Culpepper Island

Culpepper Island lies just off Barbados's southeastern coast, a flat coral rock of well under a hectare that is the island's only offshore island, close enough that at low tide with a calm sea it can be waded to. Nothing grows on it beyond scrub and nothing is built. Getting across depends entirely on tide and swell, and people have been caught out by both. The rock is sometimes called Culpepper Rock rather than an island, which is a fairer description of its size.

What you'll find

• The only offshore island - Barbados's single satellite rock.
• The low tide crossing - the wade across when conditions allow.
• The bare rock - coral with scrub and nothing built.
• The southeastern coast - the shoreline the rock sits off.

When to go

December to May is the dry season. Low tide with a calm sea is the only time the crossing works. Swell makes it dangerous.

Practical notes

The crossing is only possible at low tide in calm conditions and getting stranded or swept is a real risk. There is nothing on the island. Access from shore is over sharp coral.

Nearby

Bottom Bay is southwest, and Consett Bay is north.

Key facts