Codrington College visit

In my first article, I introduced you to the must-see places in Barbados. Now, I’m going to continue with a second article dedicated to our favourite places. I’ve decided to take a different approach to exploring Barbados. I’d like to share short travel articles with you, accompanied by photos, so that you can discover the island in a fun way.

I haven’t decided yet how many articles I’m going to write about this small island in the Caribbean. After two weeks here, I’m planning to write several to help you discover the different places we’ve got to visit while we’re staying.

Today is my introduction to Codrington College. While we were staying there, it took us less than 15 minutes to drive by and we passed by several times. From the road, we noticed a beautiful old building. After a bit of research, we decided to pay it a visit.

Located in the district of St. John, on the south-east coast of the island of Barbados, Codrington College is an Anglican institution. It is considered to be one of the oldest colleges in the Americas. Construction was in progress from about 1714 and completion was in about 1745.

During our visit, admission was 10 Barbadian dollars.

We went to the site to enjoy the beautiful light and take some photographs on a sunny late afternoon. The driveway alone, leading up to the entrance of the college, is of remarkable beauty. After the payment of the entrance fee, we crossed the small bridge at the entrance and were delighted with the discovery of the surroundings. The building itself is a truly impressive and majestic structure. It is surrounded by a huge park. It is a very pleasant experience. There are lots of bougainvilleas and huge frangipani trees. At the back of the park there are huge coconut palms.

The back of the building is really magnificent in this lovely light. When we arrived we didn’t know exactly how old it was… But it’s almost 300 years old… While we were taking pictures, the children were playing in the park at the back. As I mentioned in my Barbados must-do article, our aim was to have fun, a good time as a family and relaxation. The places themselves are not exceptional, but the beautiful afternoon light made this family visit very pleasant.

We can go into some of the rooms to have a look around. However, part of the building is closed at the moment. We walked around the large park at the back. We discover the facades of this old building.

We take our time to relax at the edge of a large pond where the local ducks rest when we return to the front of the building where we entered…

In the end, the walk doesn’t take more than an hour. If you take your time and enjoy taking pictures. We ended the afternoon with an ice cream. It was really nice, considering the heat.

Louis and Téo even made a few friends on the spot. Even though they don’t really understand each other, it’s quite amusing to see them playing and having fun, haha. Louis is learning English and knows a few words. Téo, who is 3 years old, doesn’t speak a word of English. We have a lot of fun watching them together and it’s always a lot of fun.

Here’s some useful information if you’re thinking of visiting the site.

Of course, this depends on where you’re going to start from. We were in the south. But if you’re coming from the capital, you’ll need 30 minutes to cover 20 km. Here’s the route.

We stayed in the south of the city in a small Airbnb that didn’t look like much. Here are some suggestions if you prefer something nicer nearby:

• The Atlantis Historic Inn: This is located further to the north in Bathsheba, Saint Joseph. It has a lovely seaside setting, a nice swimming pool and a very good reputation.
• Fortescue Cherry Blossom Apartments: These apartments are located in Saint Philip, close to the college. They have good reviews.
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club The Crane Barbados: Located much further to the south (in St Philip), this is a 4 star hotel with an excellent reputation. You won’t be disappointed if you are looking for luxury during your stay.

There are lots of things to do around the college. There are great wild beaches like Bath Beach and Bottom Bay. Don’t miss Bathsheba Beach. It’s a beautiful beach with impressive rocks.

As well as the beaches, you can also visit St John’s Parish Church. It is one of the oldest in the area. We spent about half an hour exploring it.

There are two botanical gardens to explore a little further north: Andromeda Botanic Gardens and Hunte’s Garden. Just to the north, visit the Animal Flower Cave.

That’s it for now. As promised, it’s very short! That’s different from our usual long posts, but it’s something to get your teeth into.

I will see you soon with a new article.

Written by Sylvain PONS

I had the opportunity to go on a 2-week family holiday to discover the island of Barbados, which is just a stone's throw away from Guadeloupe, where we live. Here are a few stories about the time we spent there!

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