V-Flyer

Hi, Has anybody been to the South Coast of Barbados recently? Just like to know if the 'sewage' problems are actually as bad as is being reported, with people being struck down with gastro intestinal bugs etc.
We were considering visiting Turtle Beach again and were wondering how badly this area is affected. Reports seem to suggest that its bad enough that the sewage overflows are reaching the sea and affecting beaches.
D.

Hi, I am a frequent visitor to the south coast (30 times) and I was out there in Jan/Feb. If you are staying at Turtle Beach you will not even be aware of the problem unless you travel in to Bridgetown along the main road. I should also note that reports of sewage being pumped into the sea to Graeme Hall won't affect you either (although I never saw any evidence of that while I was there) as you are to the east of the problem and the rides flow east to west.

Finally, we started boiling all our drinking water, but after drinking water in the south coast restaurants and having ice in drinks and still being fine, we gave up and didn't have any problems.

Not sure how well you know the area but we stayed 5 days at Blue Orchids in Worthing (near Champers restaurant and between the two main areas of the problem) and then for 9 days at Rockley Golf Club.

The areas mainly affected at on Rendevous road from the petrol station up to the CIBC bank/post office, and on the south coast road around Lanterns Mall/KFC. There is dirty water bubbling up from the manholes in the road and flowing down the gutters. It varies from day to day and I guess depends on rainfall, but it really didn't have a negative impact on our stay. I do feel sorry for the locals and businesses impacted as it shouldn't be happening, but some reports I have seen (like in the Telegraph in the last week) tat say it affects "the whole of the south coast" are just not true.

Feel free to PM me if you need any more info.

That should have said tides not rides!!!

Ah, OK, many thanks.
I was kind of worried that it was all along the south coast from St Lawrence Gap to Oistins/airport.

We were there last week and there was a big issue on the coast road between Bridgetown and Rockley/Accra area.

Problem was ongoing when we left and very unpleasant.

Did not notice any problems on the beaches other than most of the beaches north of Bridgetown were unusable due to the high water and rough seas.

Accra was fine though

I think the seas are settled back down now but the swells went on for an unusually long time and there has been some severe beach erosion on the west coast e.g. Mullins beach bar was closed as I think it became unstable.

I've read recently that there were no signs of sewage problems at the Worthing end now (don't know what the situation is like at Hastings), so hopefully the new wells they have dug are working.

Not sure what the state is at Turtle Beach with the sargassum that has been washing up recently but it is a natural phenomenon that no-one can do a lot about, apart from clear it from the beaches.

I hope they can fix the Restaurant at Mullins, this is in our top 10 ( Beach and Bar)

Sargassum was a big problem when we stayed at the Sea Breeze Hotel in Oistins in 2015. It was impossible to go in the water. Last year we stayed at Turtle Beach at the same time and it was clear. Not sure what it is like there now but friends have just got back from Antigua and it was bad there.

I am off to Barbados soon is the problem in the sea sewage or sargassum

Where are you staying Ken54?

sea breeze but might change the hotel to a west coast one

Latest problem seems to be the sargassum! There are usually beaches along the south coast that you can find that are not affected, but it isn't looking good at the moment. You might be best off going up west if you are going soon

thank you will move hotels to a west coast one