The identify Barbados routinely conjures up tantalizing photos of white sand seashores, crystal clear water, palm bushes and rum punches. Whereas the island has all of these superb issues, it additionally has far more to supply!
In your journey to Barbados, attempt to peel your self away from the idyllic seashores to discover among the island’s lesser-known areas and likewise benefit from the nation because the native Bajans do.
15 Distinctive Issues to Do in Barbados
After dwelling on the island for two months, and returning to journey there for per week, I do know the place nicely. We truly discovered many distinctive issues to do in Barbados throughout our keep and I’m right here to share one of the best Barbados excursions with you.
Listed here are 10 belongings you received’t need to miss in your journey to Barbados.
1. Hit Up a Barbecue
Bajans love their grills and the smokey aroma of grilled meats and spicy sauces may be smelled wafting everywhere in the island, particularly on weekends. Simply observe your nostril to one of many many roadside or beachside barbecues and style among the nation’s finest meals.
This is among the issues to do in Barbados that you simply received’t seemingly discover on different lists, however it’s one of the best ways to satisfy locals and revel in some conventional barbecued meats. After we have been in Barbados, we at all times hit up the roadside locations, and the meals was at all times scrumptious.
A few barbecues to strive embody the Sunday Lunch at Crystal Waters, the place you may be a part of the older crowd and revel in dwell music and a wholesome portion of barbecued lamb, hen or fish with a number of sides.
Additionally, should you don’t thoughts travelling slightly means to your meal, head to St. George and simply up the hill from the Cheffette Restaurant, you’ll discover Stomach Full Barbecue, arguably probably the most pleasant and flavourful meals stand on the island. We ate right here quite a few occasions and liked it.
Facet of the highway BBQs are one of many prime locations to go to in Barbados — don’t miss out!
2. Eat a Flying Fish Cutter
You actually haven’t been to Barbados till you’ve eaten the well-known Flying Fish Cutter. Whereas this tasty sandwich may be discovered with swordfish, marlin and mahi-mahi, the unique (and presumably one of the best) is with flying fish.
The sandwich is made with a freshly baked salt roll. This scrumptious bread will not be salty in any respect and it’s sometimes crunchy on the surface, and comfortable and fluffy on the within. The roll is minimize in half and crammed with scrumptious grilled fish, lettuce, tomatoes and your alternative of sauce (don’t cross on the spicy Bajan Pepper Sauce).
My favorite Flying Fish Cutter may be discovered at Cuz’s Fish Shack proper off of the car parking zone on the beautiful Carlisle Bay Seaside close to Bridgetown. If you happen to’re a fish fan, consuming a cutter is one thing you don’t need to miss in your journey to Barbados.
3. Go On a Rum Tour
I believe I’ve listed sufficient consuming in Barbados up to now! Now it’s time to speak about drinks. The island as soon as earned a lot of its fortune from scrumptious rums, and you’ll be a part of a rum tour to see how this cane sugar liquor is made.
Mount Homosexual Rum is the nation’s pleasure and pleasure and the Mount Homosexual Distillery places on wonderful rum excursions the place you may be taught concerning the historical past of rum manufacturing in Barbados whereas making an attempt just a few samples alongside the way in which.
The Signature Tour provides a tasting of three rums and a historical past lesson for $25, they usually additionally supply many different excursions and workshops. Verify their web site for particulars.
If you happen to’d like a wider sampling of rum than simply Mount Homosexual, then take a look at this Barbados Rum Distillery Tour. It takes place on the Foursquare Rum Distillery, positioned on a former sugar plantation that dates again to 1720. The tour ends on the Mount Homosexual customer middle. Click on right here for extra particulars.
4. Go to Harrison’s Cave (one of many prime locations to go to in Barbados)
Harrison’s Cave is really one of many pure wonders of Barbados. Situated within the central uplands, the inside of this cave boasts breathtaking, crystallized limestone that drips water into impossibly clear swimming pools.
The cave is way away from a lot of the vacationer lodges, however there are numerous excursions that may take you to the cave, or you may hire a automobile and head there by yourself.
A visit to Harrison’s Cave is among the prime Barbados excursions, and for good motive. Click on right here to study a enjoyable tour to the cave, which additionally makes a cease at Hunte’s Gardens.
If you happen to’re on a funds, think about taking the native bus for simply B$1.50. The bus system in Barbados is absolutely environment friendly, with buses leaving Bridgetown each half-hour. You possibly can take the Route 4, Shorey Village bus or the Route 4, Chalky Mount bus which runs at 8:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. The journey is about 1 hour.
5. Discover St. Nicholas Abbey
At St. Nicholas Abbey you may be taught a bit about Barbados’s 350+ years of historical past at a splendidly preserved plantation house. Any such architectural heritage is an excellent means for guests to know what Barbados regarded like just a few centuries in the past.
