Live the dream at Royal Westmoreland, Barbados

If you are dreaming of your very own tropical island getaway, then Barbados, with its fantastic year-round climate, spectacular beaches and wonderful golf courses, might be just what you’re looking for…

Barbados is all you expect a Caribbean island to be: warm, friendly people, sunshine, palm trees and a tranquil coastline with a myriad of fine, coral-grain beaches and crystal, azure waters. But if you explore a little further, you’ll also be delighted by the rolling, lush hills, flourishing botanical gardens, colonial plantation homes and varied cultural calendar in which jazz festivals and carnivals sit alongside sailing and cricket tournaments. It also boasts some fantastic golf courses, with Royal Westmoreland being one of the best, and if you’re looking to invest in your very own piece of a golfer’s paradise, then why look any further?

AWARD WINNING. The Royal Apartments are a collection of 36 luxury residences designed in a colonial architectural style that features spacious balconies from which to enjoy sunset views and alfresco dining.    Ranging in size from 830 sq ft for the one-bedroom to 2000 sq ft for the three-bedroom, the open-plan apartments are designed for easy, comfortable living. Finishes are of the highest standard, with natural stone floors, coral rendering and pickled pine ceilings.    The kitchens feature Italian cabinetry, granite work tops and stainless steel GE appliances and the luxurious Kohler bathrooms have travertine tiling. Air conditioning is, of course, fitted throughout. Close to the apartments is a large communal swimming pool, children’s pool and pool bar.     If you’re looking for something a bit more private, then the last available Royal Villa offers a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, with a balcony on the upper floor to benefit from the cooling breezes and lovely views. Three en-suite bedrooms and a powder room are located on the lower level. Features include high-vaulted, pickled pine ceilings with fans, shell stone floors and coral stone finishes on the interior walls.    The Royal Villas share a 60 ft communal infinity pool and separate children’s pool. Beautifully landscaped gardens and peaceful ornamental lakes surround the property, ensuring peace and privacy in equal measure. You can also get a villa built on numerous fairway lots on the estate, such as Jasmine Ridge, with prices starting at £637,000 ($1 million).

FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP. If your budget is a smidgen smaller, but you still want to live the life of luxury you know you deserve, then fractional ownership might be the way to go. Because of the well-received launch of their scheme earlier this year, Royal Westmoreland has extended the programme to offer the five peak-season months (January, February, March, April and August) in two-week blocks of time. Previously, these were only available in four-week blocks of time. This means the fractional scheme offers a lot of flexibility when choosing a time period.    Two weeks' ownership out of season starts from £36,300 and two weeks in peak season starts from £117,000. You can choose from five beautiful, four-bedroom, detached, luxury villas, each with a large, private swimming pool and garden located just behind the 17th tee. Daily housekeeping, social club membership with preferred golf access, storage for your personal effects and rental golf buggies complete this exclusive option.    Each residence is held freehold, deeded to a third party trust in the Isle of Man. Your share in ownership is fully transferable, sellable and willable as part of your estate through the transfer of the beneficial interest in the Trust. The ownership is sold for the time period chosen, meaning you literally own a share of the villa outright.

COCKTAILS ON THE BEACH. As well as access to the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed championship golf course, owners enjoy all of the estate’s extensive leisure facilities, which include three 25-metre leisure pools, a children’s pool, a fully-equipped gym, the Clubhouse restaurant and Bajan Rum Shack, floodlit garden tennis courts, the island’s only Elemis-endorsed spa and Mullins Private Beach Club on Mullins Bay -- a magnificent stretch of secluded coast just a few minutes’ drive away from the estate.    While relaxing on the beach, owners at Royal Westmoreland can enjoy the exclusive use of the Bell Captain service and, from the comfort of their sun beds, order cocktails and light snacks.    When you get tired of working on your tan or working up a sweat on the golf course, there are so many other things to see and do in Barbados, you’ll never have time to be bored (as if…). You could do a bit of sailing, snorkelling or perhaps try your hand at surfing? If you are hungry and it happens to be Friday, then head to Oistins fish fry market, an informal celebration of all things from the sea. Here, dishes are cooked on the spot, whether you fancy swordfish, flying fish or lobster.    Another must is Harrison’s Cave, a breathtakingly beautiful, crystallized limestone cavern where you can explore flowing streams, deep pools of crystal-clear water, towering columns and speleothems. And if you like rum, then head to St Nicholas Abbey, a fully restored, 17th-century sugar plantation house with an exceptional rum distillery. Here, some of the Caribbean’s best rums are produced and you can enjoy sampling the different blends whilst learning a thing or two about the distillation process.    If this sounds like the kind of life you would like to live, whether it is for two weeks, or all year round, then why not go and let yourself be charmed by this captivatingly beautiful island?