Carlisle Bay
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
This bay is best known for its calm, sheltered waters, perfect for swimming and scuba diving.
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See what travelers are saying
  • Al T
    Mississauga, Canada48 contributions
    Perfect Beach Day!
    We love this beach! It was a short bus van ride. You can rent two chairs, a table and umbrella from $15 go $20 Barbados, for the entire day. The water is clear and calm, with a long beach for walking or relaxing. There are a couple of lunch and snack vendors on site, in addition to a small restaurant across the street where you can get hot grub. Again, you need local currency for the vendors but I had yummu chicken roti and burgers. No complaints! Our second visit, we didn't see tables for our chairs, and they went out of their way to find them. Amazing what you get if you ask nicely. On Sundays, it's nice to see families enjoying beach picnics and down time.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 12, 2023
  • TClayton
    Clementon, New Jersey38 contributions
    Amazing beach
    Amazing beach. We stopped for the day on a cruise and taxied as a group of 16 to the beach. We were able to rent chairs and umbrellas. The water was cool but calm. There were water activities on the beach for a fee (snorkeling, swimming with the turtles, jet skis, chair water ride, etc.). The family enjoyed themselves and we would recommend stopping by.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 26, 2023
  • Pandabuddie
    United Kingdom1,543 contributions
    Sunshine
    We all had a cracking day here. Sunbeds x 4 people and umbrella each was 40 dollars. Well worth the money. Had access to toilet and wifi and beach bar. Service excellent. Would visit again.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 28, 2023
  • Captain Hook
    Grimsby, United Kingdom418 contributions
    A good beach to start a cruise
    We were on a cruise so this beach is the nearest to the port to walk to. Takes around thirty minutes. Early in the morning there is plenty of space, and the sea is good to swim in. There are vendors walking up and down but they don't give you a hard time. There are umbrellas and beds at various bars but they just want to sell you a package of beers. Better to steer clear of them if you are only spending a few hours, especially the Boatyard.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 19, 2023
  • Lynda W
    Folkestone, United Kingdom45 contributions
    Good choice
    Did some research before arriving, as previously had been rather disappointed. Chose Carlisle Bay as it was quite near to the cruise port.Lots of taxis, and a set price of 5$ each way.Taxis wait until they have a full load and we asked to be taken to Brown's beach which is the far end by the Hilton. Absolutely beautiful.Not crowded, and sunbeds not all pushed together.Sea had quite afew waves, people were surfing Sand was just as imagined, so soft.Lunch was a bar just off the beach called Bali Beach Club.Fantastic food and staff, the guy who works behind the bar deserves a medal.Would always want to return.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 1, 2024
  • mythosmanc
    Manchester, United Kingdom124 contributions
    30 minutes walk from the port
    Lovely bay roughly 30 minutes walk from the port . Sea a lovely temperature. No point in snorkelling at the edges as no fish . All the fish are a bit further out above the ship wreck and would need to be a good swimmer to access . Also know for green turtles in the area .
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 2, 2024
  • Sand M
    Perth, United Kingdom860 contributions
    Just beautiful
    We came here for a half day relaxation at the beach. And that’s exactly what we got. The only thing was that for me, the boat tours were too near the swimmers. There are bhoys to segregate boats and people but the boats were turning into the bhoys and a bit too close for comfort for me. The Jet Skis were running along the rope barrier also. But the water is brilliant clear clean and the same with the beaches. Well worth the visit
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 5, 2024
  • Leelou270
    Yorkshire, United Kingdom76 contributions
    Accessible beach from cruise port
    Good clean beach and easy to access from cruise port. It cost $5 each way and picked us up as promised. Toilet facilities and bar area. Cost $20 for 2 beds and brolii with free WiFi and party atmosphere in bar behind
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 19, 2024
  • Diane The Traveller
    United Kingdom69 contributions
    Powder White Sand
    Powder white sands and a warm sea for swimming in, because of this it can get busy and is visited by visitors from cruise ships. I would certainly recommend a visit if you like a beach day. We entered via Harbour Lights where we paid for sunbeds and umbrella. One of the best beaches in Barbados.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 31, 2024
  • mtnhappy
    Colorado Springs, Colorado59 contributions
    The Most Beautiful Beach!
    This was the most beautiful beach I've ever seen--with the turquoise water and white sand with a pinkish tint, making it so clear to see all the way to the bottom of the ocean floor. We enjoyed spending the afternoon on this beach after taking a sea turtle snorkel tour. After the tour, my husband swam over to the snorkeling area (where it was maybe 20 feet deep), and he saw more sea turtles while he was all by himself, so neat! There were a lot people on the beach since 2 cruise ships were in port for the day, but it wasn't too crowded in my opinion. There is a lot of boat traffic, so you need to be careful in the water. It was a long walk back to the port, about 45 min, so make sure you plan accordingly if you visit from a cruise ship! BEWARE: Because of the white sand, the sun really reflects off of it, so we got badly burned even with sunblock on. We should have reapplied sunblock after our water time!
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

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tinker
Sydney, Australia114 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Carlisle Bay is a beautiful beach, as long as you look past a fair bit of ugliness.

