We (3 couples) are thinking about going to Barbados this March.

None of us have been to Barbados before. I am aware that the south coast beaches are not as calm as the west coast, but how are Miami Beach and Welches beach? We were told that they have calm parts.

We are interested in staying in a vacation rental and it is much more affordable to stay in the south coast area. Does the south coast have any beaches that are good for shallow swimming/walking or should we just look at the west coast?

another fodorite shared his site. it should be useful for you. click on the beach names for a short video
http://www.beachesofbarbados.com/

Hi dontcallmecass,

The south coast is definitely suitable for you. It's true that the west coast is calmer but there are many beaches on the south coast that are just as good for swimming.

Welches beach is very calm, good for both swimming and walking.

The western end of Miami Beach is also calm and suitable for swimming. The eastern end is more lively and better for boogie boarding and for stronger swimmers. This beach is not very long so its not really that good for walking.

Worthing beach is another excellent beach for both swimming and walking. This is a really beautiful beach with calm waters.

Turtle Beach, which leads onto Maxwell beach is great for walks. The sea is a bit lively here.

Luckily Barbados is small enough that you can easily enjoy a day on the south coast and the next day on the west coast!

Have a wonderful trip.

Occasionally you have calm water in the south coast. Mostly I would say that you have small to medium waves, with more medium than small. However, we always stay in the south and walk and yes, even swim, without any problems.

On the South Coast the Southern part of Rockly/ Accra Beach has a calm pool or lagoon type area tight in front of a beach bar that supplies chairs and umbrellas also. There is also Carlisle bay/ Brownes beach which is closer to town but still on the south coast which has good swimming waters and surface snorkelling. Miami beach is a nice beach with medium to small waves it just depends on the surf the particular day.

Have a great trip.

You might want to try the west coast. In the south, I think Miami can be a little rough at times and I don't particularly like it there. Accra is nice. On the west coast however, Brandon's beach and Paynes Bay are also two very nice beaches with calm waters. These beaches are very close to Sandy Lane...THE top luxury hotel in Barbados. A new villa recently opened up near Paynes Bay - you might want to check it out here...http://karibey.com/ ...they are within walking distance to Paynes Bay Beach.

Thank you all for your advice. We decided to stick to the Oistins/St. Lawrence Gap area but we will definitely take a trip to one of the West Coast beaches while we are there. Does anyone have a recommendation for a nice West Coast beach to check out?

The beach at Sandy Lane is very nice and also Mullins Bay. But there are many others to choose from. The east coast beaches are very nice for an excursion to see the beautiful windswept coastline.

On the west coast, there are a number of nice beaches but definitely as Odin recommended the beach nest to Sandy Lane, Mullins beach. Oh and Brandons beach is also a nice stretch of beach just outside of Bridgetown and all of these beaches have restaurants on the beach or 2 mins walk away.