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The ship docks at the port about a mile west of town. There is a free shuttle through the port area to the terminal building, and a share taxi from there into the town center costs $1 US. Instead, we recommend walking straight ahead from the terminal for 15 minutes (about half-way into town) to the Cheapside bus terminal, where you will find cheap local buses that run along the coast. Look for the dozen or so 20 passenger yellow buses in an area across from the fish market. The east coast (Atlantic) beaches are very rough and the west coast (Caribbean) beaches are recommended. Our idea of a perfect beach is a wide strip of white sand with good shade, few people, and no wave-runners.

For $1 per person, we took the Speightstown bus up the west coast and got off at Mullins beach, which is a little less than an hour’s ride (ask the conductor to show you the stop and the beach access). This is a strip of clean sand with very few people, good swimming, and a restaurant and chair rental nearby for those who need it. It is quite secure, and you can leave your beach bag with anyone (or the chair rental lady) if you want to beach walk or swim for any length of time. Unfortunately in Barbados the landowners are allowed to encroach too close to the surf line. One can walk for miles north or south, but one has to use occasional high tide walkways around some intrusive walled properties. Snorkeling is not very good at this sandy beach, but if you are there around noon, you are in for a treat.

About 15 minutes walk north you may see a collection of excursion boats about 500 feet offshore. They are feeding giant sea turtles for the delight of their passengers. If you are a strong swimmer (and preferably have a PFD), you can swim out (straight off the concrete pier beach area) and join them. I was there just as the boats left. The turtles swam back and forth within touching range – their carapaces were easily 5 hand spans long (almost four feet). It was dream-like, the same feeling I had when swimming with dolphins, whales, and manatees – truly a privilege of a nature. For weaker swimmers, one can hire a small boat from shore (for about $20 I believe – some people offered that alternative as I walked to the pier). The bus back to the boat is convenient since bus stops are well marked and near the beaches.

Check out the shore excursions available in Barbados.
Barbados Shore Excursions

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