Walking to the Boatyard

I am a small women I weight 115. I would like to walk to the Boatyard. Would I be safe?

I have done the walk, but I am not sure I would do it without my husband. Many parts of that walk are pretty deserted in the mornings.

I would just take the taxi, the return trip is free!

claroquesi

Thanks you. I will take a cab or maybe my husband will walk me and then do his own thing.

We walked to the Boatyard one year via town first, but probably wouldn't do it again.

Just for your information, taxi drivers want to take you to the Boatyard; they obviously get a commission as ours recently tried desperately hard to persuade us (we were on our way to somewhere else). The fee is $5.00 each in the cab and $15.00 each admission to the Boatyard - as stated, this includes return transportation, as well as an umbrella (if available) and a drink, I believe. Food is available there for purchase.

Personally, we will not return there. I have to say, with respect, that the vendors on the beach were so annoying and persistent that it got to be more of a nuisance than a nice day at the beach. :(

We are regular cruise and non-cruise visitors to the Boatyard. We love it and always spend a day. It can be rowdy, but it is lots of fun and a pretty beach.

Regarding the vendors, while the jet ski people can be annoying, they generally leave if you say "we have one at home".

Since it is not a novelty to you, they stop selling and leave you be.

I'm glad you will be safe. Have an awesome time!

While possible, it is sort of a long walk. Please do consider taking a taxi. ;)

LuLu

A while back someone posted how easy it was to walk to the boatyard from the cruise ship. It isn't easy. It took us 45 minutes to do it and others that did it with us had apparently read the same post and were as annoyed as we were. If you are going to any of the beaches on Carlisle just take a cab. $5 a person. The boatyard was fine. Had plenty of chairs, bathrooms,...etc... Took a walk down the beach and was not impressed with any of the other beaches (lobster, harbor lights...etc..) I don't understand why anyone wouldn't choose boatyard over these other beaches especially with the free taxi ride back. The chairs at the other beaches looked ratty and seedy plus the vendors were over there also bothering people. Just as an aside, I would NEVER walk by myself as a female in any area that I was unfamiliar with especially a foreign country. I did negotiate for a trip out to see boatwrecks and turtles and that was wonderful. $15 a person and worth it for 2 hours (supposed to be one hour). Also, do not try to swim out to see turtles. Unless you are aquaman, you can't do it without a lifejacket. I don't know why someone posted you could.

That's sort of answered my question about walking from St Anns Fort back to the cruise terminal along Carlisle Bay. I reckoned about an hour, but would probably have a drink at the Boatyard then leisurely walk through the touristy bit of Bridgetown. From a safety point of view I was just concerned about the bit from the beach back to the town over the waterway. It think along the H7 road. Am I warrying about nothing?

Thanks

Keith (Southend)

A while back someone posted how easy it was to walk to the boatyard from the cruise ship. It isn't easy. It took us 45 minutes to do it and others that did it with us had apparently read the same post and were as annoyed as we were. If you are going to any of the beaches on Carlisle just take a cab. $5 a person. The boatyard was fine. Had plenty of chairs, bathrooms,...etc... Took a walk down the beach and was not impressed with any of the other beaches (lobster, harbor lights...etc..) I don't understand why anyone wouldn't choose boatyard over these other beaches especially with the free taxi ride back. The chairs at the other beaches looked ratty and seedy plus the vendors were over there also bothering people. Just as an aside, I would NEVER walk by myself as a female in any area that I was unfamiliar with especially a foreign country. I did negotiate for a trip out to see boatwrecks and turtles and that was wonderful. $15 a person and worth it for 2 hours (supposed to be one hour). Also, do not try to swim out to see turtles. Unless you are aquaman, you can't do it without a lifejacket. I don't know why someone posted you could.

How right you are! Thanks for posting this.

Best to take a taxi to Boatyard!

To see the turtles ... a boat tour is the way to do it.

