Christ Church
Quick Facts
Type: Island Break
Best Date to Visit: Dec – Apr
Expense: Expensive
Things to Do:
Points of Interest: Christ Church Parish Church, Aquatic Centre, Graeme Halll Nature Sanctuary, Oistin Village, Miami Beach, Accra Beach and more.
The Good: Pleasant beach walks and great views of sunsets
The Bad: Parts of the coast a little less maintained and cleaned
Brief
Barbados is divided into what is known as a parish and there are 11 in total. Christ Church is one of the larger parishes and is popular for activities such as surfing and kitesurfing. I stayed in Christ Church in order to quarantine as the hotels there tend to be cheaper than the ones on St Michael and St James.
Hassle Free Quarantine
My Barbados adventure was just post of a covid lockdown (August 2021), it was on the UKs green list which meant that British visitors would not need to quarantine upon return. Furthermore the UK was also on Barbados’s green list (although I think it was categorised differently). This meant that Barbados was a favourable destination for UK travellers. However, rightly-so Barbados still had its restrictions and entry procedures. Apart from their red-listed countries all visitors had to have a test upon arrival and then quarantine at an approved quarantine hotel until the results return (negative). After you are free to roam the country wherever and whenever you wish.
My experience with the Barbadian covid procedures was stress free. I arrived at the airport and immediately completed a free antigen test. After that I received a green wristband which couldn’t be removed until my quarantine hotel receives my antigen results. It was advised this could take up to 2 nights (meaning a possible quarantine for 2 nights). I chose a quarantine hotel which allowed me to use their facilities such as their pools and lounges whilst in quarantine. However I didn’t really need it as I arrived in the evening, I ate and slept and in the morning got my results which meant I could cut my green wristband and was free to roam. Easy…
Fine Beaches
Once I was permitted to leave quarantine, the first place I explored was the beaches. They were nice with powdery white sands but I feel they were poorly maintained when I was there (maybe due to pandemic). Some of the beaches I walked through were also very thin between the beach and some properties which wasn’t very pretty. However that was only some sections of the south coast. Other beaches such as Accra and Miami Beach were outstanding.
A Great Addition
One thing ive noticed about Barbadian beaches is that although its white sand shores are amazing they were deep and made every single step a kilometre worth of energy (a huge exaggeration off course but you know what I mean). So the addition of the Graeme Haynes Boardwalk which as the name states a beautifully laid wooden walk path laid out parallel to the shore is a welcomed addition to explore the area.
Oistin Village
Oistin village is a small fishing village on the south coast. One of Barbados’s most spoke of events and a must when in the island country is the Oistin fish fry which occurs weekly every Friday night and as stated on the name offers the freshest fish caught on that same day.
Attractions to see
Richard Haynes Boardwalk- A short walk installed beachside to roam easier.
Oistin Village- A fishing village famed for ‘Friday Fish Fry’
Barbados Golf Club- For golf lovers, this is basically self explanitory.
Garrison Savannah- There is a huge horse racing culture in Barbados and this race track has been operating since 1845.
Banks Beer Brewery tour- Banks is the resident beer in Barbados. A tour around their brewery would be interesting.
and so much more
(There is just so many different attractions to visit and locations to explore check them out and plan your itinerary out properly.)
Conclusion
Christ Church was the first of three parishes I stayed in. As I stated on my intro my purpose was to quarantine on a cheap. My first impressions were not too great unfortunately as there were only a handful of restaurants within short walking distance, the beaches were not maintained (at the time I visited) and it was tough to explore on foot as roads were not the best. However the longer I stayed the place grew on me. It was a place incredible on its own right, it was a chilled place with beautiful views of the sunset the local people were friendly and I felt the area was safe in the day (not in the night).
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Categories: Blog, North America
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