Welcome

This district on the west coast of Barbados is ideal for a relaxing Caribbean vacation.

Fitts Village in the parish of St James derives its name from the man who owned that western tract of land undulating toward the Caribbean Sea: Benjamin Thomas Fitt.

It was its placement at the edge of a tranquil and clear blue ocean that would see the Fitts district become a predominantly fishing village. Fishing still goes on there to this day, extending toward its neigbouring Paynes Bay Fishing Market.

Features

The area contains several reefs and with clear blue waters its good for snorkeling. Ocassionally you may even spot a turtle surfacing for a breath of air. This is a favourite release spot for sea turtle hatchlings rescued by the Barbados Sea Turtle Project. There are areas along this coast that are excellent for swimming. This is typically a quiet beach, and is the ideal spot to relax with a good book under the shade, or enjoying the sea and sun.

Picnic benches are scattered among the Casuarina trees lining the shore, and to the north is a small, open esplanade complete with benches.

Dining
At Fitts Village you'll find the beachfront Italian restaurant Il Tempio, where you'll enjoy homemade pasta in a romantic seaside setting.

Business
And if you need to do business, the Jordan Complex may just be the place for you with its varied commercial services, doctor's office, pharmacy and extended supermarket. This itself is one of the signal monuments to the development and progress of the people of Fitts Village: this commercial hub fashioned and sustained by the longstanding Jordan family.

Heritage

The Fitt family over time sold off much of its property to other aspiring landowners; and by the time tourism and its ancillary services had gripped the West Coast district, more and more properties had changed hands. Several Barbadian families - small and large, poor and rich - came into ownership of land in Fitts Village. The most prominent of these were the Chapmans, Scotts, Jordans, Williamses, Gaskins and Sealys.

In the early 1980s, during the Tom Adams Government which introduced the Tenantries And Freeholding Act, tenants were able to purchase the lots they once rented. And, more Fitts Village residents were able to buy land from the Fitts and other large property owners.

Among other well-known Bajan families coming out of the Fitts Village experience have been the Carmichaels and Forbeses.

Today, former radio show host and one of Barbados' most famous priests, Father Andrew Hatch, has retired to Fitts Village.

Fish was a staple of the community - and still is - but not without its ample share of learning and spirituality. The Good Shepherd School - once housed in the Good Shepherd Church - offered much educational grounding to the people of Fitts Village. A new school now stands elsewhere in the same area.

Today, the Church of The Good Shepherd continues to offer spiritual food along with the traditional Pentecostal churches that abound in the district. Located along the shore, the Church of The Good Shepherd is perfect for a tropical wedding.

In Barbados you will find a rumshop on almost every street corner. In Fitts Village there have been a good number of these little rustic bars - and cookshops - some of which have given way to the more sophisticated. This has come from a strengthened tourism industry.

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