Barbados Sailing Cruises

Sail Away Into The Sunset

The west coast of Barbados is one of the world’s most beautiful strips of beachcoastline in the world and one of the best ways to see it, is from from the water, sailing on the a sea on a catamaran.

Take a trip on any of the multitudes of catamarans available to you while in Barbados. It is a great way to see the natural beauty of our island.

Whether be it with the whole family, with a group of friends, or with a special loved one, it’s a great way to see the island from a different perspective, and a great day out to match.

There are a multitude of local catamaran operators ready to sail you along the coast of Barbados – approximately 16 tourism-based operators, not to mention the numerous privately-owned catamarans island-wide.

Each tour company varies in their cruise style a bit, but the general program tends to include about 4-5 hours long sailing, snorkelling stops and a full buffet lunch break, as well as free-flowing drinks at the open bar. You’ll find that there is a very popular theme in Barbados, free drinks.

Catamaran cruises in Barbados tend to be all inclusive packages and cost between approximately $80 and $100USD, depending on the boat operator.

Note: Prices accurate as at December 2014.

Most cruises are comprised of a few different stops along the west coast of the island; one to snorkel on a natural reef or a sunken shipwreck, one for lunch and a lazy swim, and one to a swim with the turtles.

Hint: The catamarans provide snorkelling gear, and don’t be discouraged if you’ve never snorkelled before – the majority of boats have skilled crew members to assist you in finding your ‘sea legs’.

What About The Turtles?

The turtles that you’ll swim with on a sailing cruise have always been locals to the island, however, over the years have started to become an endangered species.

Over harvesting for turtle shells, meat and eggs, as well as beachfront developments and introduced animals disturbing nesting areas, are all factors contributing to a declining local turtle population in Barbados.

To try to slow down this extinction process, the Barbados Sea Turtle Project (www.barbadosseaturtles.org) was formed in an effort to restore the local Barbadian marine turtle populations. Employing various conservation measures and monitoring programmes, the project encourages research and the conservation of the turtle populations at both local and regional levels.

As their program progressed, more turtles came to the area and soon started breeding and so the population multiplied. It’s hard to say at this point how many turtles there are along our coast, but thanks to this group, there are a lot more than there used to be.

Not surprisingly, the turtles quickly became an extremely popular tourist “must-do” and even excited a great deal of locals. The fact that there is hardly anywhere else in the world where you can see these turtles and interact with them in their natural environment is just another thing that makes Barbados very special.

Between swimming and feeding the turtles, you can also explore underwater where you’ll interact with countless types of tropical fish, making a unique vibrant petting zoo and great photo opportunity. Children love it, teenagers love it, adults love it, and we’re sure you’ll love it too!

The Choice Is Yours …

The best part about Barbados’ sailing cruises is that you have so many choices.

You can go for a party vibe on a large boat with many lots of other people and have a party atmosphere, or you can go on a more exclusive small twelve-passenger boat with an intimate group.

Some of the more notorious party cruises provide their own lively music and first-class on board entertainment like belly dancing, tropical dancers and even the flaming limbo.

You can even charter one of these boats for the day, or go on a champagne sunset cruise at sunset.

The sunset cruises are generally a 3 hour cruise with dinner and an open bar included, and most companies also offer the option of the chartered private cruises.

There are cruises which serve serving up a casual Bajan buffet for lunch, some with sandwiches and light snacks, or and some with champagne and caviar – the choice is really yours.

As you can see, whether you’re are an avida seasoned sailor, or a devout landlubber, you will truly relish a day spent sailing in Barbados – with the wind in your hair and the sparkling blue waters of the warm Caribbean Sea lapping beneath you.

Happy sailing from the Totally Barbados team!