Caribbean Beat — September/October 2019 (#159)

Day two
You’ve experienced the Bajan landscape on foot. Now it’s time to
hit the road, or even get off the road, in a go-kart or ATV. Rainy
days are perfect for off-roading if you don’t mind getting dirty —
water, mud, and good vibes may almost remind you of J’Ouvert
celebrations during Crop Over. A tour from Off Road Fury
Barbados will take you through miles of mud and dirt tracks,
kart roads, hills and inclines, through vegetation thick and thin.
In the kart, drivers and their navigators thunder across thrilling
trails. You can take your turn at the wheel as long as you’ve
got a valid driver’s license. Some of Barbados’s country roads
and canefields aren’t the usual places you see in guidebooks, but
when you’re in a go-kart, you can zoom from bush to wonderland
with beguiling panoramic views.
Or head for the Bushy Park motor track. Year-round, professional
racers and instructors encourage you to hear, feel, and see
what a race car can do when thrust to its limits. It’ll completely
redefine your idea of driving. Start by riding with the pros, then
it’s your turn to take the wheel: you have the opportunity to “fly
solo” along the circuit. On your mark!
Day three
Yes, this itinerary obviously includes a trip to the beach. Beach
days are every day in Barbados, some would say. And from
sunrise to sunset and beyond, there are beach activities ranging
from the merely relaxing to the highly invigorating, on the sand
or in the water. On the serene side, check out tiny Shark Hole
Beach in St Philip. From the roadside, the entrance to the beach
is unassuming — navigational apps on mobile phones can’t
even detect it. But as you head down the path which gives way
to the beach and ruins nearby, you involuntarily give thanks for
creation. This naturally funnel-shaped cove unfolds as steep
rock cliffs lead to a patch of sand — quiet, breezy, impeccably
clean, a picturesque hidden treasure.
The crystal-clear blue waters, relative calm, and balmy temperature
— sea temperatures usually linger between twentyone
and twenty-six degrees Celsius throughout the year — of
Barbados’s west and south coasts make them ideal for jet ski,
kayak, and surf sessions. Needhams Point, Dover Beach, Brandons
Beach, and Paynes Bay are all favourite spots for water
sports. Kite surfing might become your latest craze at Silver
Sands Beach or Long Beach, with the right winds. And have you
tried stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), or maybe the exhilarating
JetBlade experience? SUP is exactly what the name suggests:
standing and paddling on a surf-style board. It’s a cross between
surfing and kayaking, and relatively low impact. The hydro flight
JetBlade, on the other hand, means adrenaline thrills at electrifying
levels. Newbies always have an unforgettable experience
as water jet propulsion literally skyrockets them into the air. This
extreme water sport gives you a natural high — and chances are
you won’t want to come down.
76 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM