On Location: A fresh paradise rises at East, The Crane's new eco-luxe oasis in Barbados

STORY BY SHINAN GOVANI

On the most easternmost point of the most easterly island in the Caribbean, a fresh paradise rises.

Name – what else? – East. It is the newest vision of Canadian entrepreneur Paul Doyle, who previously upped the hospitality stakes in Barbados when he purchased The Crane and 16 hectares of encompassing land.

That was back in 1988. Lured by its dazzling landscape, storied breeze, and reel-worthy beach – the Crane Beach is easily one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in the world – he has since expanded the historic hotel multifold, and even turned the place into a small village of sorts.

"About 800," the hotelier answered when I recently asked him how many people he roughly employs these days.

READ MORE: Barbados celebrates Air Canada's 75 years of service with “75 Bajan things to do” list

So...what then for an encore? Easy: Doyle's company set his eyes on the relatively secluded part of Barbados that overlooks Skeete's Bay and Culpepper Island, where a pearly string of single-story ocean-front villas have been going up.

This, on the just one per cent of the East Coast that remains outside a registered National Park in the area, and is on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island. Off-the-beaten-path is the lure; "low-density" and "eco-luxury," the pitch.

"The kind of place you want to come and never leave," said our host when I recently visited one of the villas with a few others for sundown cocktails. Hypberole: it was not. For once. Watching the colours splutter in the sky, and the whisk of the waves – from the vantage point of a residence that has been imagined with a seamless integration of the outdoors and in – it was giving Robinson Crusoe. And like AI – without it being AI.

Put another way: if The Crane was your wife, then East is your mistress.

Enter authentic Barbados

"Lemongrass, purple basil...aloe."

Later on, during a short walk through the property, our host let us in on the herbs that are sprinkled through lush, overgrown foliage. It's part of the natural vibe, and a lens into the community that East is aspiring to conjure. 

Take "Mrs. Skeete,” a local Bajan character who used to run the nearby Skeetes Bay fish market and continues to comb Conset Bay and delivers fresh fish directly to guests here upon request.

Then there is "Ricky,” the in-house tour guide who has always lived in the community, and offers walks to nearby East Point Lighthouse, surrounding natural springs, and other highlights in neighbouring communities.

Better than any website, or social media feed, "Ricky" sells the place when you hear him talk animatedly about his childhood experiences when mothers in the community bathed their kids by one of the many streams, or spent days at the beach roasting fish and breadfruit.

While there is no shortage of glamour amidst the resort, it has managed not to also eschew the ruggedness of an area that some people like to call the "authentic Barbados."

Where families have long come for a “lime,” as the locals like to call it – an all-purpose noun and verb referring to the act of "hanging out." 

And where, even now, you can wander down to the local shop nearby, where you'll find elders in the village playing a game of dominoes or cards and discussing a wide range of topics with a requisite bottle of rum.

The villa life 

One, two and three-bedroom villas, all with private infinity pools: that is the deal.

All geared towards travellers who value their down-time, or want to stay a while. Winter-ducking Canadians, for instance, who depend on Air Canada 966/967 - one of the oldest continually operating flight codes in the history of aviation!

While many of the villas are available for rent at the moment, as East still begins to take shape, "fractional ownership" is the big push. Based on fixed-week, floating unit-type ownership, this is an arrangement that allows owners to enjoy their chosen weeks every year, though they may have the flexibility to choose which apartment or villa type they want.

And while there will eventually be all the amenities you might imagine – an East Spa, specializing in Eastern massage techniques, for example, and the so-called Farmhouse Cafe, a rustic cafe showcasing Barbados’ finest flavours; even tennis courts! – one of the bonuses of the place is this: you can access the fuller experiences of The Crane, about 30 minutes away, should you wish.

Complimentary round-trip shuttle service to The Crane is, in fact, available. East even offers guests privileged access to all the amenities and services at the mothership resort.

Or you could just, y'know, never leave. The option is yours. Come East, man. And stay East.

For more on East Barbados, click here.

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