Ginger Bay
A secret beach. One of the most beautiful yet quietest in Barbados is the secluded stretch of sand, just beyond The Crane Hotel, known as Ginger Bay.
This idyllic cove in the parish of St Philip is difficult to access, so even on a Sunday you are likely to have it to yourselves.
It is enclosed by towering limestone cliffs, topped by palms moving in the breeze.
Look for fossils hidden in the rock
The sand is bordered by palms and the occasional wispy casuarina offers afternoon shade, unlike nearby popular Crane Beach where rented umbrellas are the only respite from the sun.
You can pick a spot either back from the beach in a shady grove or you can nestle against the ancient fossils hidden in the rock.
Here you can hide yourself away for the afternoon, though bear in mind there are no shops to buy cold drinks or fresh water for showers. You are on your own and the place is all the better for that.
Aim for low tide…
Follow this link to find the times for low tide, the best time to visit Ginger Bay.
https://www.tidetime.org/central-america/barbados/bathsheba.htm
For home page, click on frigate bird!
A changing sandscape
Ginger Bay has two parts: the longer stretch near its precarious steps down and the tiny cove at the western end.
The water can be rough if there is an onshore swell so care needs to be taken during your seabath.
Currents and strong tides operate on this part of the coast so don’t venture out too far.
Shapes emerge from the sand
Keep a close eye on children who should only paddle in the shallows and not go out of their depths.
The force of the water here is constantly changing the sandscape. A long-buried fishing boat is emerging out of the beach and the access stairs are collapsing.
A bit of a clamber to Ginger Bay
Thousands of years of constant wave action has eroded and undermined rocks on and just beyond the beach: water rushes underneath these immense edifices which refuse to topple into the turquoise sea.
The last few steps have gone so you need to clamber the final few feet across the rock. Very doable, certainly not dangerous, but difficult for the less able.
Ginger Bay
Get to Ginger Bay: By Car or Sam Lord’s Castle bus from Bridgetown via the south coast (12A).
Turn left at the roundabout after The Crane Hotel entrance and take the first right.
The road peters out and you can park 20 metres or so from the steps. Why not combine it with a visit to the Mystery Gun? A real secretbarbados.com day out…
Take a Peek
Behind the Images Below
Find the Hidden Treasure
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