he vibrant BAY STREET area in Barbados is known for its hype of activity both day and night. It is considered part of Highway 7 and is one of the main routes used to enter the historic Bridgetown area from the south coast of the island.
This street also connects Bridgetown to its Garrison Historic Area, which both make up Barbados’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also one of the roads connecting the parish of St Michael to Christ Church.
Bay Street is located along the southwest coastline on the beachfront in the Carlisle Bay area. The area is filled with lots of places of interest, inclusive of historic sites, beach bars & restaurants, nightclubs, beach clubs, a number of watersports operators and shopping plazas.
Parts of this strip and some of the neighborhoods connected to it are home to “Red Light Districts”, while on the beachfront you will find a couple of the island’s more popular open-air nightclubs.
Music and Entertainment in this area caters to most ages featuring Theme Nights, Reggae Parties, Drinks Free Nights, Cultural Dinner Shows and Soca Parties during the Crop Over Festival.
Watersports operators and beachfront bars and restaurants line the entire Bay Street coastline, with beach rentals, drink specials and great food.
Because it is located in the tranquil Carlisle Bay area, the long stretch of beach here tend to be ideal for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking, featuring calm crystal clear waters and a bay of wrecks and reefs for scuba diving. The setting here is also perfect for sunset photos with a gorgeous view of the yachts and fishing boats anchored in the bay.
Quite a few catamaran sailing cruises use the beaches at Bay Street as their lunch and snorkel stops on a daily basis.
On this street there are also two windows-to-the-sea to enjoy while driving along the highway, one of which is home to the Bay Street Esplanade.History
The history of Bay Street shows that during the 17th century, the bay here along with the Careenage in Bridgetown were used as the harbour for shipping and trading for the island.
Originally, some of the land in the Bay Street and River Road area was owned by Captain Robert Collymoore during the 1600s, but was later sold to a merchant name Thomas Pargiter, who was related to George Washington’s great grandfather John Washington, and was a member of the Barbados House of Assembly.Bay Street Esplanade/Promenade & Bandstand
Situated at the south end opposite the Government Headquarters, this spot is very popular with locals for family outings, and is used by many charities and organizations for barbecues, fish fry, fundraisers and social events. It is also used for free concerts and political meetings, with many benches for socializing and enjoying the incredible view. FYI
The Bandstand was erected between 1918 – 1919
The Cabbage Palm trees were planted by Mr. John R. Bovell
The esplanade was officially opened December 14th 1929
The Civil Circle (an Association of Ladies who did voluntary work) originally maintained the area
Parks and Beaches Commission later took over the maintenance, then refurbished and re-opened February 10th 1972.
The Memorial Drinking Fountain located north of the bandstand, was erected in memory of Miss Margaret Packer M.B.E in 1936 and designed by Lady Carter. It was unveiled by Lady Young.
The lively Bay Street makes up Highway 7, starting from the Chamberlain Swing Bridge at the Bridgetown Careenage, and stretches along the southwestern coastline in the Carlisle Bay area, towards the south coast of Barbados.
The street ends in the Garrison Savannah and St Ann's Castle area, where it connects Highway 7 to Hastings Road.
Bay St. basically connects the west coast to the south coast.
