Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Palmetto Bay

Palmetto Bay is a delightful little cove situated on the South East Coast of Barbados, in the Parish of St. Philip.

Sometimes not included on Barbados maps, Palmetto Bay lies between Kitridge Bay to the north, with Harrismith Beach, Bottom Bay and Cave Bay to the south.  A few miles north of Crane Beach, and 15-20 minutes drive from Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport, Palmetto Bay is actually located in the largest parish in Barbados, St. Philip. However, in spite of its size, St. Philip is actually less densely populated than the neighbouring parishes, and Palmetto Bay is subsequently located in a relatively quiet and unspoilt part of Barbados, with fewer crowds of tourists.

Palmetto Bay in Barbados nestles on the strikingly beautiful Atlantic coastline, where the unceasing bombardment of high winds and heavy seas over thousands of years has created dramatic landscapes and breathtaking panoramas. The coastline here is rugged and bedecked with endless cliffs and sprawling rock formations, occasionally revealing a few white talcum powdery beaches, traditionally the haunts of smugglers and wreckers. 

Although this Barbados coastline is less developed than the West Coast of Barbados, larger scale tourism has recently begun to emerge, and in the first decade of the twenty-first century, the area around Palmetto Bay in Barbados has become home to one of Barbados' newest developments, The Merricks Beach Resort. Once completed, this million-dollar Barbados luxury resort will boast a six-acre stretch of the most bedazzling ocean coastline you could ever wish for. 

Whilst the countryside around Palmetto Bay is predominantly free of tourist attractions, there are a few places of interest nearby, notably Sam Lord's Castle in St. Philip with its intriguing history. Sam Lord's Castle is a magnificent Great House located on a mile of exquisite sandy beach in the parish of St. Philip. This mansion was built in 1820 by Samuel Hall Lord, who allegedly made his fortune by luring ships onto the nearby rocks with coconut lanterns and then plundering and pillaging them, 'pirate' style! (At the time of writing (January 2011) Sam Lord's Castle is currently closed for renovations).

Another Barbados attraction worth visiting in the peaceful St.Philip countryside inland from Palmetto Bay is the Sunbury Plantation House, offering a fascinating insight into Barbados' rich history and currently the only Great House in Barbados with all of its rooms open to the public for viewing. This historic building was constructed between 1660 and 1670 by Irish/English planter Matthew Chapman, one of the first settlers on the island of Barbados.