Admit it: You wore your bathing suit under your clothes on the plane so you didn’t waste a minute before you plunged into the warm, clear Caribbean Sea when you arrived in Barbados. You are not the first. Who could blame you?
As soon as it dries off, you may want to orient yourself about your holiday accommodation and the area you chose to stay in Barbados.
If that area is lively St. Lawrence Gap, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips without the need for a rental car: from quiet beaches to lively nightlife and small shops to romantic seaside dining. “The Gap” also offers many different types of accommodation, ranging from “budget” to moderately priced, casually elegant seaside apartments complete with kitchens.
As a rental agent in Barbados, I am constantly asked the following questions by guests about the 1.3 km long Gap. I answer as a rental agent who is very familiar with the area, but also as a Barbadian with a passion for my island home and its many charms.
1. What does “gap” mean?
Very simply, “street”.
2. Where is the nearest grocery store?
The Gap convenience store, in the heart of Gap. It has the basics: cereal, milk, cheese, sugar, ice cream and rum. The large Big B supermarket is a 15 minute walk or taxi ride from the Gap. Big B will take you and your purchases back to your vacation rental on their free shuttle service.
3. Where can I get a good breakfast in “the Gap”?
Southern Palms in Dover Beach offers casual beachside outdoor dining. Or try the Full Monty English Breakfast in The Flying Fish restaurant. It’s at the Yellow Bird Hotel, at the entrance to St. Lawrence Gap in Little Bay. If you get there early enough (7:30 or so), you’ll see the local fishermen head out for the day.
4. Where can I buy flip flops, a beach pareo and souvenirs?
Go to Chattel House Village, a collection of shops, along the Gap facing Dover Beach. Plus, the shop called Best of Barbados at the Southern Palms hotel is a must for all sorts of nifty souvenirs, many made by local artisans. They also sell artwork by famed Barbadian artist Jill Walker, whose beautiful scenes of villages and flowers have been screen-printed on oven mitts, place mats, tea towels and other practical items she can use around the house. And don’t miss the street vendors regaling you with everything from Bob Marley bags to conch shells and local artisan jewelry; street vendors make shopping so much fun.
5. Are there any good restaurants for dinner along the St. Lawrence Gap?
“Hmmm, does the water get wet?” The Gap is packed with restaurants of all kinds – casual, formal, romantic, seaside, roadside – serving all kinds of food: Bajan specialties, vegetarian, Mexican, Asian, and of course, seafood galore. . Around 8 p.m., food vendors stage huge barbecue operations along the street, cooking flying fish, chicken, and all the fixings all night long. Great food is just as plentiful as our beautiful white-sand beaches. Enjoy!
6. What “cleanup” places do you recommend in “The Gap”?
If you’re throwing around a word like “whitewashed”, you may know more about Barbados than you’re letting on! “To lime” is going to a bar, and there are many options along the Gap. McBride’s is a popular and cute place to listen to live music and have a rum punch. The Ship Inn, next door to McBride, is another. Many others dot the length of the Breach; it’s fun to jump from one to the other.
But not. Many guests prefer to rent a place facing the sea so that the only music they hear is the gentle rhythm of the waves of the Caribbean Sea. At St. Lawrence Gap, there is something for everyone.