Bridging Luxury and Bajan Culture: The Story of Our Community

At Apes Hill Barbados, we've found the sweet spot where luxury and Bajan charm intertwine. Here, you're not just a guest; you're a part of the island's living tapestry. Picture a place where you can tee off at dawn and savour farm-fresh goodness at dusk, where every fairway stroll echoes with the down-to-earth Bajan spirit. Read on to hear how our teams work to foster strong ties with the wider Bajan community.

Apes Hill Barbados Golf Resort and Community isn't just a world-class destination; it's a bridge that connects luxury with the vibrant Bajan community. Beyond the pristine fairways and lavish amenities lies a commitment to breaking barriers, embracing local culture, and creating a harmonious blend of elegance and authenticity.

Life in rural Barbados reflects the traditional Bajan village lifestyle of a vibrant community, as beautiful as the unique intonation of the language spoken. The community supports each other in many ways with the sharing of stories, food and customs being commonplace.

What’s even more fascinating, is that the rural community still tries to grow what they eat, and they will all grow different produce and rear different animals so that they can share amongst themselves. These are the true Bajan agricultural traditions and the core of sustainable living in Barbados.

“In the country [you] can go next door, get a breadfruit, a banana, or a potato. You know everybody used to have something planted in their garden that you could eat”- Kathleen Franklin, resident of Parks Road St. Joseph. 

At Apes Hill, we’re cultivating a sustainable lifestyle with our organic farm featuring hundreds of fruiting trees, vegetables and herbs, our own Apes Hill honey, and we’ll have livestock on the surrounding lands leased to farmers in the community. Members can cultivate their kitchen garden or plant a few fruit trees, supporting our thriving, but sustainable community. Read more about sustainability at Apes Hill here.

The true spirit of our community and the beauty of this island paradise known as Barbados lies within the warmth of our people. This inspiring feeling permeates through the quaint, rustic villages of the surrounding countryside, and subsequently through our fairways, gullies and community at Apes Hill. 

Be prepared for the occasional wave and smile, joyous morning salutations and sometimes even a warm embrace. It is this down-to-earth Bajan spirit, which fuels our unique island charm, and is certainly worth preserving.

Barbados’ sugar industry heritage is one of perseverance, strength, and resilience. With sugar cane fields once dominating most of the land, this was the place where cultivation was perfected, and the island soon became the brightest jewel in the British crown. The odd remnant of this once prosperous sugar industry including brick chimneys, old windmill walls and limestone kilns can still be seen scattered across the countryside.

Over at Apes Hill, some of our villa designs pay homage to the island’s rich heritage using contrasting elements of indigenous natural limestone, saluting the once hardworking limestone kilns, which can be found at Apes Hill.  

“We also have close to five old sugar mills in this area and there’s still a lot of resemblance of the sugar industry around here…all close to over a hundred years old”- Ed Paskins, Golf Course Superintendent 

As you hike through our nature trails and explore our vast landscape, we not only share the stories of this intangible heritage, but we remain committed to preserving the built heritage and the legacy upon which our community has been built. 

From our unique vantage point, there is easy access to a characteristically charming part of the island, which is ideal for exploring the less trodden areas and off-the-beaten paths. It’s an opportunity to feel the heart of the island in one of its most authentic spaces.

During your time at Apes Hill, you can meander through the Scotland District to rustic villages with colourful chattel houses and many quaint wayside places of worship, to workshops featuring talented potters, and to charming rum shops where the community gathers for the most animated and intriguing local activities, as well as delicious local foods and libation. 

“Apes Hill is really in a beautiful location, the districts around here are incredible, very rural up here, high rainfall, plenty of forests, plenty of fruit trees”- Ed Paskins. 

It’s a place where strangers are treated like family, where wildlife will venture freely, and where the relaxing sound of the Atlantic Ocean provides the perfect lull for meditation and recalibration. It’s where you can always find a welcoming home.

Here at Apes Hill, we are creating a place of prestige without pretension. It’s an exclusive golf course and community for those who wish to enjoy the luxuries of wholesome island living, but one which builds bonds with the surrounding community.

We’re providing opportunities for local farmers to lease land and we’re integrating their local ingredients into our menus. As we build out our own organic farm, we’re sharing our expertise to help the surrounding community sustainably develop their own kitchen gardens and small-scale farms as well.

However, it's not just about the extended community benefiting from Apes Hill. Our members and guests are encouraged to explore the island, and our Guest Experiences team will even assist in the arrangement of tours. As we develop our bespoke tours, we’re emphasizing ways that our members and guests can engage with the Bajan people, culture and spirit in the most authentic ways.  

This is an exclusive Barbados golf community, but it’s the ability to bring that Barbados feeling to life, which makes Apes Hill such an elevated, yet down-to-earth experience.

For more information, content the team today, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about life at Apes Hill Barbados. 

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