Hot Tips When Visiting Barbados  
 

BARBADOS BY DAY 

From water sports and golf to shopping and dining, a visit to Barbados can be as active – or as tranquil – as the heart desires. 

Beaches

Because Barbados lies partially on the Atlantic Ocean and partially on the Caribbean Sea, the coastlines of the island are diverse, varying from gentle beaches to rugged cliffs.  The western side of Barbados, where many of the island's hotels are located, boasts some of the most idyllic shores for swimmers and sunbathers, such as Mullins Beach, Church Point, and Paynes Bay.  East Coast beaches, including Bathsheba/Cattlewash, are popular among surfers and experienced windsurfers.  South Coast beaches such as Carlisle Bay, Accra Beach, Sandy Beach, Casuarina Beach and Silver Sands are popular for body surfing (medium waves) while Needham's Point and Dover Beach are among the best for snorkeling and swimming.

Take a drive over to Bathsheba on the East Coast, with miles of untouched beach along the island’s most rugged, hilly and beautiful stretches of coast.  Excellent surfing can be had here.  For a classic beach that’s a favorite of many visitors, visit Crane Beach, with cliffs, dunes, pink sands and beautiful waters.  It was named by “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” as one of the best beaches in the world, however sea bathing is not advisable here due to the strong currents.

Shopping

Broad Street is the main shopping avenue of Bridgetown where visitors enjoy tax-free shopping by presenting a passport and departing air ticket. Stores include: Cave Shepherd, the island's largest department store, as well as  Harrison's, Broad Street's tax-free treasures.

"Madison's Duty-Free Inc., has two locations: West Coast Mall and Sunset Crest. It is a wonderful boutique with everything from linen shorts to cocktail dresses and evening gowns, shoes, handbags, hats, jewelry and other accessories from American and European designers. 

For exquisite handcrafted jewelry and precious gifts designed by master goldsmiths from the Caribbean and abroad, visit Heather Harrington Jones in Holetown, St. James.  A wide selection of top quality gold, platinum and sterling silver pieces are presented in a relaxed setting. 

Don’t come back from a visit without at least one piece of Earthworks Pottery.  Goldie Spieler's vivid blue and green designs reflect a tropical feel, with the collection featuring both decorative and functional pieces.  Visit the studio, nestled in the hillside of St. Thomas, free of charge. 

Natural Wonders - Harrison's Cave

One of Barbados' many unique and famous attractions is Harrison's Cave, a magnificent underground cave system of stalactites, stalagmites, waterfalls, pools and even "cave showers."  Harrison's Cave is located in St. Thomas and offers guided tours.

There are spectacular tropical flowers throughout Barbados, but Andromeda Gardens, the Flower Forest and Orchid World best showcase the island's rich botanical blossoms. These tropical gardens are open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., are perfect for a leisurely stroll and an idyllic setting for a wedding ceremony. Flower Forest: call 246-433-8152; Orchid World: 246-433-0306; and Andromeda Gardens: call 246-433-9384.

Hike up the Arbib Heritage and Nature Trail, an outstanding trail that received Islands Magazine’s 1999 Ecotourism Award, to discover the gullies and environs of Speightstown, Barbados’ second town.  Two guided walks are available – one that takes hikers through town, and the other that visits both town and gullies.  Walks must be pre-booked.  Contact Victor Cooke at 246-234-9010.

Wander through Welchman Hall Gully, a national park that features incredible vegetation and a nature trail, and is also a birdwatcher’s paradise.  Visit early or late to meet the chattering vervet monkeys that abound on the grounds.  Call 246-438-6671.

Take in the view of the East Coast from the top of Cherry Tree Hill.  It's breathtaking.  The best approach is from the west -- go up the hill, stop on the crest, and simply drink in the sight.   For another great view, this time of the Southern half of the island, make your way to the top of the Gun Hill Signal Station.  Sit on the cliffs near Harrismith or Bottom Bay just to appreciate the pure rugged beauty of the Southeast Coast of Barbados.  You won't see another soul for miles around. 

