Imagine the stillness of an early morning at Canvas and Cave in Barbados.

You can hear the faint rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the beach down below the ridge.  A lone rooster crows and then another further away answers back.  The bed feels warm and cozy, but curiosity pulls at you. You get up, still impressed by the level of elegance and intuitiveness put into the design of the chattel house unit you are staying in. No need to use the air conditioning during the night, as the open screen windows let in a cool breeze.

A thick bathrobe hangs just inside the closet and the polished floors are smooth and cool beneath your feet. You brew a cup of coffee, hoping not to wake your partner, and take it outside.

The deck is damp with dew, but you pull your feet up beside you in a large comfortable chair. A few stars are still in the sky, and you can hear a few of the whistling frogs from the night before still calling to each other.  There is a faint sweet smell of smoke from burning palm fronds somewhere down below. The sky brightens, and the ocean changes from dark grey to steel blue. You remember the aqua blue colour it had the previous afternoon.

The sun finally breaks the horizon and a bird sings from a tree above. You listen and wait with him, he calls out again, sharing your anticipation for the day ahead. His call is answered from the gully below, and as the sun touches the treetops the birds seem to wake up together, their calls turning to chatter that fills the early morning stillness. You can hear your partner getting up, and the smell of fresh bread floats in from the plantation house like a beacon calling you to breakfast.

You decide to find out what activities Canvas and Cave is offering, the wifi works well and you log on to the handy app – where a calendar shows all the days  activities. You have trouble choosing between, the painting classes at 10am, or the gully hike. Later in the afternoon there is a famous author who will give a book reading, or you might take the lesson in cooking with a master chef.  There is a pilates work-out at 9:00am you just might make. The beach shuttle (electric of course) runs every 10 minutes and you might want to go for a swim in the ocean later in the afternoon, but you’ll want to be back for the cocktail  reception at the sunset bar as you’ll be able to meet that famous author if you miss the book reading. Later in the evening there is movie night for the kids down in the eco-lodge, and a “poker battle” on the plantation terrace. And then you notice that you can sign up to help release turtle hatchlings the next morning, or help-out at the organic farm on the property. So many options, but perhaps you’ll just take a morning swim, have breakfast and then spend the day in the hammock reading a book.

You like that proceeds from your stay are going to help give the local community lessons in the arts – writing, dance, music and film – and here you feel close to nature and part of this beautiful island of Barbados.

Canvas and Cave Plantation

Hear the stillness ~ Touch the moments.