carlisle bay

This is the bay where the snorkeling tours come to see the turtles and the ship wrecks. The turtles are fed by the tours so they hang around the bay. We took the bus up from the Oistins area and used our own gear to snorkel here. We did see the turtles and some other fish. The shipwrecks were a bit far from shore to swim to and back. The beach area was a bit more crowded than we expected and be sure to where a bright shirt while snorkeling in the water as there are many boats moving around coming in and out. There is a small area near the south end that has a fruit and veggie vendor and other small shops. I would suggest coming here on one of the Cool Running Catamaran tours which we also did and thoroughly enjoyed.

Went to this beach after people raving about it on Tripadvisor-we were absolutely disappointed!!A dirty stretch of sand,rotting boats,approx. 2 palm trees on the area...stayed about 10 Min.,then took a Taxi to another beach.

What a beautiful beach with such clear water. There are multiple lots where you can park when you're driving down Bay St. Technically Carlisle Bay is made up of several beaches (Brownes Beach, Pebbles Beach and Bayshore Beach). This is a large stretch of sandy heaven. All up and down the beach you will locate vendors renting chairs and offering drinks.I cozied up on a stretch of probably 15 sets of chairs and umbrellas, approximately 200 yards from the Boatyard (which by the way, wanted $20 US just to buy a bracelet, which grants me permission to walk onto the property to buy a sandwich). So I scraped the idea of buying lunch there and instead went to Harbor Lights to purchase two awesome jerk chicken sandwiches (which were a little pricy, but worth the convenience). Anyway, the water is very calm and clear. Once you get out about 60 - 70 feet the floor drops off considerably and you get a good opportunity to swim about and be in deeper waters.Although a little daunting at first because the beach is so big and there are so many options which leave you wondering if you set up shop in the best spot possible, you'll be good to go as long as you set up somewhere on this great beach. But I think you'd be best to set up shop somewhere between The Boatyard and Harbor Lights. Give that a shot.I think they had charged us $5 US for each chair and umbrella. Beers were $2 US (Banks). As far as bathrooms go, you should be able to find something, but it's not as easy here as it is in other places.

My wife and visited this beach and hire a 2 beach chairs for 15 dollars which we thought was fair. The beach is magical, clear water that has endless visibility, the sand is soft and white. Truly the best beach in the carrabeian.We went on a turtle and shipwreck snorkelling tour, for 20 dollars per person. This was great, the locals feed the turtles and they come right up to youAll up it is a great magical beach, recomend you visit this one

Great for beach activities, Boat house its great for food and drink. Just get there early before cruise liner guests for a sun bed.

We went to this beach 3x in 10 days. It was the calmest and best for swimming and bobbing in the waves. The added attraction of snorkeling to the boat wrecks and turtles was why we initially went there though. The first time we snorkeled to the boat wrecks - it is pretty well straight out from the parking area where the light green gazebo is. There are two boats that we found. There is coral starting to grow on the wrecks and many little fish around. Sometimes it was like swimming in an aquarium! I had read that there are about 5-6 boats that had been sunk in this bay for the purpose of giving the marine life a home - I think the added attraction of getting the tourists here was probably the main purpose! But it works and the boats are very cool to snorkel around. One even has a canon on it. There were a couple of scuba divers rinsing off their gear (there is an outdoor tap on the rock wall in the parking lot with the gazebo) and I said hello and asked where they went. She said they just went to the two close wrecks and how nice it was to just walk in from the beach and not have to pay for a boat tour. We had seen scuba people out there on two different occasions by the boats. We did not see any turtles the first trip out, so the second time we were 'found' by James, a young man with a bucket hat - his boss did 1 hour boat tours. (see my picture of 'James' and his boss' speed boat). So we went out with them ($20 U.S. pp) and it was great to see the turtles. Unfortunately they feed the turtles and there are other catamaran tours around, so LOTS of people in the water. But we would just follow a turtle away from the group and watch it swimming away from the crowds. They feed the turtles just to the left of the lifeguard hut, so if one knows what to watch for (catamarans coming into that area and a bunch of people in the water - that's where the turtles are). Then you can go in yourself and join the group, which is what we did the next time we snorkeled there. The last time we saw a Hawksbill turtle in with the other 10 or so Green turtles. It was very cool. Those tours start coming into the area, or leave with ones from that beach like we did with the speed boat - around 9:30 a.m. Even on cruise ship days or weekends when many locals came, the beach was never crowded. The main parking lot does have clean washrooms and outdoor showers (where the homeless also come to shower...!) There are beach restaurants in the area where the umbrellas and lounge chairs are set out - we did not pay to use these and have no idea about the food etc. Hope this help someone - especially with NOT having to pay for a tour to see the turtles and wrecks!

