Holetown is a popular choice for a Barbados villa rental holiday. Located on the West Coast of Barbados, in the parish of St James, this is where the English sea captain, John Powell, came ashore and claimed the island for the English King James I in the 1600s. It was given the name of a natural inlet channel where ships could be off loaded and cleaned, before a new cargo would be loaded up.
Today Holetown is no longer a port but an interesting, eclectic mix of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels apartments and it’s a great place for your Barbados holiday. We have a range of villas and apartments in, or near to, Holetown; for example:
Blue Moon, 4 Mango Court, 161 Cordia Avenue, and The Palms Penthouse.
The exclusive Sugar Hill Resort is very close to Holetown, just a 5 minute drive away. Here we can offer many accommodation options for a great Barbados villa rental, such as Apartment 209C, Westholme and Orange Walk Studio.
So, let’s take a brief walk around Holetown, starting at the Chattel Village.
The Chattel Village is a group of small independent shops fashioned in the chattel house style. ‘Chattel’ is the local word for a small wooden dwelling that harks back to when plantation workers would move from one estate to another and they would deconstruct the house and move it with them – hence the saying “pick up your chattels”. Because the workers rarely owned the land the house was on, if there was a dispute with a plantation owner or landlord the dwellings could quickly be taken down and moved. Nowadays the properties are a little more permanent as they have mains electricity, water and drainage – still made from wood though and brightly, prettily painted. From these shops, you can buy souvenirs, paintings, clothing and gourmet produce – perfect as gifts to take home. The Best of Barbados shop is always worth a visit for all things ‘Jill Walker’, (one of our famous artists) and there is a lovely café so you can take time out for a snack. All this is close by, or easy walking distance from your Barbados villa rental accommodation.
Heading slightly north, further into Holetown, we have a number of excellent restaurants and a casino, there’s even an excellent English style butchers shop (‘Boulevard Butchers’), and a great purveyor of organic produce and specialist foods (‘Body Restoration’) as well as a shopping ‘mall’ with supermarket.
In Holetown you will find the local authority offices, police station and a magistrates court – hopefully you won’t be visiting! In the grounds of these offices, near to the road, you will see an obelisk. This commemorates the landing of Captain Powell in 1625.
If you’re a night owl and looking to party the night away, on First and Second Street you’ll find a heady blend of bars and restaurants. Karaoke can get competitive! Also, there is the night club, Red Door Lounge, for that upscale urban beat, where you can join visitors and locals alike in cocktails until the early hours. Don’t stay too late! We don’t want you to sleep all day and miss our beautiful beaches with endless sunshine and water sports! Make sure you head home to your Barbados villa rental in good time to be up with the lark, enjoying your holiday.
A focal point in Holetown is the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre where, if you hunger for world class designers, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll find retail therapy at it’s very best; duty free shopping opportunities and lots of famous names – glamour, style and indulgence. At Limegrove you’ll find everything from fine jewellers, top international clothing brands, boutique clothing, leather goods, home furnishings – remember boys, you can come too, they have some great things for you! Upstairs at Limegrove is a boutique cinema showing all the latest movies in Dolby 3D and Dolby digital, with food, wines, beers and for that special occasion champagne. All available whilst lying back in the sumptuous seats to watch a movie. Refreshments are delivered to your seat so you don’t need to miss a moment. The cinema is air conditioned so you might want sleeves! The Limegrove Centre is perfect for a trendy place to dine or meet friends. There are a number of restaurants and cafes serving cuisine from around the world, to suit the most discerning of diners. Take a stroll around, day or night, there’s lots to see and enjoy.
Apart from the shops and the restaurants in Holetown, there are fabulous beaches. Here you can rent sun beds and umbrellas and take part in all types of water sports – maybe learn to water ski?. There are beach bars and beach vendors selling brightly coloured sarongs. Barbados villa rental holidays are synonymous with beach life, so make sure you get some sand between your toes!
If you need to top up the coffers, there are plenty of banks available, just a walk up and down the main street and you will easily find them, they all have ATM facilities (check with your bank about any charges that may apply).
Hopefully, you won’t need it; but in the unfortunate event that you do, you will find the Sandy Crest Medical Centre, open 24/7. You don’t need an appointment and can just turn up, day or night. The centre operates like an emergency department and is very well equipped. You will be expected to pay for any treatment or appointment (reminder to acquire relevant travel insurance!).
If you visit us in February, you can enjoy the delights of the Holetown Festival; parades, marching bands, street entertainment, food and vendors all get together for an annual ‘bash’. We have visitors who come back every year just to be part of the festival.
So, there you have it, a brief taste of Holetown, St James. I hope you join us soon and sample for yourself the culture and tradition of a Barbados villa rental holiday in the second largest town in Barbados (Bridgetown is the capital and the largest!).
Contact Paradise Rentals for more information and availability of our range of villas and apartments.
