Responsible Green Travel to Barbados
Sustainable eco-tourism in Barbados
The Barbados National Trust engages in the preservation of places of historic, architectural and archaeological interest and of ecological importance or natural beauty. The scope of the Trust includes a number of the island’s cemeteries, gardens, historic houses, nature reserves, park areas, windmills and coastal areas. Managed properties include:
- Welchman Hall Gully – A unique sunken cave system with a large variety of exotic tropical plants and trees. The gully is also home to a large troop of wild green monkeys. For a more detailed and colourful review, check out our Welchman Hall Gully blog post. Located near the centre of the island.
- Andromeda Botanic Gardens – A manicured seaside garden featuring a variety of plants from around the world. Centrally located near Bathsheba on the east coast.
- Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill – This site features the largest and only intact 18th-century windmill in the Caribbean! Located at the northeast end of the island.
- Gun Hill Signal Station – The site of a 19th-century outpost provides one of the most spectacular panoramic views of the island and surrounding southern seas. Located in the south-central part of Barbados.
The Trust, in conjunction with the Barbados National Hiking Association, organizes the following regular hiking activities:
- Morning Hikes (6am start):
- Stop ‘n’ Stare (easy) typically covering 6 miles (10km)
- Medium typically covering 8 miles (13km)
- Brisk Medium typically covering 10 miles (16km)
- Grin ‘n’ Bear (challenging) typically covering 12 miles (19km)
- Afternoon Hike (3:30pm start / medium paced – 3 hour)
- Moonlight Hike (medium paced – 3 hour)
The Trust also organizes a ‘Gun Hill by Moonlight‘ event for a cool relaxing evening reception with refreshments to watch the sunset and view the brilliant moonlit sky.
Barbados also has a number of Parks, Forests, Reserves and Marine Parks to enjoy:
- The Flower Forest Garden – This 53 acre Nature Reserve in the Scotland District displays rare and exotic tropical blooms and foliage along with panoramic views of the island’s ruggedly beautiful east coast. Located near the centre of Barbados.
- Coco Hill Forest – A lush and hilly 53-acre rainforest and farm filled with tropical flora and scenic look-outs of the east coast. Easy “Green Therapy” hiking trails can be enjoyed on your own or as part of a guided tour. Located near the centre of the island.
- PEG Farm and Nature Reserve – Enjoy breathtaking views from Hackleton’s cliff. The farm is all about People, Environment and Growth, where they offer an Eco Tour that highlights agricultural and natural sites on the property. Located near the centre of Barbados close to the east coast.
- Farley Hill – This small Barbados National Park is home to the ruins of an impressive 19th-century mansion on a hillside that provides stunning views of the hilly Scottish District and gorgeous east coastline. Located inland at the northern end of Barbados.
- Turner Hall Woods – This 50 acre Nature Reserve is probably the wildest area left in Barbados. This heavily wooded reserve contains diverse flora and fauna, including wild monkeys as well as hiking trails. Located in the north-central part of the island.
- Chancery Lane Swamp – This protected seasonal wetlands area is home to Pelicans, Heron and Frigate Birds. Dozens of migratory shorebirds can also be spotted there. Located at the southern tip of the island.
- Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge – A good location to spot more than a dozen species of shorebirds and waterbirds. Located at the southern end of Barbados.
- Folkestone Marine Park – Located on the west coast of Barbados, a series of large flat reefs are situated within protected buoys. Tropical fish and vibrant marine life can be accessed easily from shore. The Park also includes an Information Centre and Museum.
- Carlisle Bay Marine Park – The waters just offshore from one of the Caribbean’s most famous beaches is home to half a dozen shipwrecks, and other boat remnants, in water as shallow as 12 feet (4m). There’s also plenty of tropical fish and other marine life, including large numbers of turtles and several rays skimming the seafloor.
The vision of the Barbados Sea Turtle Project (BSTP), part of the University of the West Indies, is to restore local marine turtle populations to levels at which they can fulfill their ecological roles while still providing opportunities for sustainable use by the people of Barbados. The BSTP is involved in the conservation of the endangered marine turtle through research, education and public outreach as well as monitoring of nesting females, juveniles and hatchlings. They operate mobile patrol groups and a 24 hr “Sea Turtle Hotline” to monitor sea turtle sightings and address sea turtle “emergencies”.
The Barbados Marine Trust (BMT) was formed in 2000 and is dedicated to promoting environmentally and socially sustainable use of the Marine areas of Barbados. The BMT wishes to play a major role in assisting the Government of Barbados in the implementation of marine management initiatives. In 2014, the BMT successfully engaged in a Reef Ball Project – Investigating their use as proxy habitat for fish species in lieu of available suitable natural reef.
The Sustainable Barbados Recycling Centre (SBRC) was formed in 2008 as a centralized location for the handling of waste, with the objective to reduce amounts going to Landfill. The facility recovers/produces re-cycled products such as mulches and soils as well as coconut fibres and wood chips.
In order to protect the island’s land and marine environment, the government of Barbados announced in 2018 that the importation, retail, sale and use of petroleum-based single-use plastics/styrofoam will no longer be allowed in Barbados after 2019. As of early 2020, exemptions have been made for the packaging of pharmaceuticals, hygiene products, and food preservation while tetra pack straws and Styrofoam trays used to package chickens are still being discussed.
Of note: Twenty-one Barbados-based businesses received “green certification” in 2015 by the Future Center Trust and the Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund.