An excellent beach close to the cruise ship dock. $15.00 cab ride from the pier and then rent chairs and umbrellas from the local venders. Lots to do and you can swim out to a ship wreck and see the turtles up close. If you don't want to snorkel there are glass bottom boats to the sites. Bars along the beach and some have Wi-Fi. Beach can get crowded, so better to go early to get the best locations.

Amazing beach that is about 3 km long with very fine white sand and perfectly turkoise water. One of the best swimming beaches I went to. An added bonus was the sea turtles that came and swam with us for about 20 minutes!

You can enjoy all day in this beach. Nice bars and restaurants, The beach is amazing, clear blue water. Chairs and umbrellas for rent. Expensive though.

We took a taxi there (about $14 for 4 of us) from the cruise port. I can't remember the name of the bar you have to pass through but we paid $15 for 2 loungers and an umbrella. The drinks are reasonably priced and you can buy food as well as souvenirs. Beach vendors offer trips to the turtle area. The previous bar The Boatyard charges $15 per person but I think they include a drink. Carlisle bay beach is long and has lovely white sand with clear blue sea. There was a bit of wave action close to the shore so it could be difficult for those with small children. No trees directly on the beach so the umbrellas are a good idea. We stayed there for about 4/5 hours. No reefs so little in the way of snorkeling though my husband saw some small fish and a ray. Enjoyable.

Close to Bridgetown so you could walk it. White sand, blues seas and several bars. Heaven! You can swim with turtles, swing out over the sea or just chill out. The Boatyard is the best bar in my view and has been reviewed separately.

Wonderful beach close to the Island Inn hotel. Wonderful walk in the small waves. As it is close to Bridgetown it might get busy but there will always be plenty of room there.

Carlisle Bay is an amazing beach for many reasons; because it is a bay, even when the sea is rough, there is a calm area for those looking to swim. There are a couple of shipwrecks close enough to shore to swim out and snorkel, and many sea turtles in the area to swim with if you choose. Typically crowded on sunny (most) days, the atmosphere is relaxing and friendly. There are many places along the beach to buy food and drinks and many beach chairs with umbrellas for rental if you prefer them to lying on the sand. There are jet ski rentals, banana boat rides, and lots of other activities. I would definitely rate this as one of the top beaches on the island with beautiful clear water and white sand. A top place to visit when in Barbados and beaching around.

Rows of chairs on gorgeous white sand beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, people enjoying sun sports of every shape and variety...what a great beach to hang out at. We didn't really know what beach we wanted to go to in Barbados. We just sort of trusted our cab driver to get us to the nearest one from the cruise ship. We were initially a little leery when he dropped us off at the Harbor Lights "entrance" to the beach, but for about $15 we got two chairs and an umbrella right on the water's edge...it was heaven. I also usually like to try to steer clear of beaches with hawkers roaming them as much as I can, so that's why I have to comment that the hawkers in Barbados were some of the most polite in the Caribbean. A slight shake of our head was all that was needed to let them know we weren't interested. They'd just nod and keep going, no words even needed to be exchanged. The people trying to sell tours and other services (like an excursion out to the shipwrecks or a banana boat ride, etc) were a smidge more aggressive, but still they were good-natured and respectful. It was a very enjoyable day off the ship just hanging at the water, which was also loaded with fish . Would've been neat to see the ship wrecks and snorkel with the turtles but we had plenty to see right off shore too.

This bay is series of sandy beaches with local waterfront bars. It is well frequented by Europeans and there is a selection of food and drink available.