BARBADOS FOR 5 0 - SOMETHINGS
Settle into the gentle life: think morning walks, stimulating history tours, pretty sunsets and a beach bar or two, suggests James Henderson
One of the good things about being a man “of a certain age” is that you don’t have to tag along and pretend that you enjoy going to a nightclub just because that’s what’s done at the end of an evening. But then Barbados has plenty of other experiences and leisurely pleasures to offer (that don’t involve frenetic night-long noise), catering to the over-50s who, after all, have the taste and the money to do things in a bit of comfort and style.
So, instead, you could experience the dawn at the beginning rather than at the end of your day. The dawn is the loveliest time of the Caribbean day anyway. It is cool and calm and the crowds haven’t surfaced yet (though you may meet a few Bajans enjoying their constitutional “sea bath” – a morning swim in which they wallow and chat), so it is well worth getting up and out.
And what about a little mental stimulation? The Barbados National Trust has a series of walks on Sunday mornings to areas of historic interest. They’re a nice mix of loyal locals and interested visitors led by a local historian who tells you of the island’s tangled, often romantic past.
If you enjoy a historical theme then there is the long history of plantation life as the Europeans began to crave tropical goods. Planting sugar began with a smart piece of industrial espionage, as the English stole the secrets of growing sugar cane from the Portuguese in Brazil. The island is still carpeted with cane and there are several sugar and rum factories where the crop is processed. For something a bit more elegant than the bus-tour version, head to the north of the island. At St Nicholas Abbey (not an abbey at all, but a private home, built so early that it was given a fireplace before anyone realised they were not needed) you can take a tour of the old colonial house, see the distillery and discover how rum is produced. A more modern distillery is on view at Foursquare in the south-east.
Barbados was a vital link in the chain that the Royal Navy maintained in the region, in order to rule the Caribbean waves. It was the only island in the region that was not conquered by another European power. The colonial nerve centre was the Garrison Savannah in the south of Bridgetown, where you can see the old colonial buildings and barracks. The Savannah, the colonial parade ground, is now a horse-racing track, but the stone buildings around give an old colonial air – the Barbados Museum is well worth a visit to see how it all came about. It’s also interesting to see how the colonial authorities sent messages around the island. Messages could be sent in seconds from the Garrison out into the countryside, via a network of signal stations at Gun Hill and Cotton Tower. These could report the arrival of ships or potential unrest.
Every Bajan house, however humble, has a small garden, with a border, some flowers and a fruit tree. But the island also has some magnificent botanical and private gardens. Visit the Flower Forest, Andromeda and particularly Hunte’s Gardens, which is set in a deep limestone sinkhole. There’s every colour in the sun in the profusion of tropical plants that grow there, even some opera music thrown in. If you enjoy private gardens, then remember that the Barbados Horticultural Society runs an Open Gardens programme in the dry season from January to March, in which locals and residents show their garden for a day.
Not everyone who has reached 50 has come to play golf, but if you have then there is plenty of choice. There are half a dozen courses on the island, two on the south coast and four along the west. And if you are going afloat, don’t hire a jet ski or join a pirate cruise, take a day sail instead. It’s a far more elegant activity. Instead of walking the plank to loud music, you will cruise up the west coast of the island, riding the gentle breezes, with a sunset rum punch in hand.
Nightclubs may not be high on my list, but there’s nothing wrong with a beach bar, with the easy plink of reggae in the background to an accompanying wash of waves. Mullins is a trusty favourite for a sunset drink, and for an authentic, rustic Caribbean experience, try Ju-Ju’s, a simple blue and yellow shed (the Bajan national colours, of course) right above the waves just down from The Lone Star (more of a restaurant, though they’d probably let you in for a sunset drink).
The west coast is famed for its restaurants (see The Tides and Daphne’s), but the south coast has a couple of places that offer a fine dinner. Café Luna at Little Arches just outside Oistins has a delightful rooftop setting and Tapas sits right above the boardwalk.
Restaurants are dotted along the west coast, but one definite culinary centre of gravity is Holetown. After dinner in season, diners spill out onto the few streets and an impromptu party happens right there. Er, hang on. I’m getting dangerously close to contradicting myself here. A moment longer and I’ll find myself writing about going to a nightclub.
Not everyone who has reached 50 has come to play golf