Where is Golden Acre Located?
Golden Acre is located on the west coast of Barbados in the heart of the platinum coast. For those not familiar with Barbados, the west coast offers the best swimming and snorkeling conditions on the island with calm, warm tropical waters.
The villa is set in a quiet gated complex 250 meters from the waters edge down a quiet side street. There are only 9 units in total. Most are owned by foreign owners who do not live on the island full time, which means it’s often very quiet.
In terms of shopping, groceries and entertainment, Golden Acre is 2 kilometers north of Holetown which is the second largest town on the island. It takes about 25 minutes to walk to, or 5 minutes by car or bus. Holetown offers shopping, groceries, a huge abundance of restaurants, nightlife, a movie theatre and anything else you are likely to want during your stay.
What is the general area like? Is it safe?
One of the best parts of visiting Barbados is that because it's so safe you can get out and see everything the island has to offer. Most people feel as comfortable in Barbados as they do in their home town.
Golden Acre is located in Mount Standfast which is a small area located between the west coast beaches and the Royal Westmoreland golf club. Many of the homes in the area are upper middle class, along with scattered mansions and villa compounds that are sprinkled along the waters edge. Mixed in with this are many friendly locals who live in the area. You will find that when walking to the beach people will wish you a good morning or a good afternoon as you walk by. The people of Barbados in general are very courteous and polite, and are proud of their home.
Like anywhere, if you go out of your way to avoid common sense you can run into trouble. For example, we don't recommend walking alone down the beach at night in a secluded area. However, if you have to be told this then it means you are not exercising common sense as this advice would hold true almost anywhere.
Violent crimes are rare in Barbados. One of the biggest advantages of travelling to Barbados is you can go all over the island as comfortably as you can drive around your home town. You are not (and shouldn’t) be restricted to resort grounds. Getting out, meeting locals folks and seeing the sights is one of the best aspects of an adventure in Barbados.
The most common crimes in Barbados are crimes of opportunity, such as leaving the door open with a purse or wallet sitting close to the door and in plain view. Use common sense and be as vigilant as you would be at home. This will ensure you have a safe and enjoyable stay.
How far is Golden Acre from the beach?
Golden Acre is 250 meters from Alleynes beach. It is a 3 to 4 minute walk down a quiet road.
This is one of our most commonly asked questions, so we posted a Youtube video that shows the actual walk to the beach.
What is Alleynes beach like?
Alleynes is one of the most beautiful beaches in Barbados and offers ideal swimming conditions. (360° Panoramic View).
It is large and sandy with two coral sections that are popular for snorkeling. It's one of the best places on the island to spot and swim with sea turtles. Alleynes is quite a long beach that stretches is a bit under a kilometer along the coast (about 850 meters long). There are two nice beach bars on the beach for food and drinks. There are photos of Alleynes beach posted in our photos section.
Is the beach busy?
There are too many beaches in Barbados for any one beach to ever become overly busy. Alleynes is quite a long beach. If you go early in the morning you and a handful of lucky people will probably have the beach mostly to yourselves. During afternoons and weekends it is livelier but it is never crowded.
Are there lifeguards on Alleynes beach?
There are no lifeguards on Alleynes beach.
The west coast beaches of Barbados are located along the Caribbean sea which offer ideal swimming and snorkeling conditions. The placid and calm conditions mean that currents are extremely rare. It’s some of the best swimming to be found anywhere in the world. Alleynes is in the heart of the west coast and is one of the best beaches to swim and snorkel on the island.
A few days per year surfers will get excited because the ocean swell will come from the west (the swell normally comes from the east which is why the best surfing spots are normally on the east coast of the island). This is rare and you’ll recognize these conditions because the normally calm water will be wavy and exciting. You might see surfers out riding the breaking waves. If the conditions are offering strong waves you should only enter the water if you are a strong swimmer. These conditions will be obvious, and it’s quite rare as it only happens about 20 days per year.
Always use common sense and do not go beyond your ability level. If you are not a strong swimmer do not ever swim alone, and always exercise caution in the water.
How many people can Golden Acre accommodate?
There are 3 bedrooms in total. The master suite is furnished with a king bed. The two guest bedrooms are both equipped with queen beds. The villa can comfortably accommodate 3 couples (6 adult guests) in total.
Is there air conditioning?
All of the bedrooms are equipped with both ceiling fans and high efficiency air conditioners. The main floor is also air conditioned in the living room. In addition, there are ceiling fans in both the dining room and the living room.
The home is open and breezy. Some guests prefer to keep the windows open as the house will be very comfortable with the Caribbean breeze, where others prefer to have the AC on, especially at night when sleeping.
It’s worth noting that homes in Barbados are constructed of concrete and coral. These construction methods mean that most homes in Barbados are not insulated. The home is air conditioned but there is no point in running air conditioners when the rooms are not occupied as the cool air dissipates quickly. High efficiency units are installed in each of the rooms so that each room can be cooled down in less than 3 minutes once the air conditioner is turned on. We ask that air conditioners are turned off when the rooms are not occupied as electricity is expensive in Barbados, and there is no point to running the air conditioner when no one is in the room.
