Smaller establishments close for lunch. Expect extended shopping hours in tourist centers. The entire island is circled with white, soft-sand beaches shaded by swaying palm trees. On the West Coast the sea is serene, clear and blue. It becomes a little choppier along the southern shore.
All beaches are public, although some hotels make access difficult.
If you want a more dramatic setting, try Crane Beach , a small sandy cove on the southeast coast that s surrounded by limestone cliffs. Big waves make it a great place to bodysurf. Rastafarians on the western and southern beaches sell coral jewelry out of black briefcases, and Rastafarian women may wander by, offering to braid your hair in the shade. If you do want to snorkel, though, try the shallow reefs fringing the West Coast or Carlisle Bay, both of which have an abundance of colorful fish, sea fans and corals. Windsurfing Barbados is considered among the world s top windsurfing spots.