Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Ragged Point

Ragged Point is a village situated on the East Coast of Barbados, in the Parish of St. Philip, between Kitridge Bay and Bottom Bay to the south, and Skeete's Bay, Conset Bay, Congor Bay and Martin's Bay to the north.

The onomatopoeic name Ragged Point seems to conjure up enigmatic images of desolation, jagged cliffs and rugged rocks, which is exactly what you will probably experience if you visit Ragged Point in Barbados.

Swimming is therefore not recommended at Ragged Point in Barbados as, in addition to the steep sea cliffs and dangerous rocks, the sea along this coastline hosts the constant hazards of undertow and powerful currents, and large to enormous waves. If you go around the corner of the bay to the southern end of Ragged Point, you will find some more sheltered beaches and bays, including Bottom Bay, Cave Bay, Long Bay and Foul Bay.  Furthermore, the tiny Culpepper Island lies just a short distance from the coastline at Ragged Point and can be reached on foot at low tide, its more sheltered location thus providing alternative opportunities for cautious swimming and surfing.

Experienced surfers visiting Barbados might want to try out the surf at Ragged Point. There are no easy routes down to the rocks, so access to the waves is a descent down a 60 foot cliff, which can be very slippery at the best of times. Remember to surf on the right hand side of the bay as the left side is particularly treacherous. The waves break from left and right into 3-4 feet of water, and while the east and northeast swells generally prevent surfing activity, south-easterly swells can make Ragged Point a fun and exhilarating surfing spot. If you think Ragged Point in Barbados might be the place for you to enjoy the surf, click here more information about the area's surf conditions and forecasts.

One of the main tourist attractions at Ragged Point in Barbados is East Point Lighthouse, one of four lighthouses on the island, the others being South Point, Needhams Point and Harrison Point.  Each of these four lighthouses is suffering from neglect and in need of restoration.

East Point Lighthouse is located on top of a cliff at the most easterly point in Barbados, where visitors are afforded unrivalled views of the blustery East Coast, sometimes being able to see as far north as Pico Teneriffe and Cove Bay in fine weather.

East Point Lighthouse is an 85 foot coral stone structure that was erected on May 1st 1875. Standing majestically at over 200 feet above sea level, its beams radiating approximately 21 miles, East Point Lighthouse is considered Barbados' most significant lighthouse, protecting sailors from the turbulent Atlantic coastline and the hazardous Cobbler’s Reef, where 22 shipwrecks were logged during the fifty years preceding its construction.

As East Point Lighthouse originally contained a rotating light powered by heavy weights that required regular winding, adjacent residences needed to be built to house the light keepers. These days, although East Point Lighthouse remains a commanding and iconic sight in Barbados, steadfastly overseeing the chaotic ocean below, rust and vandalism have sadly taken their toll on this historic landmark and its proximate houses.

East Point Lighthouse near Ragged Point is an outstanding location for keen photographers. Barbados has always shown a deep interest in conservation issues, a standpoint further supported by the installation in 1978 of an Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) northern tropical atmospheric research station at Ragged Point on the East Coast of Barbados.