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Home/Countries/Barbados/Nature & outdoors/Folkestone Marine Park

Folkestone Marine Park

A protected reef on the west coast, with a snorkelling trail and a wreck offshore.

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WhereSaint James
Nearest cityBridgetown
Best seasonDecember to May
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereAt Holetown on the west coast; road from Bridgetown, around twenty minutes
EntrySmall fee

Folkestone at Holetown protects a stretch of the west coast reef, with a marked snorkelling trail running out from the beach over the inshore coral and, further out, the Stavronikita, a freighter sunk deliberately in the 1970s and now a dive site standing upright in around thirty metres. A small interpretation centre and a beach with facilities sit behind. The west coast water is calm. The park was established in the 1980s and was among the first marine protected areas in the eastern Caribbean.

What you actually see

  • The snorkelling trail - the marked route over the inshore reef.
  • The Stavronikita - the freighter sunk as a dive site offshore.
  • The interpretation centre - the small display on the reef and its life.
  • The calm water - sheltered west coast conditions.

When to go

December to May is the dry season with the best visibility. Rain runoff clouds the inshore water. Weekends bring local crowds.

Honest expectations

The inshore reef has declined considerably and is not what it was. The wreck is a deep dive for certified divers only. Facilities are dated.

Nearby

Holetown is around it, and the Platinum Coast runs north.

What to pack for Folkestone Marine Park

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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