The outdated plantation house is about on a wonderful property of tranquil gardens, gullies and orchards with the adjoining Cherry Tree Hill. The house itself has some beautiful vintage furnishings and decorations.
It’s also possible to go to the boiling home and rum distillery, which continues to be working day by day to supply the well-known St. Nicholas Abbey Rum.
A enjoyable solution to go to St. Nicholas Abbey is to affix a tour that takes you there and to different Barbados points of interest. On this 5-Hour Island Tour, you’ll additionally discover the northern tip of the island and Speightstown, the second-oldest city on the island. It contains lunch and drinks. Click on right here for more information.
6. Calm down on Carlisle Bay Seaside
Up subsequent is Carlisle Seaside. I needed to put one seaside on the record of issues to do in Barbados!
There are many blissfully excellent seashores on the island of Barbados, however my private favorite is the powder stretch of white sand at Carlisle Bay — this is among the finest seashores within the Caribbean.
The water right here is at all times calm, and there are just a few locations on the seaside (and close by) the place you may decide up snacks and low cost beer. Cuz’s is a good place to strive cutters and the Boatyard Seaside Membership serves up tasty meals as nicely.
*Insider tip: should you’re staying on the island, moderately than simply visiting for the day, you should purchase a day cross ($35) to the Seaside Membership which incorporates $22.50 in restaurant credit score, and use of their facilities — SUP, kayaks, seaside chairs and umbrellas, volleyball, snorkelling and WiFi.
If you happen to stick round Carlisle Seaside lengthy sufficient, you may get pleasure from sundown from right here as nicely. Take a look at our full evaluate of Carlisle Bay Seaside on Virgin Holidays’ Trending Journey Information.
7. Stroll the Boardwalk
The boardwalk stretches for 1.6 km between Camelot and Accra seaside. This stunning wood walkway wanders alongside the ocean and previous many bars and eating places. It’s nicely lit in some components, however there are stretches of darkish areas at evening and it’s not advisable to stroll late within the night.
Nevertheless, in the course of the day this makes for the proper place for a stroll alongside the water.
I like to recommend beginning in Camelot within the late afternoon and arriving at Accra Seaside for sundown. That is additionally a unbelievable place to go swimming and you’ll both convey your individual drinks and sit on the sand, or head into Tiki Bar (for $15 you get use of their umbrellas and chairs, and that $15 goes in direction of bar credit score). Click on right here for instructions to the boardwalk.
8. Verify Out Fish Fry Fridays
Oistins Fish Fry Friday is an absolute should when visiting Barbados. This weekly social gathering and fish pageant is held on a serene seaside on Barbados’ southwest coast and it’s the proper place to satisfy new pals, each overseas and native.
You received’t discover a higher plate of fish anyplace on the island. The meals is scrumptious, the environment is nice, and there’s a lot of dancing and music. Everyone appears to be in a great temper — it is Friday in any case! Going to the Oistins Fish Fry is among the finest issues to do in Barbados at evening.
To get to Oistins, you must take an Oistins, Airport, Silver Sands, Sam Lords Fort, Fairy Valley or St. Christopher bus, relying on the place you’re staying. Both means, the fee is $2 BBD per particular person per experience.
9. Caribbean Crop Over
The Crop Over Summer time Pageant takes place on the finish of every sugarcane season. It’s the island’s hottest and vibrant get collectively and its origins may be traced all the way in which again to the 1700s when Barbados was the world’s largest sugar producer.
When the sugar trade on the island declined within the Forties, this well-known pageant adopted swimsuit, however fortunately it was revived together with different parts of Barbadian tradition in 1974. Right this moment it’s a culture-infused extravaganza that pulls a whole lot of social gathering lovers from all over the world.
The pageant occurs yearly from Could to August, with the biggest celebrations taking place on the finish with carnival celebrations. If you happen to plan your journey to Barbados at the moment, you might not solely get to social gathering like loopy, however you might share the streets with world-famous Bajan pop & hip hop star Rihanna!
10. BH3 Barbados
You probably have learn our articles about Hashing in Grenada, you’ll know that we love these worldwide social mountain climbing teams. BH3 Barbados is owned and run by Hash Home Harriers and it’s one other nice solution to meet native folks, get some train and revel in some native rum shack tradition on both finish of the stroll!
Click on right here to search out out about upcoming hikes and runs in several areas across the island. Going hashing is certainly one of many extra adventurous issues you are able to do in Barbados.
11. Go Kayaking
Going kayaking is among the most enjoyable Barbados excursions, and there’s heaps to see when you’re out on the water.
