Carlisle Bay
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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  • Al T
    Mississauga, Canada48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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 Kingdom1,661 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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 Kingdom421 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    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
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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 Kingdom121 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    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
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    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 Kingdom77 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    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 Kingdom78 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    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.

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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

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,745 reviews
Excellent
1,970
Very good
623
Average
101
Poor
33
Terrible
18

Cringlefive_13
Norwich, UK34 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The departure beach is a loud and busy facility on Carlisle beach.
They provide a sunbed and umbrella, toilets and showers and a buffet lunch. We paid ÂŁ50 for two people and I wished that we had stayed at our hotel for the last day.
They made a big fuss about the allocation of towels and the beach is full of sellers, constantly try to sell boat trips. Someone near us was charged for the sunbeds by an unconnected person.
Try to pay your hotel to keep your room longer if you have an evening departure, they still took us to the airport 3 hours before our flight.
Written January 11, 2020
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.

Saulius M
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
The location is stunning, rooms are beautiful, comfortable and well equipped. The food is average but with high end prices. There are plenty of restaurant choices elsewhere but if guests have paid for an all inclusive stay most are unlikely to venture out to eat. The beach is a gem but there are not enough loungers / parasols to accommodate all the guests that want them. This results in the typical scarcity behaviour. We used to joke about people getting up super early to put a towel, a book or a flip flop on loungers in order to claim their space whilst they then leave for a few hours go back to bed have breakfast etc. Yes this really happens here. Frankly not good enough for a 5 star resort. Maybe the owners want to maintain the aesthetic of the beach by not filling it up with loungers. The facility has allot to offer and is clearly centred around the beach. The feel of the place could easily be maintained by adding more sun loungers and not having a first come first served principle in place. On the whole I would recommend Carlisle Bay to friends and family. A final suggestion (hopefully constructive) regarding the sun beds issue. Have some spare loungers and umbrellas stacked behind the beach and bring them out when demand and occupancy is high - problem solved.
Written August 22, 2021
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.

Ste_n_Deb
Manchester, UK66 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
Carlisle beach is a fantastic spot for crystal clear Caribbean water
Calm waters great for swimming.
The boats congregate just a couple of hundred metres from the shore to view the marine life turtles, rays and other fish in open water and on the wrecks
If you swim from the shore be very wary of boats coming and going in the same areas can get quite busy with boats and snorklers jostling for a view of turtles

Be aware of a guy trying to sell boat trip from the shore called Fabien gives you a spiel about a 2 hour boat trip to view 3 sunken wreck spots and a spot for swimming with the turtles also comes with free drink and snacks aboard charges $50 US each we booked with him and paid called a boat over we got on the Blue Waves glass bottom boat. Boarded the boat from the beach at 14:10, we had our own snorkeling equipment so we didn't need there equipment. went to snorkel with the turtles 1st only 15minutes there then onto the 1st wreck and 15 mins there then boat returned to beach and said tour was over at 14:50 🤬 fuming to say the least. captain of the boat said the beach vendor had informed you wrong, for the boat tour basicly the beach vendor ripped us off and the captain wasn't going out again
be vary aware of beach vendors trying to sell boat trips book with reputable tours operators. Avoid Fabian at all costs
Written March 18, 2022
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.

Lauren E
Toronto, Canada4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Beautiful long beach but getting crowded and developed if you keep walking to the very end furthest from the cruise port it is much less crowded. Good public facilities shower and bathroom/changeroom. Can go on the tourist boats to see turtles and shipwrecks... really close enough to swim out to but no longer safe because of all the tourists boats lol but we got them down to 20$ for two of us which was worth it! Started at 40 each lol. So haggle!
Written February 3, 2020
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.

