Sea Shell Beach House

In Depth

Sea Shell Beach House has a unique, park-like setting with a quiet, intimate air and is located at the northern end of Barbados’s West Coast, not far south of Speightstown. Amazingly it has around two acres of mature gardens with plenty of shade from tall trees, and an area of mangrove with a watercourse filled with tilapia running towards the sea. A new drive has been created over the watercourse, so guests can now arrive through a private driveway over a bridge, rather than by the former shared entrance with neighbouring holiday villas. Once you are in the grounds of Sea Shell it is hard to imagine that the popular Mullins Beach is just a leisurely stroll away. The setting is ideal for nature and bird lovers, and anyone looking for a private retreat that is still within feet of the beach.

Unlike the busier coastal strip in St James, this section of St Peter has a much quieter feel and its tree-lined road creates an air of cool and calm. Traditionally this area was the choice of travellers seeking a retreat from the more fashionable beaches. It remains so, and Sea Shell offering more seclusion than most. The most noticeable feature of this part of the island is that there is not a single hotel along the beaches of Gibbs and Mullins. All you will find are villas and smart homes, though one or two of these are large enough to be considered mini hotels. Although there has been some development within the area over recent years, not much has changed and the only activity of note takes place around the Mullins Beach Bar, as it has done for decades.

A huge Pride of India tree, which bears pretty yellow flowers, sits at the centre of the drive-way, and must have been in situ when Sea Shell was built in the 1960s. Completely renovated in the late 1990s, the villa has retained its traditional, homely Barbadian atmosphere, with a timeless quality and an air of casual elegance. It has been very attractively and comfortably furnished in the manner of a plantation estate house, with the occasional mahogany piece mixed with natural woven fibre and upholstered seating to charming effect. Antique prints of seashells decorate the walls.

The villa is set over two floors, with the ground floor containing a comfortable sitting room and an adjoining formal dining room, which is utterly charming. Both have large doorways that lead onto the coral stone terrace outside, but if necessary the formal dining room can be closed off and air-conditioned. The open-plan living room, which has a furnished reception area with wicker seating, and adjacent to it a wet bar and dining gazebo with lattice doors that lead onto a small and very sweet terrace. This is partially hidden between hedges, but is a pleasant spot to sit, just above the beach. An area to the rear of the dining gazebo has a card table which can also be used for cocktails or as a quite area to sit and read, though there is the bench by the watercourse. A third dining option for guests is outside on the terrace, where there are also sun loungers and umbrellas for sunbathing during the day. The beach is just steps away, beyond a low wall. It is screened by tropical planting and trees, but the sounds of the waves a constant reminder that the Caribbean Sea is right on the doorstep.

There are three extremely well proportioned bedrooms at Sea Shell, one located on the ground floor by the main entrance. It is accessed though a small study area next to the stairs. It has two single beds pushed together and like the other bedrooms has blue and white soft furnishings. It also has a traditional tray ceiling, built-in wardrobe and en suite bathroom with shower. Upstairs is another large, rear twin bedroom with a walk-in dressing room and en suite bathroom with shower. Finally, the Master bedroom must be one of the largest bedrooms to be found anywhere in a three bedroom villa in the Caribbean. It could probably fit two king size beds and still have room for the wicker furniture in the corner. This room, which faces the ocean, has retained the speckled tiles of the original villa. They look a little dated now, but overall the room has a very pleasant feel. There is a walk-in dressing area and an en suite bathroom with tub/shower and bidet and a large ocean-facing balcony with a couple of wooden armchairs chairs for relaxing. All bedrooms are air-conditioned and have ceiling fans.

Beach & Swimming

Sea Shell is situated directly on the beach, just at the start of one of Barbados' best beaches, Gibbs Beach on Mullins Bay which runs into Mullins Beach to the north. This has a long stretch of glorious golden sand and some of the best swimming on the West Coast. Access to the beach is via a gate to the south of the gardens.

Sports & Recreation

The nearest golf course is Royal Westmoreland about 15 minutes drive away, which has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning, otherwise there are the three courses at Sandy Lane about 20 minutes away. The nearest tennis courts are located at Sugar Hill about 12 minutes drive away. Watersports are available from Mullins Beach.

Locality

Sea Shell Beach House is set in over 2 acres of park like, mature gardens with its own mangrove and waterway, and shares an entrance way with neighbouring Barbados rental villas in addition to having its own private entrance. It lies just south of Mullins Bay and the popular Mullins Beach Bar. Speightstown, the island's second largest town, is a very short drive away (about 7 minutes). Once known as Little Bristol because of connections to Bristol on the west coast of England, Speightstown still has a feel of old time Barbados about it. There is a small fish market on the seafront, fruit and vegetable sellers known as "hucksters" on the road side, a couple of local restaurants and bars and a smattering of shops, plus a reasonably well stocked supermarket. The nearest good restaurants to the north are Mangos By the Sea, The Terrace at Cobblers Cove hotel and the Fish Pot at Little Good Harbour. To the south try Lone Star.

A simple supper in one of the fishing villages to the north of St Peter or in St Lucy at Shermans or Half Moon Fort on a Friday or Saturday is an option, for this is when freshly caught fish is cooked by the roadside - this is becoming a popular alternative to the busier Oistins Fish Fry. Here you will find the small wooden fish stalls interspersed with make-shift bars right on the beach at the side of the road, or the occasional rustic dining area perched above the sea. Local fishing boats are still built in this area and can be seen along the road side.

Useful Hints

Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival. The cook will then prepare a welcome meal. Thereafter, staff will shop for you during your stay if you wish to delegate this chore, however it is up to the guest to provide transportation and funds for the staff to do so. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa. Initial groceries and additional shopping, transfers, and any other incidentals such as crib, high chair, TV rental are subject to a 17.5% VAT and 15% Service Charge.

Airport Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct ask the villa management company Altman Villa Rentals to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Once you request their transfer service, they will have a representative at the airport outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name on it, who will direct you to your awaiting taxi. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 50 minutes.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.

If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking.

Getting Around

Although most things are relatively close at hand and Speightstown can easily be reached by public transport, a hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays, unless you prefer staff to call taxis for you as required. A car will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle(s) to be delivered to the property approximately 3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or, if preferred, the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.