Bathsheba, the name evokes images of a mystical place and in Barbados it is a special
place. Bathsheba on the east coast of Barbados has dramatic beauty with wide sand beaches
on a rugged coast with striking rock formations. As beautiful as Bathsheba is, the journey
to this quaint seaside village is equally enchanting.
Driving to Bathsheba from Bridgetown takes one across Barbados going from the south
coast to the east coast. Going to Bathsheba can be described as a trek as the narrow
roads, old style wooden arrow-shaped signposts and striking beauty of the countryside
force you to reduce your speed and soak in the visual sights. It is a drive along narrow
roads through small villages and towns, many of whom are set in the midst of sugarcane
fields. In a sense this drive exposes you to the "true Barbados", away from the
frenetic pace of city life and the blandishments of commercial tourism. It is a drive
through villages where people stop to say good morning or wave to a passing stranger. It
is a drive through areas where people sit outside village bars or superettes and exchange
the latest news. To a lost stranger, people willingly give directions and may even offer
to ride part of the way. A trip to this mystical place carries you past churches that by
their very design speak of many years of ministering to a spiritual flock. If you stop and
wander the grounds of these churches a sense of peace seems to immediately envelope you.
Barbados is often thought of as a flat island but the drive across makes you realize
that there are significant hills which create striking contrasts. As you proceed the
vegetation changes, in some parts assuming a tropical rainforest appearance. The most
striking contrast however is the immediate entrance to Bathsheba. The road climbs a hill
and at the base is Bathsheba clustered around a bay with striking rock formations.
Depending however on the time of year or time of day, at the brink of the hill you are met
with a fog reminiscent of European cities. This fog is created by droplets driven by the
wind from the tops of the long Atlantic rollers.
These same rollers crossing the Atlantic from Africa to crash on the Barbados shore
create ideal conditions for surfing. And so it is to Bathsheba that local and
international surfers flock. While there are many locations in Barbados for surfing,
Bathsheba takes pride of place with the famed "Soup Bowl". Named after the foamy
surf, this is the site of many local and international surfing competitions. On almost
every weekend, surfers can be seen practicing their maneuvers on the waves while
spectators lounge on the beach.
Surfing is not the only activity that takes place at Bathsheba, indeed the invigorating
salt air combined with the rock formations encourages you to explore the beach and the
surrounding village. The constant breezes are ideal for kite flying while the trails off
the beach lead you among the rocks and to cliff tops that provide dramatic views. Along
the beach are grassy areas that are perfect for picnics and weekend camping and are fully
used by locals. The wooden houses surrounding the beach seem to fit perfectly into and
enhance the environment, encouraging you to wander through the village. Scattered
throughout are restaurants and bars able to refresh a parched throat or provide a meal for
a weary traveler. As you explore further you encounter Andromeda Gardens at one end of the
village. Nestled on a cliff overlooking the east coast, Andromeda Botanic Gardens is run
by the Barbados National Trust. It is spread over six acres of carefully landscaped
grounds that are lavishly coloured with blooms, orchids, exotics and shrubs. At the other
end of the village is the neighborhood known as Cattlewash. Here are found weekend
vacation cottages sitting on a wide beach backed by dramatic cliffs and surrounded by
vegetation that has been permanently shaped by the wind.
The waters at Bathsheba encourage you to enter and swim. There are shallow pools carved
out of the inshore coral reef that are just a few feet from the shore. These pools
are several feet deep and you can sit in them while the sea rolls in and swirls around
you. Despite the free movement exhibited by the surfers, care should be exercised if
swimming in Bathsheba. Swimming should only be done if in the company of someone who knows
the area well as there are dangerous rip tides and strong undertows.
If you ever visit Barbados, take the trek to Bathsheba and invigorate your spirit with
both the drive and the magic of the place.
Every year thousands of persons flock to Barbados to enjoy the blue waters, beautiful
beaches and vibrant nightlife. Many of these visitors spend their time on the south coast
which has the popular Accra Beach, Dover Beach and Sandy Beach. Along the south coast
there is a multiplicity of tourism related activities. On this coast is also found the
area known as St Lawrence Gap which due to its wide variety of restaurants, nightclubs,
bars and pubs is alive during the day and even more alive at night. All of these
attractions combine to make Barbados an outstanding holiday destination.
There is another group however that also flocks to Barbados every year and it consists
of many migratory bird species. These birds gather at Graeme Hall in Worthing on the south
coast of Barbados. The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary is situated in Worthing, on the south
coast of Barbados opposite Sandy Beach. Many individuals traverse the south coast,
sampling the delights of a Bajan holiday, yet never discover the hidden paradise that is
the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.
The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary is home for up to 40 resident / seasonally resident
bird species in addition to the migratory species that visit. This sanctuary is the
location of the first known nesting site in the Americas for the Little Egret (Egretta
garzetta).Designed around a 10 acre mangrove lined lake, the
sanctuary is perfect for viewing birds. There is a wooden boardwalk that weaves its way
around portions of the lake and around various ponds. Along the boardwalk the mangrove has
been trimmed at various locations to provide views of the lake. There is a replica of an
old Barbadian shooting hut which, houses a Migratory Bird Exhibit that displays of
migratory bird behaviour and physiology.
Within the sanctuary are a St Vincent Amazon Parrot exhibit and two large walk-through
Aviaries. These Aviaries replicate a Gully habitat and a Marshland Habitat and allow you
to closely observe the birds as you walk through. In the Gully Habitat Aviary can be seen
a variety of birds that include crested bobwhites, channel-billed toucans, gray
trumpeters, brown-throated parrots, eclectus parrots, sun parakeets, macaws and piping
guans. The birds seen in the Marshland Aviary include flamingoes, whistling ducks,
mandarin ducks, roseate spoonbills and scarlet ibis.
While Graeme Hall is a sanctuary for wildlife it is also a sanctuary for humans.
Strategically positioned throughout the visitor section are benches where you can sit in
solitude and observe or reflect on life. Along the boardwalk and trails are interpretive
displays that provide information about the birds, plants and animals in the sanctuary. In
visiting Graeme Hall you can walk through at your leisure or participate in a group tour
conducted by a trained naturalist. A small fee is charged for entry to the sanctuary and
this is payable at the Visitor Centre and Sanctuary Store, which has educational toys and
kits, books, souvenirs, food and drinks, and many other items.
So the next time you are in Barbados, discover the hidden Bajan paradise that is the
Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.
