Beginner Barbados
Barbados
Six wrecks in a single shallow bay, and hawksbill turtles that turn up without looking for them
In a protected bay off the capital there are half a dozen sunken ships in less than twenty meters of water, all in the same spot. You can string several together in one dive and come out with turtles as a bonus.
In this profile you'll find how that wreck bay works, what else there is to dive on an island of limestone that doesn't quite fit the mold of the volcanic Caribbean, when to go, and what level you need.
This is the destination that proves a well-planned wreck park can carry almost all of an island's diving activity, concentrating use and, in the process, giving the natural reef a break.
Geography and access
Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean, set forward from the arc of the Lesser Antilles with the open Atlantic in front of it.
Unlike its volcanic neighbors, it's a limestone island: an ancient reef lifted up, with permeable ground and no major rivers.
The west coast, sheltered from the prevailing wind, is where the diving happens; the east coast takes the Atlantic swell year-round.
Off the capital, a shallow, sheltered bay holds several ships deliberately sunk as an artificial reef, all at shallow depth.
Along the west coast there are also fringing reefs running parallel to the shore, accessible from the beach in several stretches.
Access is by direct international flight from Europe and North America, with short road transfers.
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