Pros:
1. The water is crystal clear. I was swimming in water over 10 metres deep and could clearly see the bottom.
2. When we were there, it wasn't too crowded.
3. The location is handy if you are staying in the heart of Bridgetown.
4. The water was very still. Normally I like waves to swim in but the stillness helped with the water clarity and we were here to snorkel.

Cons:
1. It doesn't help the serenity of the place when you are constantly being approached by locals trying to sell you stuff. We said no to pretty much everyone. The only thing we did was get the chair and umbrella at the start of the day. I think it was $10 per chair, which then gave you a drink voucher. The place we went was Savvys.
2. It is hard to find any fish or turtles. I am guessing that the turtle cruises that you see there everywhere actually feed the animals to attract them. So if you don't pay for the tour, you're going to struggle. In over 2 hours of snorkeling, I saw 1 turtle and 2 big fish, plus a fair few smaller fish.

There are better places to go.
Written July 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wendy Rattray
Aberdeen, UK112 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Beautiful beach to spend the day at and water is calm enough to snorkel - no problem. Lots of bars to choose food from. Water is busy with boats and jet ski etc so be aware.
Written July 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tim W
84 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
One of the best beaches on the island. If you want people and activity hang out near the lifeguard tower. If you want some privacy head towards the Raddison side and you run into less people. Spacious changing and bathroom facilities. Water is beautiful and sand is white. What more can you want?
Written July 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rahul V
London, UK464 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
The beach itself does look ok with nice white powdery sand. But the vibe is not great, the vendors/touts very rude and pushy.

We wanted to snorkel and see turtles. We just swam out from the beach, roughly in line with the bird bar and swam out approx 60-80metres and saw turtles. But the water was not very clear and you need to be a little careful of the boats. The water was not very clear and no coral. Would not recomend Carlisle Beach, but would recomend Holetown beach, which has a much nicer vibe, some coral and more fish, and plently turtles and manta rays.
Written July 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ilovepalms
99 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
A great Beach, the best water, White powdery Sand 🌅🐠🐟🦀🐚🌊🌊. This is my Love at first sight Beach in Barbados. 🌞☀️🌞☀️
Written July 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark C
28 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
The water was so calm and crystal clear. You could easily see fish swimming around and the beach had plentiful choices for eating. The beach is also very wide reducing the crowdiness.
Written June 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Always Ready
Farmington, MO7 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
This is a wonderful excursion we took right off Carlisle Bay! Didn’t see any turtles but that shipwreck was sooo cool! We will definitely do this again.
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

staticball
Hamburg, Germany7 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We went to the main beach across the bird bar for some swimming and snorkeling. We brought our own fins and mask and found it very easy to swim quickly as far out to the boats. I saw more interesting things than I expected! Here’s what we saw: flying gurnards, puffer fish, small exotic fish, school of cuttlefish, big red cushion sea star, sea slugs, and a large kingfish. It was a fun day out. There is some boat traffic so be aware.

Prices:

Chair and umbrella rental for two: 20 usd
Virgin colada at the smoothie stand: 10 usd
The bird bar (red building across the street): 12 usd for jerk chicken and rice

I recommend leaving towels on the chairs and head to the bird bar for lunch then return. Enjoy!
Written May 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mtnhappy
Colorado Springs, CO59 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
This was the most beautiful beach I've ever seen--with the turquoise water and white sand with a pinkish tint, making it so clear to see all the way to the bottom of the ocean floor. We enjoyed spending the afternoon on this beach after taking a sea turtle snorkel tour. After the tour, my husband swam over to the snorkeling area (where it was maybe 20 feet deep), and he saw more sea turtles while he was all by himself, so neat! There were a lot people on the beach since 2 cruise ships were in port for the day, but it wasn't too crowded in my opinion. There is a lot of boat traffic, so you need to be careful in the water. It was a long walk back to the port, about 45 min, so make sure you plan accordingly if you visit from a cruise ship!
BEWARE: Because of the white sand, the sun really reflects off of it, so we got badly burned even with sunblock on. We should have reapplied sunblock after our water time!
Written April 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A S
11 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
My sister and I enjoyed snorkeling Carlisle Bay. We did not pack fins and they are definitely not needed so save the space in your suitcase. I read reviews prior to snorkeling and had planned to just swim to the shipwrecks rather than pay for a tour, however, when I arrived and saw the swimmers who were trying to avoid the significant boat traffic $35 for a tour seemed reasonable. I also want to warn swimmers that there were jellyfish everywhere! Our guide told me they don’t really sting. I did brush up against one as they were impossible to avoid and just had a mild tingling stinging sensation for 10 minutes or so. My best advice is that if you have the ability choose a time when the hundreds of cruise ship passengers who flood the beach are not there. It is a nice snorkeling site but the experience is ruined by boat traffic and hundreds of cruise ship passengers.
Written April 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Carlisle Bay - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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