West Shore

In Depth

West Shore is located within the popular area of Weston near The Garden in St James. The area has a number of large estates, villas and holiday homes tucked in among local chattel houses and various residences along the West Coast. Situated off the main road with a parking area outside, and currently only one neighbour on the north side (there is a vacant plot of land next door).

West Shore was converted a few years ago from its original set-up as apartments, into one of the nicest of Barbados beach villas offering four bedrooms (two upstairs and two downstairs) which can still be rented either as a two, three or four-bedroom villa. All furnishings were replaced, internal stairs added and a full kitchen is now downstairs.

The upper floor has wonderful sea views from its balcony, and due to the fact that is has an exposed roof, feels light and airy. It has an open-plan sitting/dining room with slightly more space now that the original cooking island has been removed and the remainder of the former kitchen now serves as a wet bar. Downstairs is another open-plan living area with a very well equipped kitchen with brown granite work surfaces and breakfast bar, a comfortable sitting area and a dining area with sea views. You can step out onto the sun terrace with a small plunge pool or “social pool” which is perfect for enjoying cocktails. The sun terrace is completely enclosed by a low wall topped with wooden trellis. A wooden gate with steps leads onto the beach. During the turtle nesting season (mid spring to mid summer), hawksbill turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs.

The four bedrooms are located to the front of the house, with a master bedroom both upstairs and downstairs having king-size beds and a large en suite bathroom with tub and separate shower. There is a twin bedroom downstairs and another king upstairs, both with en suite bathroom with showers only. All bedrooms are air-conditioned.

Beach & Swimming

The beach is located directly below the terrace accessed by a gate and a few steps down on to the sand. The beach extends to the front of the property next door to the north and a little further down to the south, with good swimming and snorkelling.

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 two courses open to the public at Sandy Lane about 20 minutes away. The nearest tennis court is located at Sugar Hill about 12 minutes drive away.

Locality

Westshore is located off the main West Coast road (Highway 1) between Holetown and Speightstown, not far from Fairmont's Royal Pavilion and the Glitter Bay Estate. There are one or two local shops and rum shops in the area, but the nearest shopping district is Holetown (about 10 minutes south by car). Here you will find the Cave Shepherd Plaza and the larger West Coast Mall. These contain a supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques.  Nearby the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is a recent addition with a range of designer shops, an art gallery, bars, cafes and restaurants. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The town also has a gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) which has an in store mini-mart and an outlet of KFC, both open until late evening.

Holetown, the place where the English first landed in 1625, later settling it in 1627, is also a local Barbadian community, with Police Station, Post Office, Parish Church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.

There is a host of restaurants ranging from posh to pizzas within 15 minutes' drive in either direction of Weston, from the celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 5 minutes away, to the famous The Cliff restaurant, which will take about 15 minutes, both heading south. In Holetown itself the restaurants stand shoulder to shoulder (they gather a lively bar crowd in the evening in season and at weekends), but you will also find pizza parlours, cafés, beach bars, fast food outlets and an excellent patisserie.

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, but a 10% service charge + VAT will be added to all shopping bills. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.

See Barbados Island pages under 'Villas' for further tips.

Special Offers

Winter Special - Free Night
Stay 7 nights and only pay for 6 nights. Offer valid for stays from 15 Jan to 14 Apr 2010 and does not apply to the 3-bedroom rate.

All offers are subject to change without notice.

Airport Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct ask the villa management company to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 45 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, 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 Holetown can easily be reached by public transport (a good bus service passes right outside the entrance), a hire 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 three 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.