BARBADOS is a member of the West Indies Island chain in the western Atlantic Ocean and was once a member of the Portuguese, British and Spanish colonial empires.
A popular honeymoon destination with turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and warm climate this small island paradise has a significant number of hotels, however, it's important to be selective. At family-owned Cobblers Cove, you will find an exquisite English-style country house with a stunning location between two sandy beaches.
This all-suite destination is hidden by mature greenery, creating a sense of privacy and tranquility to compliment the relaxing sounds of the nearby Caribbean sea. My recently refurbished ocean front suite offered a nautical but sophisticated theme combining white rattan furnishings, cottons and tiles while the living room opens onto a private terrace with reclining loungers and cocktail tables.
The pink coral stoned Great House opens onto a bar with dining terrace overlooking the sea. Sunset cocktails at the bar are a taster to a fine dining experience at Camelot Restaurant, where talented chef Jason Joseph fuses a menu crafted from fresh local produce with an impressive wine list.
Popular with couples and families, Cobblers Cove offers a range of activities and facilities. Adventure seeking children and adults can enjoy complimentary water sports daily, including water skiing, sailing, kayaking and windsurfing.
For golfers, Cobblers Cove has a privilege system in place at the Royal Westmoreland Golf and Country Club. For the less energetic, leisurely recreations include soaking up the sun on a terracotta deck around the fresh water pool or by the beach. As with most of Barbados, sugar and the wealth it generated played a part in the history of Cobblers.
The property was built in 1943 by the Haynes family who first settled on the island in 1647 and were among its original circle of sugar barons. In 1968 the property was sold to Alan Godsal, a descendant of the Colleton family, another prominent sugar-growing tribe who also founded the British colony that would eventually become the US state of South Carolina. Mr Godsal converted Cobblers into a hotel and in the early 1980s repositioned itself into the luxury market with an emphasis on fine cuisine,
More recently, Alan’s son, Hugh, took on the role of overseeing the management of Cobblers Cove and alongside his wife Sam remains closely involved in the development of the property and its direction for the future. Cobblers Cove offers a choice of attractive early booking specials to guests booking by January 31 with a chance to upgrade to an all-inclusive supplement with all meals, house spirits, house wines and selected cocktails included at an additional cost of US$200 per person, per day.
In nearby Speightstown, which resembles Charleston, the Barbados National Trust has restored Arlington House, a classic three-story Charleston-style 'single' house with a stack of long rooms facing the street, as elegant as it is simple. From January through April the trust also hold monthly open-house events, which are a great way to experience the island's diverse architecture and history (visit barbados.org and enter a search for "open house").
You can gain access to all types of grand old plantation houses (Holder's House, Golden Grove Plantation House and Lancaster House to name but a few). Other visitor highlights include Bathsheba and Cherry Tree Hill, one of the island's highest points St James Parish Church which dates from 1628 and is the oldest on the island and walking along the talcum-powder sands of Carlisle Bay. Grantley Adams International Airport is serviced by most major carriers, with direct flights from London and several cities in the United States via Dublin airport.
Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio
