30 Amazing Pictures that Will Make You Want to Visit Barbados

Being able to visit Barbados always feels like a personal treat. This is probably because Barbados (La Barbade in French) is one of the most common Caribbean destinations for tourists all around the world. Regionally known as “The Isle of the Sun”, Barbados offers amazing natural landscapes, tasty culinary delicacies and most importantly, stunning white sand beaches. The beaches are so white because the island does not have any volcanic activity (unlike Dominica, the nature isle of the Caribbean which offers a gorgeous contrast with its black sand beaches). When I visit Barbados, I am either on a short business trip (2-3 days) or in transit to another destination, and interestingly, I never run of things to do. So if you haven’t been there yet, I hope these 30 gorgeous pictures would make you want to add visit Barbados and add it to your travel-bucket list!

Table of Contents

The Best Time to Visit Barbados

Just like most Caribbean islands, Barbados has a packed and fun-filled social calendar all year round. Regardless of when you decide to visit Barbados, you will never run out of things to do! Common tourist attractions (listed below) are open all-year round (except otherwise specified or when undergoing renovations). The weather is delightful during all seasons, so a trip to the beach is always welcome (and gosh, the beaches are gorgeous!)

Carnival time in Barbados (called Cropover) starts in July and ends in August. It is a unique time to actually visit Barbados, because you get to see the entire country come alive with culture, music, food, but most importantly, peace and unity. Every Caribbean island celebrates Carnival differently. However, regardless of where you choose to experience this, there are things to do to ensure that you stay safe and have the best Carnival experience.

The Best Things to do in Barbados

The island of the sun is acclaimed for its jaw-dropping white sand beaches. However, the island offers a lot more activities that are not related to the beach. Sightseeing adventures in Barbados revolve around natural wonders such as parks and gardens, historical sites, national museums and popular island hubs and hang-out spots. So when you’re done tanning on Pebble’s beach, enjoying a picnic on Sandy Lane beach or building sandcastles on Bathsheba beach, here are a few other fun activities you can plan next time you visit Barbados:

Visit Harrison’s cave and discover the island’s greatest wonder;
Learn how to make rum (and how to taste it!) at the Mount Gay Distillery;
Rekindle with nature at the Hunte’s Gardens or the Andromeda Gardens;
Discover how Barbados fits in the Caribbean history at the National History Museum;
Appreciate the island’s cultural and religious diversity at the Jewish Synagogue;
Find out about Sugar plantations in the Caribbean at St Nicholas Abbey;
Go for drinks at St Lawrence Gap;
Taste the best local fish (in all shapes and forms!) during Oistin Fish Fry!

Only have a few days on the island of the sun? Check out my 48-hours itinerary to visit Barbados! And if you have more than 24, 48 or 72 hours, check out more ideas of things to do in Barbados!

Getting around on the island when you visit Barbados

Barbados is a lot more expensive than other Caribbean islands I have visited. The standard exchange rate with the USD is as follow: 1 USD = 2 BBD. Eating outside, shopping and sightseeing can be pricey. Moreover, a lot of tourist attractions are decentralized. Certainly, I found that downtown Bridgetown (and the surroundings) has a lot to offer in terms of things to do and places to see. As a result, when I first traveled to Barbados, I could easily walk (10-20 mins walk) to most of the tourist sites I wanted to see.

However, if you want to get more of what Barbados has to offer, you would need to get out of town. This means that you need to either drive out of town (rent a car), or get a taxi to get you there. Cab prices vary according to where you are going. This is something you can figure out on site.

Taking the local bus could also be an option. For this to work, you need to know how the bus system works (which is not conspicuous) or be with a local who knows his way around. But then again, this too comes with limitations, as all buses do not go to all tourist attractions.