Take an “off-the-beaten” path Island Safari tour, which takes visitors all over Barbados to spots that aren’t on regular tours, in a unique jeep convoy.  Ask for Andrew – he will keep you hanging on to the seats all day.  

Golf

Barbados is renowned for its selection of golf courses. The Barbados Golf Club, opened in September 2000, was the first public championship course on the island. Designed by Ron Kirby, the eighteen-hole course is magnificent, with two lakes and coral waste bunkers enhancing the beauty and personality of the course. The Royal Westmoreland, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., offers 18 holes of championship golf amid some of the island’s finest real estate.  Sandy Lane offers three golf courses (246-432-1145), located in St. James on the Sandy Lane estate: two 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed championship courses- Country Club and The Green Monkey; and a nine-hole links course.  Almond Beach Village and Club Rockley, two of the island’s all-inclusive resorts, offer nine-hole golf courses for visitors.
 

Atlantis Submarines Barbados

During the Atlantis Expedition, this submersible vessel dives 150 feet deep, exploring the wrecks and reefs of the Caribbean.  Atlantis offers day tours  which last approximately 90 minutes, allowing passengers to view spectacular tropical fish, turtles and marine vegetation.  

Water sports

Many hotels offer water sports activities including water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing and parasailing.  The West Coast is ideal for snorkeling and water-skiing, while the South Coast is known as one of the world’s best for windsurfing. 

A must-do is a catamaran cruise on Excellence or Tiami, including a delicious Bajan lunch, and snorkling with the turtles.   One can party with pirates on the Jolly Roger, or go beneath the sea in the Harbor Master’s attached submersible.  Contact Tall Ships at 246-

Since Barbados is a flat coral island, unlike its steep-sided volcanic neighbors, it offers a unique underwater landscape for scuba diving.  The extensive system of fringing reefs, patch reefs and unusual bank reef are unrivaled in the Caribbean.  There are a number of dive operators, plus facilities for equipment service and a decompression chamber and PADI five-star centers offering introductory courses for beginners and daily trips for the experienced.  Divers from around the world come for the island's famous wreck dives (The Stavronikita, Berwyn and the Friars Craig).

Sport fishing enthusiasts will also find their niche on Barbados’ charter boats, such as Blue Jay and Honey Bea III, to cruise in pursuit of marlin, tuna, dolphin and kingfish. 

Sightseeing

There is an abundance of interesting sites in Barbados.  Barbados visitors can explore a rich heritage by touring plantations that date back to the 1600’s, such as Sunbury and St. Nicholas Abbey.  The Barbados Wildlife Reserve is an ideal place to see the famous Barbados green monkey, mongoose, peacock, tortoises, porcupine and iguana.  Another way to explore Barbados is on horseback with a Highland Outdoor Tour of neighboring plantations and farms.  A trip to the Animal Flower Cave is spectacular.  Located at the most northerly point of Barbados, this cave takes its name from the sea anemones found in its pools, which were first named "Animal Flowers."

"Flightseeing" in a helicopter offers a unique perspective of Barbados.  Bajan Helicopters provide two exciting tours.  "Discover Barbados" is a 20-minute tour exploring the central and rugged East Coast and tranquil West Coast beaches; while the 30-minute "Island Tour" involves a full circuit of the coastline.  Private charters can be arranged upon request.

Visit and stay for a while at the Wildey House Headquarters of the Barbados National Trust and talk to Paul Foster about the history of the plantation houses on the island and the refurbishment of Wildey House.  Enjoy one of the Trust’s Open House events, where you can rub shoulders with its members, and tour a house, which could be found on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

You must sit a while and talk to the retired Master Distiller at Foursquare Heritage Park, a working sugar factory on the South-East Coast in St. Phillip, to hear how Falernum, a West Indian syrup was invented, and what makes it so unique. 

Culinary Offerings 

Culinary delights are endless in Barbados.  A sojourn to the island is incomplete without a taste of flying fish, a national dish and island emblem, which can be sampled in almost any Barbadian restaurant.  Other Bajan delicacies include cou-cou (a cornmeal and okra dish), pepperpot (a spicy stew), and jug-jug (a mixture of Guinea corn and green peas).  Barbados also has an abundance of restaurants offering continental cuisine, and fresh seafood is always a favorite.  Whether you are looking for a romantic five-star restaurant, beachfront cafe or Bajan buffet, Barbados has an endless number of dining options to suit every palate and budget.

