Barrouallie, St. Vincent: The Whaling Town on the Leeward Coast
A working fishing village with an uncomfortable trade, and Cumberland Bay just north.
Why Go
Barrouallie is a fishing town on St. Vincent's leeward coast, and it is known across the region for something few places advertise: it is one of the last places in the Caribbean where small-scale whaling continues, hunting pilot whales — blackfish, locally — from open boats. That fact sits at the centre of any honest account of the town. Around it is an ordinary working settlement of black-sand beach, boats, churches and shops, with one of the country's best anchorages a few minutes north at Cumberland Bay.
The Experience
The town occupies a shelf between the hills and the sea, with the leeward road running through it and the beach below made of dark volcanic sand. The fishing fleet is genuinely a fleet, and the beach is a working one — this is where boats are launched, catch is landed and gear is repaired, not somewhere to lay a towel. The whaling is small-scale, licensed under an aboriginal-subsistence provision, and it is part of the town's economy and identity; visitors will see evidence of it and should be prepared for that rather than surprised by it. North of the town, Cumberland Bay is a deep, steep-sided anchorage where yachts stern-to against the palms, and it is one of the loveliest bays on the island. The coast road between is spectacular. The coast road through here is also the best argument for hiring a car rather than taking the minibus. Each village sits on its own bay, the views open and close between headlands, and stopping where you want is the difference between seeing this coast and being driven along it.
What to Try
Stop in the town for the fishing beach and the churches, and eat locally: Banner's Restaurant & Bar and Beni Restaurant are the sit-down options, La Roca and Chez Djon cover the informal end, and La Casa Chikita and Wafulasun Sports Bar are the everyday. Cumberland Bay just north is the swim and the anchorage, with a recreational park at the head of it, and Wallilabou Heritage Park a few minutes south covers the coast's history. Petit Bordel and Paradise Beach are the other stretches along here. This coast is best seen from the water, and boats from Kingstown and the villages run it. Chateaubelair and the far north-west, under the volcano, are twenty minutes further on. La Casa Chikita and Chez Djon cover the rest of the eating in the town itself.
Insider Tip
Be clear with yourself about the whaling before you come. Barrouallie hunts pilot whales from open boats under a subsistence provision, the practice is long-standing and locally supported, and evidence of it is visible around the working beach. Visitors who arrive without knowing sometimes find it distressing. It is not hidden and it is not staged for anyone — it is a working town doing what it has done for generations, and going in informed is better for everyone than being ambushed by it. Drive north to Cumberland afterwards rather than turning back, because the bay is only a few minutes on and it is the best swimming for a long way in either direction.
The Practical Stuff
Barrouallie is about forty minutes north of Kingstown on the leeward coast road, and roughly fifty from Argyle International. Driving is on the LEFT and a temporary local permit is required; the leeward road is narrow, steep and winding, with blind bends, and it is a slow drive. Minibuses run the route frequently and cheaply. Parking in the town is informal. The beaches here are dark volcanic sand and working rather than recreational; Cumberland Bay north is the better swim. Facilities are limited to local shops and small restaurants. St. Vincent is in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November.
Common Questions
Does Barrouallie still hunt whales?
Yes — small-scale hunting of pilot whales from open boats continues under an aboriginal-subsistence provision, and it is part of the town's economy. Evidence of it is visible around the working beach.
Is Barrouallie worth visiting?
As a look at a working St. Vincent town and for Cumberland Bay just north, yes. It is not arranged for tourism and the whaling makes it a place some visitors would rather understand before arriving.
Where should you swim?
Cumberland Bay a few minutes north, which is a deep sheltered anchorage and one of the loveliest bays on the island. The town beach is a working fishing beach of dark volcanic sand.
How far is it from Kingstown?
About forty minutes north on the leeward coast road, and roughly fifty from Argyle International. The road is narrow and winding, so allow more time than the distance suggests.
Can you get there by bus?
Yes — minibuses run the leeward route from Kingstown frequently and cheaply, though a car makes stopping along the coast much easier.
What else is nearby?
Wallilabou and the film set a few minutes south, Layou and its petroglyph beyond that, and Chateaubelair and the far north-west under the volcano about twenty minutes further north.
Pair It With
- Cumberland beach — The sheltered bay and the swim, north of town.
- Walliabou Heritage Park — The coast's history, minutes south.
- Banner's Restaurant & Bar — Lunch in a town that is not arranged for visitors.
