Beaches that disappear

Barbados, a low-lying Caribbean island, has felt climate threats acutely. The Barbados government’s 2022 climate risk assessment identifies coastal erosion as a “very high risk” affecting southern and western shores, where much of tourism is concentrated. One dramatic case is Mullins Beach (in Mullins Bay, St. Peter): once flanked by broad sands, today it has shrunk to nearly nothing. For miles the shoreline is now just massive rocks and seawalls. Locals nicknamed it “Last Chance Beach” because the surf crashes up to the car park.

Residents and historians note that a few decades ago one could sunbathe at Mullins; now all that remains are boulders. The cause? Studies and community groups in Barbados point to a combination of poorly designed groynes at nearby Port St. Charles and routine beach replenishment at other bays, which inadvertently starved Mullins of new sand. Barbados’ Coastal Zone Management says these measures, plus climate change, are to blame: as one official put it, “global warming is the main culprit,” but hard structures have made some loss worse.

Further along the coast, Bathsheba and Crane Beaches face erosion from Atlantic storms. After Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Maria (2017), some smaller beaches lost a few meters of sand. The government has since built groynes at certain spots and planted mangroves and seagrass to hold dunes. Yet as the Commonwealth report notes, “shrinking beaches” now threaten Barbados’s famous sun-sea-sand tourism.

• Local Voices: Dr. Leo Brewster of Barbados’s Coastal Zone Management Unit sums it up: “It’s never been a secret that Barbados is under threat from climate change — we’ve battled rising sea levels, coastal erosion and intense storms firsthand”. Surf instructors and tour operators on the Atlantic side lament that parts of Long Bay Beach have become unsafe after storms. In southern Barbados, villagers at St. Lawrence Gap speak of watching their beach gradually recede. Meanwhile, environmentalists tout a new coral reef restoration program to buffer wave energy and help rebuild beaches (some travelers might even volunteer).
• Travel Advice: Visitors should pick their beaches carefully. Western and southern shores (e.g. Carlisle Bay, Mullins) are generally calm and managed, but check if new seawalls affect the view. On the east coast (Bathsheba, Cattlewash), expect powerful waves – not ideal for casual swimming, but spectacular for photos of the Atlantic pounding in. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and reef shoes, as submerged rocks or reefs lie close to shore where sand has washed away. For a positive experience, early mornings on Crane Beach still offer broad sands and gentle waves. And always support local restoration efforts – some tour companies include reef/nursery tours where you learn about protecting Barbados’ beaches.