Barbados is one of my favorite destinations in the Caribbean. Apart from Dominica where I have lived for 10+ formative years of my adult life, Barbados has been the island that I have visited the most: as a student, a young professional, a digital nomad, a remote worker and a doctor (physician). These are multiple layers to unfold, multiple experiences to unpack, and interestingly: multiple perspectives as I have been a different traveler at each stage: a budget traveler, mid-range and luxury “lounger”. 

This Barbados travel guide is a compilation of my 10+ years of traveling to Barbados, my research on the island, and my knowledge of the Caribbean. I hope that it becomes your next best ally in planning your upcoming Barbados travel: trust me, I am on your side: you are hearing from someone who has been there over and over again!

What is Barbados known for?

Also known as the “island of the sun”, Barbados is known for its majestic white sand beaches, luxury hotels and resorts, entertaining nightlife, culinary experiences and unique sightseeing options. I love to say this: Barbados has some of the best white sand beaches I have seen in the Caribbean, and regardless of the beach you pick: you win. Additionally, like all other Caribbean islands, Barbados overflows with culture and history. For any Caribbean island you visit, I highly recommend diving deeper into the history through guided tours, pre-travel research and conversations with locals. You love a place more when you know it more. 

Best time to travel to Barbados

Many articles you will read before planning your Barbados travel focus on the weather when making suggestions on the “best time to travel to Barbados”. However, having worn many travelers hats, I like to have a different approach: the best time to visit Barbados depends on YOU.

Let me explain:  

• If you love nature unconditionally and only want to experience the island, you can visit barbados at any time: whenever you are in transit, whenever you get the time off, when the tickets are more affordable for your budget, or whenever it is most convenient to you.
• However, if you prefer cultural experiences and activities, then I highly recommend visiting Barbados (or any other island) during festive times.

And I don’t mean Christmas and New Year: in the Caribbean region, festive times refer to: Caribbean Carnivals, culinary festivals, music festivals, sports or sailing festivals, etc. This is very important to know because unlike countries in Africa, Europe, North and Latin America or Australia, all Caribbean islands don’t always have “something” happening (meaning, you won’t just pop in all areas and expect bars, night clubs, pubs, always open, 24/7.) 

Some islands like Barbados, St Maarten, St Vincent and the Grenadines and a few others do, but I wanted to use this as a contrast to show you how different the culture and approach to tourism might be, depending on where you are coming from.

Now… circling back to Barbados: in addition to the annual Barbados Carnival (also known as CropOver), these are the top Barbados festivals that happen every year. You can use this list to guide your Barbados travel. 

Where to stay in Barbados

For your Barbados travel, you can choose where you want to stay based on two factors:

• The property you want to experience, or 
• The region you want to visit. 

Like many islands, Barbados is divided into parishes, and the best things to do in Barbados are also split across different parishes (regions). So, if you stay in Bridgetown, Barbados (located in the St Michael’s Parish region), and you really want to explore  Harrison’s Cave (which is in the St Thomas Parish region), there is going to be some traveling involved. Fortunately, the travel distances are not too long (usually between 30 mins to an hour depending on how far you are going), but I just wanted to put this into perspective.

Most visitors who travel to Barbados stay at properties (hotels or Airbnbs) with a beach front: the morning and evening sea views are simply mesmerizing. 

You can also opt for a very popular tourist region such as St Lawrence Gap (Christchurch Parish), Bridgetown (St Michael’s Parish) or Holetown (St James Parish) as they give you easier access to popular tourist attractions and views that are closer to the city.

Check out my hotel stay + beach experience in St Lawrence Gap, in only 24 hours!

• If you are visiting Holetown, I stayed at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion Barbados, and had an amazing experience.
•  If you are spending more time in Christchurch (where the St Lawrence Gap is), I stayed at the South Beach Hotel, Barbados and had a very budget-friendly, amazing experience. 

Check out my hotel stay + beach experience in Christchurch during a layover in Barbados!

You can also see what these hotels look like in my Caribbean Travel Vlog (Video) Experiences. 

Things to do in Barbados: Bucket list experiences in Barbados

This section is meant to guide you as to what experience you can choose to prioritize for your Barbados travel as you are making your travel plans. Whether you are an adventure traveler, nature lover, culinary curious or hopeless romantic, I created an amazing list of ultimate bucket list Barbados travel experiences that you can pick from when planning your travels. 

Short Barbados Travel Itineraries

What if you only have 24 hours to spend in Barbados? What should you do? No worry, I’ve got you. As a self-proclaimed professional layover traveler, I have had more Barbados layovers than I bargained for (ranging from 48 hours, 24 hours or less).

So, depending on the amount of time you have to visit Barbados, you can pick your activities from the following Barbados travel itinerary:

• 24 hours in Bridgetown, Barbados
• 24 Hours in Holetown, Barbados

I hope you found this Barbados travel guide (and the resources + links included useful), and I can’t wait for you to experience Barbados your own way, in the future, very soon!

Happy Travels.

Adventurously,

Clem