In terms of Accommodations, Barbados offers the following “environmentally friendly” options:
- ECO Lifestyle + Lodge (East Coast, Bathseba area)
- The Green Globe Certified hotel has an established recycling and composting program in place. Water is solar heated and cleaning products are all organic. Their ECO Shop offers reusable water bottles, homemade mosquito spray, as well as coral-safe sunscreens and surf wax. The hotel is working to be one of the only true farm/sea-to-table restaurants in Barbados.
- Butterfly Beach Hotel (South Coast, Christ Chuch)
- Committed to protect and preserve the surrounding environment, the hotel strives to ensure operational sustainability, focusing on energy usage, water usage, as well as solid waste. Biodegradable cleaning materials are used where possible. The hotel gives preference to “green” suppliers and wherever possible, sources local produce and products. The hotel supports the Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Southern Palms Beach Club (Southwest Coast, St. Lawrence Gap)
- The hotel is Green Globe Certified, is working towards Travelife Gold standing and also supports the Barbados Sea Turtles Project. The hotel is working on key environmental aspects of its operations, including: the rational use of energy and water; solid waste and wastewater disposal; reduction of greenhouse gases & supports a carbon offset program; proper disposal of hazardous materials; noise reduction; and the use of biodegradable cleaning materials. The hotel prefers the purchase of sustainable local products whenever possible and sponsors local cultural events.
- Divi Southwinds Beach Resort (Southwest Coast, St. Lawrence Gap area)
- Green Globe Certified and working towards Travelife Gold standing. The hotel manages a number of environmentally friendly programs including: Water Conservation; Energy Management; Staff Awareness; and the Control of Hazardous Materials. The hotel also promotes local ‘green’ tour operators, attractions and vendors.
- Radisson Aquatica Resort Barbados (Southwest Coast, Carlisle Bay)
- The Radisson Hotel Group company-wide initiatives include: Carbon Reduction; Carbon Neutral Meetings; Water Conservation; Minimizing Waste; Responsible Sourcing; and Ecolabels. The hotel partners with First Climate offering climate protection projects and Radisson Rewards members can donate their points to support the carbon reduction project of Florestal Santa Maria, Brazil. The hotel group also partners with SOS Children’s Villages and supports non-profit organizations around the world by donating volunteer hours and money.
- Beach View Hotel (West Coast, Paynes Bay)
- Green Globe Certified, TripAdvisor Green Leader and supports Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Little Arches Boutique Hotel (Southwest Coast, Miami Beach area)
- Green Globe Certified and supports Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Worthing Court Apartment Hotel (Southwest Coast, St. Lawrence Gap area)
- Working towards Travelife Gold standing and supports Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Time Out Hotel (Southwest Coast, Dover Beach)
- Working towards Travelife Gold standing and supports Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Yellow Bird Hotel (Southwest Coast, St. Lawrence Gap area)
- Green Globe Certified and supports Pack for a Purpose charity.
- Elegant Hotels (Part of Marriott portfolio) – Green Globe Certified
- Tamarind (West Coast, Paynes Bay)
- Colony Club (West Coast, Folkstone)
- Crystal Cove (West Coast, Fitts Village area)
- The House (West Coast, Durants area)
- Waves Hotel & Spa (West Coast, Prospect area)
- Turtle Beach Resort (Southwest Coast, Maxwell area)
- Dover Beach Hotel (Southwest Coast, Dover Beach)
- Green Globe Certified
Energy Sustainability – Electrical Power Production in Barbados
In 2018, approximately 90% of the electricity produced in Barbados was generated from fossil fuels. That said, Barbados is a world leader (per capita) in the use of solar water heating, with approximately 30,000 installations. Since 2016, Barbados also has a utility-scale solar farm providing 10MW of power to 7,000 homes. The facility has > 44k solar panels covering 42 acres along with a 2 battery, 5MW/20MWh energy storage system – This results in a reduction of 21,000 tons of CO2 annually, but supplies just over 2% of Barbados’ electricity needs. Customer-owned solar systems account for another 12MW of renewable energy. Barbados also has a solar-powered desalination plant.
The island is realistically capable of utilizing more sustainable energy due to the consistent availability of the wind, sun and waves, as well as biomass from sugar cane waste. The 2019 Barbados National Energy Policy (BNEP) has set an objective of 100% renewable energy and carbon-neutrality by 2030.
In order to meet these 100% renewable energy goals, the Barbados Government is looking at a distributed network of renewable power sources such as wind, solar/PV, biomass (from sugar cane, river tamarind & king grass crops) as well as municipal solid waste.
Barbados’ Public Sector Smart Energy Program plans to: Retrofit 13 government buildings with renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies plus upgrade public lighting with energy-efficient technologies; Pilot a project to study / encourage the use of energy-efficient technologies; and increase public awareness. Ongoing incentives to enhance energy efficiency (ex. LED lights), energy conservation programs, energy rebate programs, energy audits, and a national building code are also being discussed
The Barbados Water Authority is also working towards the implementation of three solar plants (with combined 4.5 MW) to power water pumping stations.
The Barbados Government has set an example for its citizens with their Solar House Project, which demonstrates renewable energy and the benefits of using various energy efficiency/conservation technologies. The house is equipped with five sets of four solar photovoltaic panel arrays providing 2 kilowatts (KW) of power to twelve deep cycle batteries that power the house. Insulation is strategically used in the roof and walls, while windows have a reflective tint – all acting as a thermal barrier. Ceiling fans are used to circulate air, and low-flow toilets along with faucets fitted with aerators are used to minimize water use.
Electric vehicles are also starting to be used in Barbados.
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