Barbados

Things to see & do in Barbados: 

Attractions: Harrison’s Cave in St Thomas Parish is a spectacular underground cave system with some incredible rock formations and caverns to explore on the tour tram ride. St Nicholas Abbey in St Peter is a fascinating Jacobean plantation house with a rum distillery where you can sample and purchase the wares.  For something a little different, Welchman Hall Gully is a tropical forest filled with baobab trees, palms, sandalwood and bamboo, which you can explore along an easily accessible path.  Just a couple of minutes walk from the check-in desks at the airport.  The Barbados Concorde Experience offers the opportunity to view the spectacular Concorde G-BOAE including its interior.  The island’s capital Bridgetown is definitely worth a visit, with its historic buildings and great shopping – particularly in Broad Street.

Events/festivals: Cavalcade takes place in May and June and is a festival of Calypso that moves around the island.  In November, Barbados hosts the annual Food, Wine and Rum Festival which celebrates Bajan cuisine with top international chefs cooking up local delicacies and entertainment which goes on into the early hours.

Sports:  All types of water sports are popular on the island – with some great diving, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing opportunities.  Golf lovers won’t be disappointed.  The island has some great courses, including the famous Sandy Lane courses.

Nightlife: The South coast of Barbados offers the liveliest nightlife, with rum bars, restaurants, nightclubs a-plenty particularly along the 1.3km stretch known as St Lawrence Gap.  The West Coast offers a more upscale night scene with quieter and more exclusive bars and restaurants.

Eating/Drinking: Bajan cuisine blends African, Indian and British influences and uses fresh local fish and seafood with the national dish being ‘CouCou’ (cornmeal and okra) and ‘flying fish’ – fried fish with lime and tartar sauce.  The Barbadians are very proud of their rum – which can be sampled in many ways, the most popular being the rum punch.

Shopping: You can shop duty-free on the island, so you are sure to pick up a bargain. The island is also full of markets and galleries where you can pick up locally handmade goods.

When to go:

Barbados enjoys a good, warm, sunny temperature all year round.  The wettest month is July, which can see up to 18 days of rain – however, the rain is usually quickly followed by bright blue skies.