Caribbean islands tend to have similar geological features, but Barbados is so well-known for its pristine white sand beaches and tranquil waters on its south coast, that each year visitors are being attracted from not only the neighbouring islands but those from colder climates, like myself.

However Barbados is so much more than its white sand beaches and one of the best ways to experience the natural beauty of the island is to see first-hand the picturesque seascape of underwater reefs with the abundance of marine life swimming in and around.

From personal experience the best way to sample the delights of the shimmering blue waters of Barbados is by taking a relaxing sailing cruise from one of the many catamarans that harbour in Bridgetown.  

The catamarans are all designed with comfort, safety and enjoyment in mind to cater for all generations and tourist types. But with an open bar filled with an endless supply of Banks, rum and wine they definitely provide unrivalled holiday entertainment, and find the perfect equilibrium between relaxation and ‘merry’.    

Catamaran Cruise Recommendations:

Cool Runnings is a unique charter company specialising in personalised cruises, ensuring the utmost in comfort, service and enjoyment. These elegant, custom-built catamarans sail with a limited number of passengers, to guarantee a superb day of sailing in an uncrowded atmosphere.

The captain and crew are a good-humoured group of well-trained, experienced sailors who know how to look after and entertain their guests. Sail, swim with turtles, snorkel over a shallow shipwreck, swim in a secluded bay and enjoy a delicious lunch and open bar. Sunset cruises are also very popular and private cruises are offered for a more flexible itinerary.

My Thoughts - Cool Runnings was the most enjoyable four hours on my recent visit to Barbados. On past catamaran cruises I have been largely disappointed by the lack of close encounter turtle swimming on offer, but Cool Runnings ensured we were all in the thick of the action.

Before booking this trip I read a lot of articles mentioning the excellent service onboard Cool Runnings. I have to agree that the crew were absolutely amazing and extremely interested in making sure that everyone had a great time – which included the females of my group who pretended they could not swim to gain extra attention.

Rubáiyát is a classic Peter Spronk original with a unique schooner rig. At 50 ft long, she is sleek, comfortable and fully equipped for day chartering. Rubáiyát is skippered by owner and well-known Barbadian Eddie Cheeseman, who has over 20 years professional sailing experience as captain and has been sailing his own boat since 1998.

My Thoughts – I knew this would be a great day for my first Catamaran cruise as I was joined by a host of Virgin Atlantic air-cabin crew taking advantage of their day off, courtesy of Richard Branson. This automatically gave me a high perception of the catamaran knowing that it was the first choice booking for such a prestigious airline.

My perception was not altered throughout the day with great reggae music being played and the staff providing endless entertainment. In particular the shipwreck in the shallows was a sight to see on this trip with schools of multicoloured fish darting through the vessels. 

Both of these fantastic catamaran cruises offer breathless views of the Baijan coastine as you sail under the gentle breeze of the trade winds, and if you could only take one trip while in Barbados then I stongly advise a Barbados Catamaran Cruise

Scott Hurley
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More On Barbados

Select Resorts have revamped their Barbados Villas webpage and have some great offers for the Crane Resort in Barbados.