Secluded Boutique Hotel on Barbados’s East Coast

Before railways to the Barbadian East Coast opened in 1883, the only way to cross Central Barbados—all coral-stone hillsides and dense vegetation—was by horse and cart. After those railway lines opened, hotels began to sprout on east coast, including The Atlantis Hotel, one of the region’s original properties. More than 100 years later, visitors to this 10-room boutique hotel will still find sweeping views of the Atlantic and the Caribbean's easy-going vibes, well worth a 4,000-mile cross-continental flight, much less the original 20-kilometer train ride from Barbados' west coast.

Colonial-style teak furniture and colorful flowers decorate each of the The Atlantis Hotel's 10 rooms, lending a New England–derived “shabby chic” style. Though king-size beds and flat-screen televisions are nice, modern luxuries, they take a back seat to the spectacular ocean views available in most rooms, where crashing waves lull guests to sleep. Each piece of furniture seems more colorful than the last, such as coral-orange pillows resting on azure-blue seat cushions.

Palm trees, patio furniture, and a sailboat’s lifesaver encircle the spacious outdoor pool, shaped like an oversize lima bean. The Atlantis's elegant, on-site restaurant prepares regional and international fare from roasted black-belly lamb to flying-fish pasta and seats up to 40 diners on its deck. Long walks along the deserted beach highlight lazy Caribbean nights, when one can carefully listen for Barbados's whistling frogs, which are just as loud as Argentina's mooing giraffes.

Barbados’s East Coast: Surfers and Sunshine

Surfboards mounted by both veteran and novice watersporters slice through great, shimmering waves below a hot Caribbean sun. Barbados's magnificent surfers have lent the shoreline a rough-and-tumble edge. Back on the mainland, seaside bars and restaurants dot a mile of sandy shores that designate the most populated stretch of Barbados’s serene east coast.

At only 431 square kilometers, the Barbadian island is roughly three times the size of Washington D.C., with stunning limestone and exotic wildlife—including more than 100 bird species—highlighting the country's interior. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the flourishing capital city of Bridgetown is rife with British colonial buildings dating back to the 17th century, bringing a taste of history to any vacation.