Holidays in Barbados are back this winter – here's how to get there
Our writer visited before the announcement of a new national lockdown. As of November 5, all outbound international travel is banned for four weeks. Once lockdown is lifted, Barbados should remain on our travel corridors list
It is 8am in Holetown and a smartly dressed congregation wearing face masks is singing hymns in St James Parish Church. Dating from 1628, this is the oldest church on Barbados and while I’m sure its sturdy coralstone pillars have witnessed many tumultuous events, nothing skewers daily life quite like the present pandemic.
To join these resolute worshippers I have had to provide my contact details, sanitise my hands and get zapped with a temperature gun – procedures that are universal here whether you’re picking up a hire car, arriving at a beach bar or requesting a paddleboard from the lithe guys in watersports.
Barbados, like us, has had its lockdown struggles – at one point alcohol sales were banned and trips to the beach restricted – but the islanders trusted their government and it has paid off. This is one of the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean, yet there have only been just over 230 Covid-19 cases – the latest stats are at gisbarbados.gov.bb.
Now, as the peak winter season approaches, the Bajans are working hard to restart their tourism industry – and we Britons can be sure of a warm welcome (once our current lockdown is lifted and we can travel again).
The Queen’s role as head of state might soon be getting the chop, but the island’s links with Blighty stretch back almost four centuries, manifest in a mutual love of cricket, gardens and horse racing. Place names such as Wakefield, Clapham and Dover make us feel at home and in some resorts 70 per cent of guests are British, happily soaking up the sun with rum punch in hand.
This month has seen a significant increase in flights to the island, with British Airways launching a daily route from Heathrow to complement its Gatwick service. Virgin Atlantic also flies from Heathrow and will add a link from Manchester on Dec 5. I should warn you that the restricted meals BA currently offers its economy passengers are dreadful, and that the arrival procedures at Grantley Adams International Airport can be lengthy due to the need to inspect Covid-19 test certificates (see Chris Leadbeater’s interview with Lisa Cummins, below), fill in a medical form and have a temperature check. Fast-track services, which can be arranged through your tour operator or hotel, seem a good investment.
Since Oct 1, British travellers have been deemed “high risk”, which means everyone must quarantine at their hotel or villa until the result of a second Covid-19 test taken on island comes through. Although the beach will be temporarily off limits you are not confined to your room.
“There might only be a day or two of restricted movements,” explains Russell Croney, the general manager at The Sandpiper resort. This tranquil, 50-room property on the classy west coast has two pools, so one is now reserved for quarantining guests. They also have loungers overlooking the sea, while meals are served on your room patio or at dedicated restaurant tables. Given that most of us flop for the first few days of holiday, this is not such a hardship.
As for the second test, this can be done at a charge in your room or at a private clinic, or you can go to a public health centre for free. I opt for the last, attending the Branford Taitt Polyclinic in Black Rock where a cheery Dr Sharma Brown sticks a swab up my nostril with the finesse of a hummingbird seeking nectar. I’m in and out within 30 minutes and 48 hours later a negative test certificate arrives by email, although the waiting time is usually less. After that you are free to do cartwheels on the beach, sail along the coast in a Hobie Cat, or, as I do, go exploring by hire car.
With no cruise ships calling and few North American visitors, Barbados feels blissfully relaxed. Pre-pandemic, a top attraction like St Nicholas Abbey, a splendid Jacobean mansion built in 1658, would have welcomed 400 international visitors a day. Now it’s more like 30, plus plenty of Bajan families grabbing the chance to rediscover their island.
Months of lockdown appear to have inspired a culinary renaissance, with roadside stalls selling “Saturday pudding and souse” (sweet potato with pickled pork) and casual joints like Uncle Joe’s in Bathsheba, on the wild east coast, offering a heap of spicy pork chops and a cool Banks beer for a tenner.
Well-established restaurants like Lone Star and Champers are once again popping the corks, while newer hotspots such as La Cabane and Sea Shed are the place to party. The renowned Cobblers Cove hotel is once again serving a deliriously good Sunday lunch of grilled lobster and tuna as a saxophonist plays, and a sure sign that Barbados has got its mojo back is the news that Sandy Lane, the island’s luxury flagship where rooms cost more than £1,000 a night, will welcome guests from tomorrow.
“Can you remember what to do?” I ask Ricardo Watson as he fixes me a Gentle Mist (rum, cranberry, lime) back at The Sandpiper. Given that its Harold’s Bar has been closed for six months, and offers a whopping choice of 89 cocktails, it’s a fair question.
“No, I’m doing it on the fly,” he jokes, and as I look out at the bewitching turquoise sea it is a joy to find this zestful isle back in the holiday spirit. It is not only yachts that are on the horizon, but a sense of normality too.
Getting there
British Airways (0344 493 0125) flies from Gatwick from £418 return. Virgin Atlantic (0344 874 7747) flies from Heathrow from £393 return including free Covid-19 insurance for bookings up to March 31 2021. For the latest entry requirements see barbadostravelprotocols.com.
Where to stay
Double rooms at The Sandpiper cost from $515 (£398) including breakfast. Elegant Resorts (01244 897214) has seven nights from £2,349 per person departing Nov 10, including Virgin Atlantic flights, transfers, breakfast and UK airport lounge pass.
Information
Plan sightseeing in advance in case of reduced opening hours – St Nicholas Abbey is currently only open Friday to Sunday. Stoutes Car Rental has vehicles from £20 a day. For more information visit barbados.org.
