East coast Barbados: A walk on the wild side

Barbados, to most visitors, means the Caribbean beaches of the west coast, whose turquoise sea is so calm it would struggle to upset a spirit level. But turn to the north and a strikingly beautiful vista of wild, untouched beaches opens out, with golden sands and crashing waves reminiscent of New Zealand, or even Cornwall.

There are no beach bars, party boats or, indeed, many people; just empty expanses of sand backed by green hills, windswept palms, solitary boulders and - for swimmers wary of the Atlantic's fierce undercurrent - rock pools that become natural plunge pools when the tide recedes.

Much of Barbados's eastern coastline is protected land, limiting new development, but there is growing demand among foreign buyers for homes on this wild, undiscovered side of the island.

"Traditionally, the east coast has always been a local buyers' market. It's where people would move to in summer after the crop harvest was over, with their pigs, chickens and maids, to escape the heat in the west," explains Sam Mahon from Bajan Services, Knight Frank's Barbados affiliate. "But it's an emerging trend now among people who live on the west coast to have a 'day house' in the east, somewhere to go for Sunday lunch, and this side of the island is also slowly becoming of interest to the tourist market."

Mahon adds that the east coast is unlikely to see the phenomenal growth that the west has, due to the difficulties of obtaining building or planning permission. But there are prospective buyers who prefer to be off the beaten track.

Due to scarcity value, the handful of beach houses dotted along the sand command premium prices. A simple, wooden, one-storey house with three bedrooms, a sea-facing verandah and a lawn that leads on to the beach in Cattlewash, St Joseph, is on sale for $1.5m (£800,000) through Bajan Services. But head just 200 metres inland and you can buy a sizeable property for half the price.

Winslow is a house with two separate cottages and sea views, set among spacious lawns planted with almond, coconut and cherry trees, all for $800,000 (£470,500) through Bajan Services, yet it has been on the market for more than a year. "You either love the east coast or you don't. It's very different from the west," shrugs the vendor.

Someone who does love this wild coast is Harry Hammond, an advertising executive from Surrey. Having spent his holidays here last year, enjoying the Friday night fish markets and "the best rum punch on the island, served by a man in his eighties known as Chicken George," Hammond, 61, is returning soon to look at properties for sale, including Groundswell Cottages in Bathsheba.

The five-year-old, two-storey wooden cottages on stilts, for sale through Knight Frank for $400,000 (£235,290), share a sloping plot of 12,000 square feet and overlook the Soup Bowl, the coast's surfing mecca. During surfing competition time, the cottages rent out for $125 (£74) a night.

"I like the look of these cottages and I wouldn't mind something I could do some work on. I don't want to spend a fortune on a place, which is one reason to avoid the west coast," says Hammond. "The west is just too poncey for me. My son goes there with his old schoolfriends and they have an outrageous time, but it's not my scene. But the east coast is absolutely beautiful. I love the surf and the people are incredibly friendly."

Bathsheba, a laid-back beauty spot, is the focal point of the east coast, its cluster of houses, bars, cafés and the odd rental apartment set alongside five miles of beautiful beach. When you want to step up the pace a little, Holetown's bars, restaurants and shops are a 30-minute drive away. Island safaris and quad biking, popular day trips among the holidaying masses, take place north of Bathsheba.

"The east coast is far more dramatic and interesting than the west," says Dave Ames from Harlequin Property, who is about to develop a 70-acre site above Merricks Cove, due for completion from 2008.

The five-star Merricks Hotel and Spa resort of 500 apartments and cabanas, with onsite sports facilities, a spa and shops, is the only new development on the east coast, and properties currently start at £150,000, about 40 per cent below the usual rate for equivalent properties in the west.

"It's just 15 minutes from the airport and there is a huge demand for rental properties in Barbados, but not enough supply to match it," says Ames. "We're going to set up deals with tour operators and Merricks will offer high-quality properties at an affordable price, both for investors and holidaymakers."

Paul Altman from Altman Estates, one of the island's leading estate agents, says Harlequin is brave to tackle the east coast. "You need a lot of money and a lot of staying power. It is more difficult for developments to succeed there." The big exception is the Crane beachfront estate, which began by offering Barbados's only timeshare units and now sells full-ownership, two-bedroom apartments from £700,000.

The east, Altman adds, is the ideal bolthole for professionals seeking escape from their mobile and laptop. "It's where you go when you live elsewhere on the island and want to get away from it all at the weekend." He warns that home-owners should be prepared for their properties to rust quickly, like ships. "It's very windswept there and the salt air means that properties need a lot of maintenance." But, he adds: "The east is an interesting coast. You pay 20 per cent less for the same product and you avoid the crowds."

For Bajan Services' properties, contact Knight Frank (020-7629 8171; www.knightfrank.com); Harlequin Property (01268 414900; www.harlequin-property.com); Altman Estates (020-7351 2383; www.aaaltman.com)