Ocean View Yoga & Hiking Retreat on Barbados' East Coast

Ocean View Retreat is on a cliff on the eastern coast of Barbados, above the Atlantic. The property is made up of tastefully finished, spacious apartments rather than hotel rooms, so you have a kitchen and living space of your own for the duration of your stay. The setting is genuinely secluded — this is the rustic, less-developed side of the island, and the sea breeze is constant.

Yoga is offered on site, with the ocean in front of you. Between sessions there's hiking around the property and along the coast, and bonfire nights are part of what happens here. The location also handles weddings, so it's a working venue rather than a retreat-only facility — expect a relaxed, privately run atmosphere rather than a big operation.

What separates this from a standard Caribbean beach stay is the position and the pace. You're on a cliff facing east, so you get sunrises and moonrises over the water rather than sunsets, and the trade winds keep things cooler than the west coast. The beaches immediately below are wilder and often empty; the calm swimming beaches are a drive away.

Practical setup: you'll want a car or arranged transfers to get around, since the east coast is not walkable to shops and restaurants in the way the west coast is. The apartments give you the option of cooking for yourself, which keeps costs down and lets you eat on your own schedule.

This suits people who want a quiet base with yoga and walking built in, and who are happy to make their own plans for the rest of the day. If you want a full daily programme, group meals and a structured retreat schedule, this is a looser arrangement than that.

What's included

- Stay in a spacious self-contained apartment - Yoga sessions on site - Hiking in the surrounding area - Bonfire nights

What's not included

- Flights to Barbados - Airport transfers - Car rental - Meals - Travel insurance - Personal expenses