Martin's Bay and Bath

The Atlantic coast of Barbados is almost entirely unswimmable, which makes the two places where it is not worth knowing. Bath has a reef running offshore that breaks the swell, leaving a stretch of sheltered water, a grass picnic ground under trees and a lifeguard, which is a rarity on this side of the island. Martin's Bay, a few minutes north, is a fishing village with boats drawn up on the rock and pools behind a natural breakwater. Both are used almost entirely by Barbadians. The road down to each is steep and narrow and neither has anything resembling a hotel.

What you actually see

• Bath's reef-sheltered water - the safest swimming on the east coast.
• Martin's Bay - a fishing village with boats and rock pools.
• The picnic ground at Bath - grass and trees above the sand.
• The east coast setting - Atlantic swell breaking on the reef beyond.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. Bath has a lifeguard at certain hours, which is unusual on this coast and worth timing for. Weekends bring Barbadian families. Even here, conditions change with the swell.

Honest expectations

Even at Bath the sea should be treated with respect; outside the reef the water is Atlantic and the current is strong. Martin's Bay has no lifeguard and swimming is only sensible in the sheltered pools. Facilities are basic. The roads down are steep, narrow and slow.

Nearby

Bathsheba is fifteen minutes north; Codrington College is inland.