St James is a fabulously wealthy part of Barbados situated on its west coast. You’ve only got to look at the number of expensive sports cars that pass you in your hire car to know there’s serious money about.
Drive past the opulent mansions and villas or spend some of your holiday dollars where the rich and famous shop and you’re likely to bump into a celebrity. For the grittier side to the island, visit the Portvale Sugar Factory, the last operational one on the island and watch the cane being turned into sugar.
St James Mini Guide
Who Travels to St James?
Usually the rich and famous! It’s the most expensive part of the island and you can understand why with beautiful, nearly unspoilt beaches – the private ones by the villas are definitely unspoilt and often guarded! This is the original part of Barbados settled by the English and the parish structure and names evidence this with St James, St Peter and St Lucy making up the western settlements.
How do I get to St James?
Eight miles from the capital is the international airport, Grantley Adams International. Flights arrive there from continental America and Europe with carriers such as BA, Virgin and Thomson. To get to St James, you’ll have a long and slow journey along the coastal highway but the views from it make the journey worthwhile.
What is there to See and Do in St James?
Most people simply pull up a sunbed under an umbrella and enjoy the sun and the sea. For those that wish to explore a little, wander around the sights of the three parishes or spend some time in Holetown, the area’s main town, where a monument commemorates the English landing there. At Fustic, there’s an amazing bird park where over a thousand colourful birds fly freely through the forest. There too, you can meet and even spend the night with descendants of the island’s original inhabitants, the Charechiki Indians.
What Should I eat in Barbados?
Fish features regularly on the menu, especially game fish such as tuna, marlin and swordfish. Barbadian food is known for a spicy kick and their version of prawn gumbo is a real treat.
What do the Barbadians do for Entertainment?
There’s the Holetown Festival in February, celebrating the coming of the English. Days and nights of parades ensue with dancing, music food and drink. At other times of the year entertainment comes in the form of sundowners at the beachfront bars and a very chilled evening. The young and young at heart will want to be at the various beach parties too which start mid-afternoon and continue, sometimes until dawn.
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