Advice needed on Barbados beaches
 

My family and I are looking into Barbados as our Caribbean vacation for the first week of December. I have been pouring over maps and various websites but cannot seem to narrow down what beaches we should focus on. We are hoping to rent a villa/condo.

Can someone please recommend which beach we should stay near? It will be myself, my husband, our 3.5 year old and 7.5 year old. So far I have a list of rentals that are near one of the following beaches:
Mullins Bay
Sunset Crest (villa at the top of our list but it looks to be a mile or so inland)
Paynes Bay
Rockley/Accra
Ocean City
Maxwell Beach
Hastings (also at the top of our list so far)
The Crane

The crane.com best pink beach for most including me.

The calmest water for the kids and for snorkeling is on the west coast north of Bridgetown. Payne's Bay is a long beach, and Mullins is nice also.

Hi,

Mullins Bay is nice, but a tad further north. I personally like the Paynes Bay area. You've got a nice stretch of beach that runs from PB to Sandy Lane and beyond, and the beaches are public. Great watersports too in the area.

There are really nice places to stay on the West Coast but one place I like and highly recommend is Beach View; very family oriented. You can check them out online and check out the reviews. Location: Paynes Bay area right across from the beach.

Sunset Crest.. not really.

Rockley/Accra is more central south coast and a popular spot. Also depends on where in that area you want to stay.

Maxwell Beach or do you mean Dover Beach? Nice area, good beaches, good for kids. About 7 minutes up the South coast from Accra. Near St. Lawrence Gap, a happening spot.

The Crane is one of my favorite properties. Lovely property, nice beach, a little tucked away on the South Eastern side, small community feel but also very family oriented. Ideal location if you're looking for privacy. Agree with xhenx as far as calm waters. As you go further south and southeast, water tends to be more ideal for windsurfing, etc.

Have pics of the beaches if you want to take a look. If you have a few places in mind, I'd be happy to give you my 2 cents, if you'd like.

About me: Born and bred in Barbados; live in US. Visit every 2-3 months to scope places out and keep up to date on what's happening.

Thanks everyone! It sounds like Paynes Bay and The Crane are two areas to focus on.

Does anyone happen to know anything about Mermaid Apartments near the Crane, Annabelle Beach Cottage on Paynes Bay, or Portzvue at Port St. Charles Marina?

Careful re The Crane's beach. It is a beautiful one, but the water is usually too rough for little ones and can have an undertow.

For your little ones, I think your best bet is the West Coast. Never heard of these places, though. Will check them out when I'm there in a few weeks.

Annabelle seems pretty basic but provide good beach access, and if that's what you're looking for, that's fine. My feeling is you'd rather be in a private setting with detached accommodations. I guess the best thing to do is decide what's important to you - beach access, accommodations and work from there.

Good luck in your search and wherever you end up, it would great to get your review. I'm sure others would love to read about it as well.

Sharrena

paynes or mullins. beach at the crane is too rough for little ones imho.
i'd suggest renting a beachfront villa. hauling all the things your 2 kids will need for the beach every day (or more often if you go home for lunch, naps) will get quite tedious. plus when the baby or you are napping the 7 yr old will still be able to play in the sand.

Several new beaches, small but nice with areas for swimming, have developed in Hastings on the south coast, which makes that very attractive, and with the Boardwalk, you can walk easily from one to the next and to nearby facilities. Protected swimming ideal for kids.
More info on Barbados beaches here:

http://www.destinationcaribbean.net/...=0&parentid=19

Crane definitely not suitable for little ones.

We ended up booking at Little Good Harbour in St. Peter. The beach looks small we got such a great deal va luxurylink.com that we couldn't pass it up.

Great location - you won't be disappointed!

Hi,

I've created a video map of Barbados Beaches - www.beachesofbarbados.com

Have a look and let me know what you think! :)
Best
Nick Welch

Little Good Harbour is a nice choice, right on the beach sunsets are perfect, lovely island feel.

I think you'll love it.!