute drive away (depending on where you’re based in Saint James), the south coast is your best bet for windsurfing and kitesurfing in Barbados. In particular, the Silver Rock and Silver Surf beaches are known for having some of the greatest conditions on the planet, whether you’re trying it for the first time or returning to a long-loved sport. Look up local legend Brian Talma, who runs the deAction beach shop and provides gear hire and tuition – no one knows windsurfing in Barbados as well as him, and his kiting tuition is first class too.
Sailing in St. James
A lot of St James’ sailing is based around crewed charters, with companies like Calabaza running cruises along the coast including special snorkelling and sunset trips. With a private charter, you can arrange to be collected from the beach outside your hotel – then tailor the day to suit your needs. Last time we checked, High Tide Watersports had a fleet of Hobie Cats, Lasers and Sunfish to hire and enjoy around Heron Bay. To experience Barbados’ capital of sailing, head down the coast to Carlisle bay where the Barbados Yacht Club and Barbados Cruising Club are based. Regattas and races set off from here throughout the year, and lessons and hire are available through LRN 2 Sail on Pebbles Beach.
Fishing in St. James
While most fishing charter companies are based down the coast in Bridgetown, a lot of them provide a pick-up and drop off service if you’re staying in Saint James (Legacy charters, Billfisher III and IOU did last time we checked). Trips usually include drinks, bait and fishing gear, with half and full day options available – morning departures are well worth the early start for optimal conditions. On a smaller scale, it’s possible to join locals on open boats for a spot of trolling, bottom fishing or free lining - look out for Shaun Sandiford who runs Fish Barbados in Holetown. These trips are brilliant for families, and you’ll usually find the same catches you’d get on a deep-sea session: marlin, tuna, kingfish and barracuda are common in these parts.
Canoeing & kayaking in St. James
Life is deliciously relaxed here in Saint James, and kayaking’s all about paddling at your own pace – slicing through water so clear it looks a little like you’re floating on air, watching turtles glide beneath you and coming ashore on wonderful white-sand beaches. Your best bet for boats is the bigger resorts, which often have a fleet of sea kayaks for guests to use. For guided tours, head south to Carlisle Bay, where you can kayak as the sun sets, explore Bridgetown’s Careenage and Constitution River and paddle out to shipwrecks.
Land activities
Golf in St. James
This parish has more golf courses than anywhere else on the island, making it a brilliant base for those who fancy a few rounds during their stay. On the west coast, the Royal Westmoreland Golf Course was masterminded by Robert Trent Jones Junior and has incredible views of the sea throughout with parts of the course built into an old stone quarry. The Apes Hill Club has a championship course, belonging to the Audubon Society for its environmental friendliness. The challenging front 9 features uphill stretches and rocks, demanding concentration. Rewards include the views over the sea from the sixth hole and the Atlantic from the 12th. The rest of the island’s golf offerings belong to the Sandy Lane Estate, including the tight, challenging fairways of The Old Nine, World Golf Championships host The Country Club and the Green Monkey course, Fazio-designed and usually exclusive to guests.
Cycling & mountain biking in St. James
The bonus of being based in Saint James is that you’re in a central position to explore the island from. Close to home, the climbs up Apes Hill and Mount Hillaby are popular ones, the Scotland district has some brilliantly scenic trails through cow fields. You can drive to the east coast in about half an hour for rugged Atlantic coastal paths, or head south for safer roads and beach tours. The nearest bike company we’ve found is Bike Caribbean in Saint Lawrence Gap, where owner Ells provides MTB, road bike and hybrid hire, and runs tours all over the island.
Walking & hiking in St. James
Look out for guided walks put on by the Barbados Hiking Association, which come in a variety of timings and difficulties – there are some cracking routes from Barclays Park and Bathsheba on the east coast and Gun Hill in Saint George, which are all about a 30-minute drive away. We love the trail through the Welchman Hall Gully, which crams in hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Both the north and south coasts are easily reachable from Saint James, letting you choose between walks to the rugged cliffs and caves of Saint Peter and the buzzing beaches around St Lawrence Gap. Closer to home, you can wander along gorgeous stretches of coastline – it’s possible to walk from Holetown up to Mullins Beach if you catch the tide right.
