Watersports, snorkelling, diving, cricket, polo and horse racing in Barbados

Water Sports

Snorkelling & Diving

Snorkelling in Barbados is a huge attraction for visitors to the island and is one of the most easily accessible beach activities for you to enjoy. The island’s coastline features a variety of sea flora and fauna, which combined with the crystal clear Caribbean Sea, will leave you feeling as though you were in a tropical fish tank.

The West Coast where the St James is situated is renowned as offering the best snorkelling experiences in Barbados, with the very calm Caribbean making it safe for everyone to enjoy.

One of the top snorkelling and dive sites is very close to the St James – Dottins Reef. This Barbados reef presents excellent snorkelling and diving opportunities among sea turtles and also the formidable barracuda.

The easiest way to go snorkelling in Barbados is during a swimming with turtles in Barbados cruise. Aboard these cruises you will enjoy a Bajan meal, buffet lunch or dinner, as well as go swimming with sea turtles and snorkel at a Barbados reef and shipwreck site.

The St James has snorkelling equipment available for its guests, which will allow you to view the fabulous fish and sea life living at the smaller reefs near the St James – and of course the turtles!

Sailing, fishing, kayaking, windsurfing and more...

With more than 70 miles of flawless coastline, it’s understandable that water sports dominate the Barbadian shores. As well as snorkelling and scuba diving, you can take to the seas aboard a sailboat or deep sea fishing charter. Or you can explore the underwater world in a submarine! Or paddle through the limpid seas on a sea kayak. Or you can try the more action-packed watersports, with international class windsurfing and surfing already well-established on the island, and kitesurfing and paddle surfing becoming the latest craze.

Whatever your interest, the staff at the St James can tell you the best places to go, when to go and recommend places to hire equipment or book a lesson. We really do know the island and want to share that with you so you get the most out of your stay.

Spectator Sports

Barbadians are avid sportsmen and sports women, who have a passion for a wide variety of activities, including horse racing, polo, water sports, road tennis, golf, track and field and especially cricket – the national sport.

You can catch a good game of cricket almost any time in Barbados. It could be an international Test Match or One-Day at Kensington Oval, an exciting local First Division match, or a friendly game on the beach, an open pasture or village field. Whichever it is, prepare to cheer as the batsman drives through the covers for four, or as the middle stump gets rocked back by a fast delivery! And at the end of the match join in the joyous celebrations that follow!

The St James is also close to the Barbados Polo Club at Holders. Tournaments are held throughout the polo season (January-May) and play is of an exceptionally high standard with several international matches every year.

We really recommend our guests at the St James to experience Polo in some of Barbados’ most beautiful grounds, as this glamorous traditional sport is perfectly intertwined with the tropical lifestyle of the island – an experience you will never forget.

Or alternatively spend an afternoon of fun and excitement, watching the horse racing at the Garrison Savannah! It is a day for all the family. Street food, vendors, parades, picnics and mingling are as important to many as the races and the bets!