With its five-star villas, white beaches and temperatures higher even than the balmy Caribbean average, Barbados is a byword for the dream holiday. Barbados might have more than 70 miles of stunning shoreline, but there is so much more to this island than sea and sand (though that’s not a bad place to start). Browse the Lime grove boutiques, play golf on some of the finest championship courses in the Caribbean, see the island from a different angle on a jeep safari, wander the beautiful Flower Forest, or swim with turtles with Jammin’ Catamaran Cruises.
1. Bridgetown
The capital of Barbados is a charming mix of old and new, a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site with a modern twist of seafaring leisure. Grab a cooling snow cone and wander the streets, browsing the stalls and seeking out somewhere good for dinner. For serious retail therapy, head for Broad Street and Swan Street, or follow a walking tour and hear the stories of its grand buildings.
2. Tropical spa experience
When every day is warm and sunny, relaxation hardly seems like hard work, but when you want to take things down to an even slower pace, why not luxuriate at one of the island’s stunning spas? Many of the premium hotels have their own spas, set in exotic tropical gardens and offering a range of chill-out and invigorating therapies – with hydro pools, steam rooms and natural treatments using locally sourced, organic balms.
3. Oistins Fish Fry
November’s Food and Rum festival is just one of the highlights in a busy calendar of carnivals and celebrations, but Barbados offers foodie pleasures every day of the week. Take the Friday night Oistins Fish Fry, for example. Set up along the front, overlooking the sea, you can choose from tuna, swordfish, marlin, flying fish, lobster and chicken, cooked to order while you wait. With live music, craft stalls and local guys playing dominoes, it’s an alfresco dining experience like nowhere else.
4. Mount Gay
Caribbean rum is celebrated the world over, and each distillery offers its own distinctive elixir. There are several distilleries open to visitors, but one of the loveliest has to be Mount Gay – home to the oldest rum makers. Established in 1703, Mount Gay’s lush setting makes the tour even more inviting, and the range of visitor options includes a Superior Rum Tasting Tour, a rum and food pairing tour and the Bajan Buffet Lunch Tour (including the Bottomless Rum Punch Station).
5. Harrison’s Cave
On a tour around the island’s coastline, you can venture into the magical ‘cathedral’ of crystallized limestone known as Harrison’s Cave. Towering columns rise up from the streams, waterfalls and pools of clear water in this magical landscape, viewed from on board a tram, or on foot on a walking on hiking tour.