The Best Barbados Vacation Guide: What To Do in Barbados

Every year I seek things to do in warm destinations to help escape colder months and prioritize self-care. I am excited to now add a Barbados vacation to my list of recommended Caribbean getaways for a relaxing, yet memorable island retreat! Read on to for my recs on what to do in Barbados.

If you’ve considered visiting the island and are wondering what to do in Barbados (other than Crop Over and visit Rihanna’s old home, of course) this mindful vacay guide has your back.

It maps out some of the best things to do in Barbados, including my favorite outdoor adventures, Bajan food, and cultural activities on the island.

These Barbados excursions, food spots, and travel tips are not just O. Christine approved… they’re local-approved things to do in Barbados too! As always, I find nature, adventure, and cultural experiences are a mindful way to connect with a new destination — so, many of these recommendations will reflect that.

Barbados Excursions: Cultural & Outdoor Things To Do

1. PEG Farm & Nature Reserve

This was my absolute favorite place to visit on the island and I highly recommend stopping by! Project Eco Green focuses on holistic farming principles, native medicinal plants, the environment, and sustainability.

We explored the farmland (saw chickens and pigs), swung on bearded trees, checked out their campsites, and dined at their free-range farm-to-table restaurant (I ordered pork chops). I was totally in my outdoor happy place visiting PEG.

2. Harrison’s Cave

If you are cave, cavern, and cenote obsessed like I am, visiting Harrison’s Cave in Barbados is a no-brainer. It is a family-friendly adventure that takes you on a ride via open trolley to traverse the loops and turns of this crystalized limestone cavern.

There are more challenging tours you can take too (like crawling through!) but this one is great for the low-impact vacationer, with little difficulty.

3. Barbados Beaches

According to Visit Barbados, there are over 80 beaches on the island. The best part about visiting Barbados beaches is they are all free to the public.

If you’ve been to other Caribbean islands, you’ll know that it is common for hotels to take over and privatize beaches, so having free beach access was blissful.

Other beach activities to try in Barbados:

• Snorkeling
• Submarine tour
• Surfing

4. Tunnels at the Garrison Historic Area 

On the first day of my Barbados vacation, we visited the Garrison Historic Area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While I am personally not as interested in colonial history (and thus certain attractions), I did find the man-made tunnels at the Garrison Historic Area to be fascinating. They were only just re-discovered in 2011.

These 200-year-old tunnels were created to help drain water from the Garrison Savanna to combat malaria and yellow fever.

While walking through one of the tunnels, I immediately thought of the Peru slave tunnels I toured years ago; could these tunnels have transported slaves too? In Peru, they were used to import and hide slaves, to avoid property taxation.

Our guide did not have knowledge of slave transport but did confirm soldiers likely used these tunnels as secret escape routes.

5. Needham’s Point

Also in the Garrison Historic Area is Needham’s Point (Carlisle Bay). It offers a gorgeous vista on the west coast, beach proximity, a lighthouse, and a public space for evening activities.

Here you can see iron cannons from the 17th century up close. There weren’t any scheduled activities going on when we stopped by, but one could spot bistro lights floating above the courtyard.

Other Barbados Excursions:

• Bridgetown beach boardwalk
• Bathsheba and Andromeda Botanic Gardens
• Crop over (over a span of 12 weeks during the summer, ending in August)
• St. Lawrence Gap nightlife
• Hunte’s Gardens

1. Fish Cutter at Cuzz’s Fish Stand

What is a Barbadian fish cutter? “Cutter” basically means sandwich, except it is made with salt bread. Anything sandwiched in salt bread is a cutter.

Find this one-man kiosk and his delicious fish cutters in the parking lot of Pebbles Beach, around Needham’s Point. Cash Only.

2. Flying Fish & Cou cou

If possible, I highly recommend taking a cooking class while on your Barbados vacation. It is such a great thing to do in Barbados for cultural immersion.

Our class at the Courtyard Marriott Bridgetown with Chef Maylene Willoughby allowed me to not only try the national dish: cou cou, it also helped me learn how to cook cou cou (served with Flying Fish and a delectable Creole sauce)!

3. Coconut Bread

When I first heard of Bajan coconut bread I thought it’d be like Jamaican coco bread (which often sandwiches a Jamaican patty). I was wrong. Coconut bread is sweet but looks and tastes completely different. It is more of a warm loaf and is brown in color. Yummy!

4. Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are another Bajan food staple, and I was lucky enough to try the dish on my first night at Courtyard Marriott Bridgetown’s onsite restaurant, “Centro”.

Their cod-based ingredients and fried nature reminded me of Puerto Rican bacalaitos!

5. La Cabane Restaurant

My relaxing vacations always have at least one night where we dress up and go out to a nice restaurant. La Cabane’s beachfront restaurant and live music was perfect for that.

I dined on local, organic dishes like rack of lamb and fresh ceviche, and sipped a Moscow Mule while listening to the ocean waves creep along the white sand beach.

6. Oistin’s Fish Fry

The minute you leave the airport you’ll hear whispers of Oistin’s fish fry. The Oistins area is on the island’s south coast and is known for its Friday fish fry at the Oistins Bay Gardens: where both locals and tourists congregate to enjoy various fish dishes, music, and dancing.