On this tour from Carlisle Bay, you’ll paddle over three shipwrecks, getting excellent views by way of crystal-clear water. Your information will let you know the historical past of the wrecks, and the tour ends with a complimentary rum punch. Click on right here for extra data.
If you happen to’re extra into pure magnificence, then take a look at this Sundown Turtle Recognizing Clear Kayak Tour, additionally from Carlisle Bay. Because the solar goes down, you’ll paddle out to Reeds Bay whereas recognizing an abundance of sea turtles and different marine life by way of your see-through kayak. Click on right here to be taught extra about this journey.
12. Sail in a Catamaran
Crusing is among the most iconic actions in Barbados. The historical past of the Caribbean is carefully linked to the historical past of the sailboat, and Barbados is a good place to affix in on this basic journey.
And the way may you make it much more enjoyable? How about together with limitless drinks? There are a number of excursions to select from that take you on a cruise in a catamaran, a two-hulled sailboat.
Moreover your limitless drinks, this tour contains lunch and stops for snorkeling with turtles and over shipwrecks. Click on right here to be taught extra.
If you happen to’d like one thing slightly extra romantic, this tour takes locations at sundown. You possibly can swim with sea turtles and revel in an open bar.
13. Journey in a Submarine
One of many extra uncommon actions in Barbados is to take a experience in a submarine. If by now you’ve had sufficient pleasure on the water, why not strive getting beneath it?
After a scenic boat experience, this submarine tour spends 40 minutes underwater and goes to depths of 120-150 toes. You’ll see coral reefs and a shocking quantity of marine life. Click on right here to search out out extra about this once-in-a-lifetime expertise.
14. Immerse Your self in Nature
As a tropical island, Barbados has a number of lush botanical gardens and wildlife reserves which might be nicely price exploring.
Flower Forest Botanical Gardens has 53 acres, and flowers bloom there yr spherical. It’s filled with walkways and paths, and it’s a bird-watcher’s dream.
Another choice is the Andromeda Botanic Gardens, which has 8 acres of cultivated gardens with many distinctive species.
If you happen to’d prefer to see the native Barbados inexperienced monkeys, then the Barbados Wildlife Reserve is the place for you. Different animals to identify are deer, agouti, caiman, and all kinds of birds.
In an effort to go to a number of of those locations in at some point, take a look at this 4-Hour Non-public Custom-made Island Tour. You possibly can select from the above locations and lots of the different fantastic locations to see in Barbados. Click on right here to be taught extra.
15. Wander Round Bridgetown
The capital and largest metropolis, Bridgetown is among the finest locations to go to in Barbados to get an thought of the island’s fashionable tradition and colonial historical past.
Locations of curiosity within the colourful city embody the stately Parliament buildings, a number of outdated church buildings, and (after all) bridges.
You’ll see these and plenty of extra on this highly-rated strolling tour. It lasts two hours and features a information in addition to audio gear. There’s little doubt that the historic sights of the capital are among the most attention-grabbing issues to see in Barbados, and also you’ll take a look at lots of them on this tour.
FAQs About Actions and Sights in Barbados
Nonetheless questioning what to do in Barbados? Take a look at the next FAQs.
Among the most well-known locations to see in Barbados are its seashores, particularly Carlisle Seaside. And naturally, Barbados is well-known the world over for its rum.
Moreover its seashores, well-known locations to go to in Barbados embody St. Nicholas Abbey, Harrison’s Cave, the Mount Homosexual Distillery, and the boardwalk. Some well-known Barbados excursions are to discover the encircling sea by sailboat, kayak, and even submarine.
Sure, it’s. Bridgetown is among the finest locations to see in Barbados due to its stunning seaside views, colonial structure, and engaging historical past.
Cou cou (corn meal and okra, just like grits) served with fried flying fish is the nationwide dish of Barbados. One other solution to get pleasure from flying fish is in a Flying Fish Cutter sandwich.
Head to Carlisle Bay for among the finest seashores in Barbados with the clearest water. My favourite is Carlisle Seaside, top-of-the-line locations in Barbados to loosen up within the sand.
Now You Know What to Do in Barbados
This 430 km² island has dozens of seashores and mile after mile of pristine shoreline, however there’s extra to Barbados than solar loungers and seaside bars. When you get away from the sand, you’ll begin to perceive the island slightly higher and also you’ll have a possibility to satisfy extra of the nation’s pretty folks and discover its numerous landscapes.
With quite a few excursions in Barbados, unbelievable delicacies, and simple transportation choices, a visit to Barbados ought to positively be in your record!
Have you ever ever been to Barbados? What have been your favorite issues to see and do? Please share with us within the feedback under so we might help different travellers to raised get pleasure from this stunning Caribbean island. For extra about Barbados, take a look at VisitBarbados.org.
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