Barbados Atlantic East Coast Attractions
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The east coast of Barbados on the Atlantic Ocean is characterized by high rolling waves and broad sandy beaches. This is where surfers go as opposed to the beaches on the Caribbean side of the island where the bathing beaches are located. The fact that there are few hotels and that the coast is farthest from the capital of Bridgetown, make these beaches virtually deserted.At some points such as Bathsheba, large volcanic rocks have been so undermined by the surf that they stand like gigantic mushrooms in the sea. Whereas, much of Barbados is considered flat, the east coast, especially in the north, is quite hilly and the roads can be quite steep.
Bathsheba, Barbados
The quaint village of Bathsheba is the central point for what tourist facilities exist on the Atlantic east coast. The Andromeda Tropical Botanic Gardens are nearby.Bathsheba used to be the northern terminus of a now-scrapped rail line from Bridgetown. The town thus developed as the hub of what few vacation facilities exist on the Atlantic coast.The novelty of Bathsheba are giant boulders in the ocean which have been carved into mushroom shapes by the waves.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens
Specializing in tropical plants from all over the world, the Andromeda Botanic Gardens are renowned for not only their collection, but also for the landscape on the slopes above the Atlantic Ocean. Of note are breadfruit trees descended from those collected by Captain Bligh of mutiny fame, succulents and palms. There are many unusual species which may be rarely seen elsewhere.The large bearded fig tree has so many aerial roots that it resembles a bearded tree. Since it once covered Barbados in vast forests, the Portuguese sailors who sailed by the island named it the bearded island or Barbados in Portuguese.The garden was the creation of Iris Bannochie who willed it to the National Trust. It is also a superb place for bird watching since the variety of flowers and tranquility lures many species of birds to the grounds.
Codrington College
Codrington College is an Anglican theological college built in 1743 and is the oldest in the Americas. Christopher Codrington bequeathed the estate and money in 1710 which resulted in these classical buildings set among lily ponds and palm trees. Today the college works with the University of the West Indies.
St John's Church
St John's is a popular spot both because of the beauty of its Gothic structure and because of the commanding view of the Atlantic coast between Bathsheba and the East Point Lighthouse.Built in about 1836, it replaced a structure destroyed in the hurricane of 1831.
Belleplaine, Barbados
Belleplaine is a pretty village on a plain surrounded by rolling hills.
St Andrew's Church
St Andrew's north of Belleplaine looks like the traditional stone English Gothic church with a square tower. Only the palm trees show that the quaint scene is not the old country.