Are linens and towels provided?
Yes, the home is fully outfitted with everything you will need for your stay. Towels, beach towels, pillows and linens are provided.
Is there high speed internet?
Yes there is high speed internet and WIFI throughout the home. In fact, Golden Acre is connected to the new fiber optic network that is being deployed across the island. The internet is extremely fast and generally quite stable. Streaming video or using VOIP to stay in touch with family at home will be no problem.
Is there cable TV?
Yes there is cable TV with all major networks from the US, UK and Canada as well as local programming from within the Caribbean.
What is Holetown like?
Despite having a suspect name, Holetown is the prettiest and most upscale town on the island.
For history’s sake, because of it’s location on the placid west coast of Barbados, Holetown was the first safe landing spot for ships where the first settlers could load and land onto the island. In fact, up until 1629 Holetown was the only town on the island. In those days it operated as a port and became known as “the Hole”, and years later became known as “Holetown”. Hundreds of years and generations later this is no longer the case. Holetown is now the prettiest town on the island with some of the best restaurants, shopping and entertainment in all of Barbados.
Do I need a rental car to get around?
One of the general advantages of travelling to Barbados is that because it is quite safe you are free to enjoy the entire island and are not restricted to a resort. With that having been said, you certainly do not need drive all over the island to enjoy your stay. Golden Acre is located 5 minutes north of Holetown, which is the second largest town in Barbados. It has shopping, a grocery store, dozens of restaurants, a movie theatre and just about anything else you are likely to want during your stay. Holetown is easily accessible by buses that come every few minutes along the main coastal road (a 3 minute walk from the villa). The bus is very affordable costing $1 USD.
If you do like exploring and would like to rent a car we recommend GL Rentals Barbados. We send GL Rentals a fair amount of business so our guests are able to get a discounted rate. If you’d like a rental vehicle for your stay (or a portion of your stay) let us know and we can arrange to have the vehicle delivered to Golden Acre for you. We can also arrange to have it available at the airport for pickup upon your arrival.
Are there restaurants nearby?
Yes, there are many restaurants nearby. Within close walking distance you'll find 3 places to dine on Alleynes beach. The first is Lone Star Restaurant which is offers a high end dining experience. Lone star is a 4 minute walk from Golden Acre. Beside lone star are Santi and JuJu’s Beach Bar. Both Santi and JuJu’s offer a casual beach bar experience with delicious home cooked food and affordable drinks. In addition Santi offers live and other events some evenings.
Holetown is 5 minutes (2 kilometers) down the road where you'll find dozens of restaurants and other nightlife. Many of the restaurants can be found on Tripadvisor if you want to plan some restaurants you'd like to visit.
What type of currency do I need in Barbados?
The currency of Barbados is the Barbados Dollar. It is tied at a 2:1 ratio to the US dollar. $2 BDS = $1 USD.
US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island. If you are travelling to Barbados we suggest bringing US dollars as there is no need to exchange into Barbados dollars prior to your arrival. Credit cards are also accepted almost everywhere.
How much are groceries in Barbados?
The answer to this question depends on what you are purchasing. The first thing to point out is that anything you want is available. Barbados is a small Caribbean country but it has a very good infrastructure.
Fresh fish, chicken and local vegetables are very affordable. The cost is equivalent to that of a typical North American grocery store. However, if you choose to buy Alaskan cod or another food that must be imported from a distant location it will be expensive.
When we stay in Barbados we get to enjoy many foods that are not easily available at home in Canada. For example, Mahi Mahi, Kingfish or Marlin. However, when we are in Barbados it’s not the best time to get a craving for a 20oz grain fed steak from Alberta. It’s available, but you'll pay extra for it.
And for the record, rum isn’t actually cheaper than water in Barbados... but it’s close!
Is water safe to drink in Barbados?
Water is completely safe to drink in Barbods. It's a coral island and the drinking water is naturally filtered. You can drink from the tap without any more concern than when drinking from the tap at home. The only interesting difference is that you could run the tap all day but the water would never get cold. It's warm in the Caribbean and that means the ground water table is warm too! The fridge has a built in water dispenser for cold water.
Is banking easy to do in Barbados?
Banks and bank machines are located all over the island. Canadian banks are predominant in Barbados with RBC, Scotiabank and CIBC all having a presence in the country. There are a number of other banks such as Republic bank as well. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.
What is Barbados like?
That is a very broad question. Hot, sunny, beautiful. Friendly people and an intangible but very real "island vibe".
It’s a beautiful country. It’s one of the safest countries to travel to in the Caribbean. In some ways it feels like home, and in other ways it’s an obviously exotic destination. It offers world class beaches, watersports, snorkeling, scuba diving and deep sea fishing. Back on land you’ll find multiple golf courses, both high end and affordable restaurants, and nightlife for people looking to go out and enjoy a drink at night.
More than anything, if you want to relax and get away from the rush back home you’ll find Barbados a good fit for what you are looking for.
Toll Free: 888-689-5084 (Works in North America)
Direct: +1 905-333-6890 (We're in Oakville, Ontario, Canada)
inquiries@goldenacrebarbados.com
