Best Island In the Summer?
#21
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,840
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I travel over my July birthday every year to an island in the Caribbean or Bahamas and its rarely that hot that it would prevent me from returning. However, hot is a relative term so what may be too hot for you may not be that hot to someone else. Negril was really hot one year so we moved to the north side of the island. And I disagree that Aruba is the only option and its definitely not the best/only one for white sand beaches, IMHO.
ditto A_Traveller.
ditto A_Traveller.
#23
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,840
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What type of vacation are you looking for? Do you need night life, shopping, lots of restaurants and water activities -- or -- do you want solitude, secluded white sandy beaches to yourself and your own evening's entertainment?
Budget, travel time, and beach quality all play into our choices.
What are you looking to do?
Budget, travel time, and beach quality all play into our choices.
What are you looking to do?
#25
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,840
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If surfing is the priority along with beaches, I would choose Barbados. On the west & south coast you have white powder beaches with restaurants, fun bars and music. On the east coast you'll find the surfing area, Bathsheba (Soup Bowl). Its quite picturesque with the large boulders in the water. We took a cab around the island and doesn't take long at all to get to the soup bowl from the west cost side or you could stay on the south side.
Here is a piece from surfer's magazine:
BARBADOS SURF OVERVIEW
The East Coast has probably got the most consistent break on the Island because it gets the Atlantic swells, best in summer with a south wind and a northeast swell. The West Coast breaks from a north swell between December and March and then perhaps only once per week, usually from strong low pressure systems in the North Atlantic. When the West Coast does break, it can be excellent, generally bigger the farther north you go. A big day is 5', rarely over 8' except at Duppy's which gets bigger but is not a clean wave because it is so far out. The South Coast also breaks in winter (rarely insummer except for local storms), and is more consistent than the West Coast. The winds are usually northeast to southeast which favors the South and West Coasts. A south or southwest wind (usually summer or early fall) means perfection for Bathsheba (Soup Bowl). There are many additional breaks on the Island if you include the distant offshore reefs, especially in the southeast coast near Sam Lord's Castle. They are accessible only by boat and are easily blown out. If you have a car, you can probably surf everyday on Barbados. If it is flat in the Oistins Bay area, go to Duppy's or Bathsheba. However, the Islandis very subject to flat spells, especially on the South Coast, affecting Silver Sands to Batts Rock which are most favored by the tradewinds. Be prepared for the possibility of long periods of surflessness up to two weeks, even in the prime swell months of December through March.
http://tinyurl.com/2rd7ut
You may have a short shower ever day but never lasts long and the sun is right back out.
Lots of lodging options in Barbados as well. Put Barbados lodging or hotels in the search box and check it out. Also, go to tripadvisor.com as well.
Here is a great website with info and a great map:
http://www.barbados.org
Hope that gets you started.
Here is a piece from surfer's magazine:
BARBADOS SURF OVERVIEW
The East Coast has probably got the most consistent break on the Island because it gets the Atlantic swells, best in summer with a south wind and a northeast swell. The West Coast breaks from a north swell between December and March and then perhaps only once per week, usually from strong low pressure systems in the North Atlantic. When the West Coast does break, it can be excellent, generally bigger the farther north you go. A big day is 5', rarely over 8' except at Duppy's which gets bigger but is not a clean wave because it is so far out. The South Coast also breaks in winter (rarely insummer except for local storms), and is more consistent than the West Coast. The winds are usually northeast to southeast which favors the South and West Coasts. A south or southwest wind (usually summer or early fall) means perfection for Bathsheba (Soup Bowl). There are many additional breaks on the Island if you include the distant offshore reefs, especially in the southeast coast near Sam Lord's Castle. They are accessible only by boat and are easily blown out. If you have a car, you can probably surf everyday on Barbados. If it is flat in the Oistins Bay area, go to Duppy's or Bathsheba. However, the Islandis very subject to flat spells, especially on the South Coast, affecting Silver Sands to Batts Rock which are most favored by the tradewinds. Be prepared for the possibility of long periods of surflessness up to two weeks, even in the prime swell months of December through March.
http://tinyurl.com/2rd7ut
You may have a short shower ever day but never lasts long and the sun is right back out.
Lots of lodging options in Barbados as well. Put Barbados lodging or hotels in the search box and check it out. Also, go to tripadvisor.com as well.
Here is a great website with info and a great map:
http://www.barbados.org
Hope that gets you started.
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