Unfortunately :o someone posted on CC that it was a very easy walk from the ship to Boatyard and once there you would be able to swim out to see the turtles. So NOT true. :rolleyes:

LuLu

I agree with the advice you have been given to not walk this alone. I would also recommend whatever you do getting someone to come with you even if you go with a taxi.

As much as I like Barbados I have seen first hand some locals get out of hand. Things happen I have seen this in our own country too. In both cases I don't think it would have been good for someone to be alone; female or even male. When we travel we are not familiar with all of the places and we do stick out as tourists.

Keith

I agree with the advice you have been given to not walk this alone. I would also recommend whatever you do getting someone to come with you even if you go with a taxi.

 

As much as I like Barbados I have seen first hand some locals get out of hand. Things happen I have seen this in our own country too. In both cases I don't think it would have been good for someone to be alone; female or even male. When we travel we are not familiar with all of the places and we do stick out as tourists.

 

Keith

That is sound advice Keith. My rule of thumb is...if you would not do it at home don't do it in a strange country.

We walked to the Boatyard this December. I wouldn't do it alone, though, even though there were lots of other tourists around. One section was kind of deserted, and we had a little trouble finding the right path.

I don't think the walk was bad at all, but we like to walk, and at 68 and 69 had no trouble; probably about a half hour, and we weren't walking fast.

We did go down the the Lobster place and rented chairs there. It was fine. We also took a trip to the turtles and a shipwreck. Again, fine. We're both good swimmers and I think we could have easily swum out to where they were (maybe not the shipwreck), but the tour was good value.

We took a taxi back, mostly because it was hot. The vendors did not seem that bad to me; a pleasant no thank you worked just fine. But then, we have been to places like the bazaar in Cairo which makes anything in the Caribbean seem low-key!

What you did is exactly what we are planning to do in Barbados. I was of the belief there is a boardwalk most of the way. Is that true? How did you get to the walkway upon leaving the ship? We have all day so I'm not worried about it too much - we will figure it out, but since I'm a planner it would be nice to not wander aimlessly too much!

I can recommend Lobsters Alive, which is next to the Boatyard, but further (50 yds) from the cruise terminal. it's $5.00 for each lounge chair, and an additional $5.00 for the umbrella. You will get a ticket for each chair (or umbrella) you purchase and this entitles you to a free drink. We had the rum punch which was great.

Walking directions from cruise port: It's a 20 minute stroll from the cruise port keeping the sea too your right hand side, walk through the taxi/bus stands at port, walk out the main gate, and hang a right (this street is Princess Alice Hwy) all the way till you see Carlisle Wharf on your right hand side. After you pass this place, the street will turn right and you will also go right. Walk till you see the water, and then you must turn left, and now the street is called The Wharf Street. Once you see the first bridge (the Square), go right onto the bridge, walk right through, and keep walking straight. This is now Bay Street. Walk for about 200yards and hang a right on any of these streets. The beach will be right there.

I copied this from an earlier post. I can't seem to make a link work, but these are the directions we used to get to the Boatyard (we actually went to Lobster's Alive). We did get a little mixed up at one point, but found our way there without too much trouble.

We are a family of 5 youngest DD 7. We walked with another family to the Boat Yard. However, we did not stay at the BoatYard. If you walk past the BY entrance you will soon find beach access where you do not need to pay. Once on the beach we kept on walking. We watched where the Jolly Roger and other boats were going to drop of Snorkelers. We walked down to that end of the beach, found a bench under the trees and made that base. There were "Zero" vendors and mostly locals enjoying the beach, unlike closer to the BY and other "Bars".

We had enough adults to always have someone sitting with our stuff.

The turtles and shipwreck were just straight out from the beach. When the boats would come we would swim out and know exactly where they were. Three adults and 5 kids 8-14 all swam out. The current was not bad like all the vendors were saying was we walked down the beach. Very doable!

The walk back was tough. After a day in the sun and water the younger kids were done! But we made it!