Anne Y
Sandefjord, Norway4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The bay itself is pretty enough. However this is where everybody gather to see turtles. All the boats are feeding them, and their behaviour is not natural for the animals. Quite appaling to see these wonderful creatures so stressed. Please don’t touch them or chase them if you have to go to support this tourist trap
Written March 4, 2020
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.

joolsie34
Portsmouth, UK276 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
We were given this trip by our hotel as a freebie! So yay- let’s go!!
They had reserved seats and umbrellas at the CopaCabana. With two free beers. So it’s a winner.
Staff are friendly and the beer is cold so all good. The beach sellers seemed determined to get me on a bloody boat to look at turtles. So I relented. And what a great $20 that was. We only went off shore 200 yds. And there they were eating from the guides hands with Stingrays sat on the sandy bottom beneath us and smaller fish darting about.
Our American fellow traveller continued to give us a running commentary on his experience. So kind of him. Luckily he caught a small wave in his mouth after removing his snorkel for the 75th time to talk and that shut him up.
After a 30 min stop with the turtles they took us to a wreck. That’ll be crap I assumed as it was only 400 m from the turtles. But it was amazing!! 100ft long and only 10 foot below the surface with gazillions of fish all over it. Tip here. Try to lie in the water as still as poss and the fish settle down and come close to you. They then interact with each other and look great. Our American pal missed all that!
Our boat was the Lazy Lizard. I’m sure they are all quite similar.
Written March 1, 2020
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.

2HappyinCR
Cedar Rapids, IA39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
This wide beach is incredibly gorgeous with three shades of Caribbean blue. The waves are less than on the other side of the island. Even if you are at the Hilton, walk over to the calmer side of the ocean. Only one place has rentals such as paddle boards and such. Many public parks, the Radisson hotel area and many places that rent umbrellas and chairs up at the northern half of the beach. Google high and low times if you want the widest beach time. There are at least two sunken ships to snorkel out to. They aren’t posted but they are near the yellow lifeguard stand. Ask someone carrying gear or look where all the snorkel boats are clumped. Dippers is the only public restaurant we could find which is part of the Barbados Boating Club.
Written February 8, 2020
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.

gk347N
Oxford, CT329 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
As with all beaches there are good and bad things. The only negative I have about Carlisle Bay Beach is a lack of shade. Unless you pay for chairs and an umbrella, spending a long time on the beach can be very hot and lead to a good sunburn even with SPF 50. The beach is beautiful. White fluffy sand, no stones, smooth bottom, calm seas, unless there is a wind coming in from ocean, warm and very clear water, lifeguards, options for food. Overall a great beach to visit, swim and walk when in Barbados. Oh yes, the locals are super friendly. Also, it is only a 15 minute walk to Bridgetown where there are shops, more food options and history to explore.
Written February 10, 2020
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.

DebinDC
Washington DC, DC224 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Beautiful Sandy Beach and turquoise blue waters near the shore. We woke very early to see the horses (near the Radisson) and it was worth it. After 8am we walked a bit - under the restaurant bridge towards the lifeguard stand and swam. We purchased sun beds for $30 BDS- we would pay that in the states so not too pricey. Unfortunately it rained a bit, which caused street run off and garbage to pour into the ocean where we were swimming- and it stunk so bad we left. We did notice lots of bottles and other garbage in the sand which was sad to see. It is beautiful though.
Written July 1, 2023
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.

Wetravelalot12
London307 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We decided to make our own way to Carlisle Bay from the cruise ship terminal. Its about a 30 min flat walk. We stopped at the beach in front of the Pirates Cove Bar. You can rent chairs/umbrella’s here. 2 chairs and 1 umbrella costs USD 15. The sand was smooth and sloped gradually into the sea. The sea was clear enough for snorkelling although not many fish – just the odd one or two. It is a lovely part of the beach and wasn’t too busy. The cruise ship did offer a transfer to this beach at a cost if you didn’t fancy walking or have mobility issues. However I am unsure where along the beach they drop you. It is a rather long stretch of beach.
Written February 24, 2020
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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