Check out Oistins Fish Fry on Friday and Saturday nights, where locals and visitors get together to indulge in hot, steaming fish cakes, dolphin (mahi-mahi), tuna and other fresh seafood delights.  Watch the ballroom dancers sway to old classics right there at Lexie’s.

Learn more about rum production at Malibu Visitor Centre via a video presentation and a tour through the distillery and restaurant.  The distillery is located on Brighton Beach and features a beach-side bar. 

Visit Mount Gay Distillery and have Chesterfield Browne, bartender of the year, make you a Bajan Smile.  
 

Enjoy steamed flying fish and cou cou for lunch at the Waterfront Café, and also enjoy live jazz on scheduled evenings.  For reservations.

Check out Sand Dunes Bar & Restaurant for delicious local Bajan cuisine.  The restaurant is located on the Lower East Coast Road in St. Andrew -- ask for Curtis Hall, Manager.  
 

Those looking to party can take advantage of the "all drinks included" nights at Harbour Lights, a leading Barbados nightclub, which offers hot DJs and several dance floors.  Nightlife also abounds in St. Lawrence Gap, the “hip strip” in Barbados, where several clubs sit side by side with a number of restaurants to choose from.

For a taste of the British experience in Barbados, partake in high tea at Fairmont Royal Pavilion.  The sun glistening on the water and the sound of the waves offers a beautiful, romantic setting.  The hotel is located in Porters, St. James.

For a different kind of fun, have one of the huge Margaritas at Happy Hour at Café Sol in St. Lawrence Gap. 

BARBADOS BY NIGHT

After a peaceful or action-packed day in sunny Barbados, there's nothing more inviting than enjoying a fruity island drink while watching a spectacular sunset on the tranquil blue waters.  After sunset, entertainment options abound, whether it’s savoring Bajan cuisine in one of the many fine restaurants, sailing aboard the Jolly Roger or the MVP Harbour Master (party boats), or exploring Baxter Road -- "the street that never sleeps." 

Dinner Shows

An impressive dinner/cabaret show on Wednesday and Friday is the “Bajan Roots & Rhythms,” located at the Plantation Garden Theater in St. Lawrence, Christ Church.

Barbados has many talented theater and dance groups.  Shows are held throughout the year at various venues such as the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theater and the modern Frank Collymore Hall in Bridgetown and The Cane Pit Amphitheater.  For details of current performances, call (246) 431-2094 or (246) 431-2121.

Music and Dancing

Bajan floorshows and exciting nightclubs are filled with the hypnotic rhythms of Caribbean music. Among the most popular clubs are Harbour Lights in Bridgetown, The Ship Inn, The Reggae Lounge, After Dark in Christ Church, and The Boat Yard.  Oistin’s Fish Fry sizzles from 11:00 p.m. until the early morning hours every Thursday through Sunday with music and dancing, and the aroma of fried fish and other sumptuous Bajan delicacies.  Visitors looking for an elegant evening can sway to the tunes of steel band or string quartets under Caribbean skies on Sandy Lane's  Terrace or enjoy the sounds of saxophone and guitar at Cobblers Cove.

Champers in Christ Church and 39 Steps Wine Bar in Hastings each offer ideal settings to sip fine vintages.

The newest nightclub on the West Coast is the elegant Casbah, located in the Baku complex.  The Coach House in St. James lives up to its reputation for being the only West Coast nightspot with live music on Friday nights.  Bubba’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Christ Church is the island’s famed sports bar, transmitting all major sporting events via satellite. Bert’s Bar in Christ Church serves up great steaks, burgers, beer and signature daiquiris.  Sports, news and music are televised via satellite.

After Hours Bites

Fast food lovers will enjoy Chefette, Barbados’ beloved answer to the famed Golden Arches, open non-stop every weekend from 10:00 am on Friday to midday Sunday.