St James holidays

Your holiday to St James will bring you to the white sand beaches of Barbados. Here on the west coast, you'll find designer shopping, historic monuments and a marine park.

Historic parish

Saint James was the first landfall of western settlers, and has developed since the 17th century into a parish with several upscale resorts. Around Holetown, you'll find a couple of golf courses, tropical gardens and rum distilleries. The beaches offer white sand and calm seas where you can swim safely.

Holetown

Modern beach culture overlays Holetown's historic past, with the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre competing with a 17th-century parish church. Folkestone Marine Park is a great place for children to swim and visit the museum, and there's a botanical garden close by. A ship was sunk offshore to create the reef, which is an attraction for experienced scuba divers.

City day-trips

Don't miss the Barbadian capital of Bridgetown, just 10 minutes' drive to the south. Visit historic monuments such as the Barbados Museum and the old Parliament Building. There's a statue of Lord Nelson here and a town synagogue nearby.

Country day-trips

Alternatively, drive up into the hills and visit a cave or botanical garden. Harrison's Cave is a limestone cavern with pools and streams, and it's only 15 minutes' drive east. There's a tram that takes you underground to see the rock formations, and there are some interactive exhibits. Ten minutes further on you'll come to Hunte's Gardens, an enchanting tropical garden where the host may well invite you to tea.