They say the hardest places to get to are often the most special. Barbuda Belle is certainly one of those places.
We arrived to Barbuda after five flights over the course of 36-hours, nine-month old Penny in tow. Barbuda, home to just 1,500 people, is not an easy island to get to — and that’s a good thing. Once our eight-seat prop plane from Antigua landed, Claudette, the general manager, met us with a huge smile and hugs, and Penny immediately went to her as if she were family. She helped us onto a boat and, after a twenty-minute boat ride, we arrived to the stunning pink sand beach at Barbuda Belle
The moment we stepped onto the property, we just felt something. Something about it is different…special…magical even. With just seven bungalows (all named after a type of bird) on a stunning strip of private beach, it feels remote without feeling forgotten. After a long travel schedule, it felt as though we’d reached the very end of the world, a place where we’d have been happy to spend the remainder of our days.
A wooden path winds through the property atop silky, soft sand. White umbrellas shade pairs of turquoise beach beds which beckoned us to spend the day lazing in the sun, skin salty from the sea, as the constant Caribbean breeze kept us cool.
We sipped rosé and read books, while the baby napped just steps away in our bungalow, which was named Frigate after the colony of birds that live nearby. Because you cannot live on rosé and rum punch alone, we’d meander to the club house for our meals. Equal parts bar, dining space, and living room, the club house is the center of activity on the property. We loved having breakfast and lunch on the front deck while laughing with Ann Marie who brought us fresh made yogurt and tropical fruit, or delicious, fresh spiny lobster with creole sauce — OH! the creole sauce!
Those amazing dishes were thanks to Chef Jean-Louis, who hails from Leon, France. A former pastry chef, he is making croissants and dinner rolls in-house, carefully composed sauces and soups, perfectly cooked seafood, and to-die-for risotto with scallops and morel mushrooms. It isn’t the kind of food we expected from a beach front property – no burgers or fish tacos in sight. Instead, we were astonished at the variety of dishes offered each day; impressed by the quality of the food itself; and thrilled at the flavors of each meal we enjoyed. Chef even took time to prepare separate food for Penny, spoiling her with mini croissants, freshly sautéed vegetables and fruit diced to the perfect size for her chubby baby fingers to pinch.
With full bellies, we enjoyed cocktails from bartender Alexander every night, while catching up with Chef and Claudette before turning in for the kind of deep sleep only sunshine and seafood can lead to.
Barbuda Belle defines the term ‘barefoot luxury’. All the materials used to build it were brought in from Bali. Each bungalow floats high above the sand on stilts, the beds are draped in gorgeous linens, and the doors slide open to reveal a post card-perfect view of the Caribbean Sea.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma swept through the Caribbean, leaving a wake of destruction in her path. Barbuda Belle was left heavily damaged – one bungalow completely demolished- and took a season off to rebuild. Today, reopened and better than before, it is the type of place you may only dream of visiting. It is the stuff Caribbean dreams are made of, with a staff of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. The next time you sit down to edit your bucket list, add Barbuda Belle and move it to the top. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Compass + Twine was a welcomed guest of Barbuda Belle and thanks them for one of the most magical weekends in memory. As always, all opinions are our own.
more pics
