The southwestern parish known as Christ Church , the birthplace of tourism in Barbados, is dominated by the trappings of the holiday industry. The main highway here hugs the coast, linking a string of small resorts; each consists of a fringe of white-sand beach backed by a cluster of hotels, restaurants and tourist facilities. On the whole, the area is not as beautiful as the west coast, nor as lorded over by the staggering palaces of the mega-rich, but the beaches are just as fine, there are plenty of good eateries, and prices are much more reasonable.

 

As you head east from Bridgetown towards the airport, several of the coastal towns bear the names (and some of the atmosphere) of British seaside resorts. Each has its speciality, however: you'll find the best beaches at Rockley and Worthing , the liveliest restaurants and nightlife at St Lawrence Gap , and a bustling local scene at Oistins , while the quieter beaches at Silver Sands attract windsurfers and those who want to spend their holiday strolling on relatively deserted stretches of sand.

On the other side of the airport, in the southeast of the island, you enter the far less developed parish of St Philip . There's just a handful of hotels here, but the scenery is spectacular, with the Atlantic waves lashing the rocky coast.