Codrington College visit

In my first article, I introduced you to the must-see places in Barbados. Now, I’m continuing with a second article dedicated to one of our favorite places. I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach to exploring Barbados. I’d like to share short travel articles with you, accompanied by photos, so you can discover the island in a more visual and enjoyable way.

I haven’t decided yet how many articles I’m going to write about this small Caribbean island. After two weeks here, I’m planning to write several to help you discover the different places we had the chance to visit during our stay.

Today, I’m taking you to Codrington College. From where we were staying, it took us less than 15 minutes to drive there, and we passed by several times. From the road, we noticed a beautiful old building. After doing a little research, we decided to pay it a visit.

Located in the parish of St. John, on the southeast coast of Barbados, Codrington College is an Anglican institution. It is considered one of the oldest colleges in the Americas. Construction began around 1714 and was completed around 1745.

During our visit, admission was 10 Barbadian dollars.

We went to the site on a sunny late afternoon to enjoy the beautiful light and take a few photos. The driveway alone, leading up to the entrance of the college, is remarkably beautiful. After paying the entrance fee, we crossed the small bridge at the entrance and were immediately delighted by the surroundings. The building itself is truly impressive and majestic. It is surrounded by a huge park, making the visit very pleasant. There are lots of bougainvillea and huge frangipani trees. At the back of the park, there are also tall coconut palms.

The back of the building looks truly magnificent in this lovely light. When we arrived, we didn’t know exactly how old it was… but it is almost 300 years old. While we were taking pictures, the kids were playing in the park at the back. As I mentioned in my Barbados must-see article, our goal was to have fun, enjoy time together as a family, and relax. The place itself is not necessarily exceptional, but the beautiful afternoon light made this family visit very pleasant.

You can go into some of the rooms to have a look around. However, part of the building was closed at the time of our visit. We walked around the large park at the back and discovered the different facades of this old building.

When we returned to the front of the building, where we had entered, we took a little time to relax by a large pond where the local ducks were resting…

In the end, the walk does not take more than an hour, unless you take your time and enjoy taking pictures. We ended the afternoon with an ice cream. It was really nice, especially considering the heat.

Louis and Téo even made a few friends on the spot. Even though they did not really understand each other, it was quite funny to see them playing and having fun, haha. Louis is learning English and knows a few words. Téo, who was 3 years old, did not speak a word of English. We had a lot of fun watching them together, and these little moments are always lovely.

Here is some useful information if you are thinking of visiting the site.

Of course, this depends on where you are starting from. We were staying in the south. But if you are coming from the capital, allow around 30 minutes to cover the 20 km. Here is the route.

We stayed in the south of the island in a small Airbnb that did not look like much. Here are a few suggestions if you prefer something nicer nearby:

• The Atlantis Historic Inn: this is located farther 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 farther south, in St. Philip, this is a 4-star hotel with an excellent reputation. You shouldn’t be disappointed if you are looking for a touch of luxury during your stay.

There are lots of things to do around the college. There are beautiful wild beaches nearby, such as Bath Beach and Bottom Bay. Don’t miss Bathsheba Beach either. It is 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 farther north: Andromeda Botanic Gardens and Hunte’s Garden. Just to the north, you can also visit the Animal Flower Cave.

That’s it for now. As promised, it’s very short! It’s a change from our usual long posts, but it gives you something to explore.

I’ll 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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