Be sure to allow your Barbados vacation itinerary to include a full Friday when planning your trip so you can make it there.

7. Other Barbados Food & Drinks to Try:

• Savory roti (head to Rihanna’s favorite fast food joint, Chefette to try it!)
• Rum punch
• Caribbean sorrel (non-alcoholic hibiscus drink)
• Crysalis Cafe at PEG (mentioned above, here you’ll find an appealing farm-to-table menu)

Here are some tips on where to stay in Barbados, information about tipping, USD to Barbados currency exchange, safety insight for female travelers, flying and immigration tips, and insight on the best time to book your Barbados trip.

Barbados Accommodations: Where to Stay

Barbados has so many great areas of the island to stay in! The west coast offers an upscale shopping, dining, and serene beach scene (like Holetown and Speightstown); the south coast offers more nightlife (The Gap); and the east coast is brimming with secluded nature, away from the beaten path.

We were in the southwest coast (Bridgetown area) which is lovely for historical and cultural exploration. For this trip, I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown, Barbados within the Garrison Historic Area (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

My stay included plush Marriott bedding, free breakfast and Wifi, an onsite restaurant (Centro), and access to a gym and pool. We were just across the street from the beach, and there was a free shuttle to an even nicer beach club!

The Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown offered a fun schedule of happy hours during my stay too. There was complimentary rum punch and non-alcoholic fruit punch available for happy hour on my first night, and another evening hosted a fresh popcorn happy hour.

It was nice having a restaurant onsite (especially for travel days when you don’t have the energy to venture out), and I loved the Caribbean snacks available in my room.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Barbados for a relaxing getaway, I recommend first using my hotel wellness amenities tips to help consider the best accommodations for you when selecting hotels.

I, for instance, always prioritize wellness facilities (like a gym, pool, or spa) and appreciate when my accommodation offers proximity to outdoor activities.

Best Time to Go To Barbados: Weather & Clothing

The consistent Barbados weather is appealing to all travel styles, and wetter months can be a refreshing break from the island sun.

I visited Barbados during December, which is the start of a drier, cooler season. It rained a few times during my visit, lightly, and only once came down as a sun shower. Rain did not affect the trip at all.

• Barbados weather is warmest from April to October, with an average high of 86°F.
• Barbados weather is cooler from November to April, though it only drops to about 70°F on average.
• Rain season runs from July to November, with hurricane season from August to October.

The best time to go to Barbados if you are looking for warm, yet dry weather would be April and May. Though, anytime from December thru June would still offer pleasant temperature with little rain.

What to Wear in Barbados

If you are wondering what to wear in Barbados, I’d recommend packing summer wear of course (swimsuit, cover ups, beach shoes), but also preparing yourself with smart casual or casual fashion wear for visiting any restaurants for dinner.

There is a large amount of bleisure tourism (business leisure) so you won’t see people dining in their swimwear or without shoes for dinner. Though we wore dresses during the evening as a preference, it was not necessary to dress up to this extent at all; flat shoes or sandals will suffice.

Lastly, I found Barbados weather to turn chilly with a breeze in the evening, so I’d highly recommend throw-overs or cardigans you can dress up (if you don’t want to end up wearing a hoodie at dinner).

Barbados Currency & Tipping

Barbados has its own currency, the Barbados Dollar (BDS), but accepts US Dollars (USD). The exchange rate when using cash was $2 BDS to $1 USD. Easy math!

I did not exchange money on the island and was able to use my American cash (USD) to tip my tour guide and drivers, as well as pay at food stands wherever credit cards weren’t accepted. If you are wondering if you should tip in Barbados, here’s a tipping guide:

• 10-15% at restaurants
• $1-2 USD tip for taxi rides
• $2 USD per day for hotel room housekeeping
• $1 USD for baggage handling

Many of my expenses were included with this particular trip, but for the times I did have to pay onsite, I hardly had an issue paying with a credit card at establishments. I used cash only for food stands, taxis, and service tips. Expect to receive change in Barbados Dollars when paying in cash (even if paid in USD).

Is Barbados Safe?

I found Barbados to be pretty safe during my time there, as a female traveler and tourist. Usually when I exit an airport, chaos ensues, with taxi drivers pouncing at the opportunity to secure a new customer.

I didn’t feel this energy upon my arrival in Barbados. The drivers all stood a healthy distance from the arrivers and did not come off as abrasive.

My itinerary included pre-arranged pick up and drop off from the airport, and my tours included round-trip transportation from my hotel.

There were also times, however, when I walked from the hotel on my own and still felt safe. One time included my walk to the beach, both at sunset and morning hours: I saw people going for runs, walking their dogs, and taking peaceful strolls (as groups, pairs, and solo).

Tips for Flying to Barbados: Arrival

If you are booking flights to Barbados, be sure to refer to my epic list of airfare hacks to help you find a great flight deal. Lots of good tips in there!

FYI, I flew into Bridgetown: Barbados airport code BGI (Grantley Adams International)

U.S. passport holders do not need a visa to visit as a tourist (up to 6 months)

When you arrive at immigration, don’t forget to notate which parish you are staying in when referencing your hotel address.

When the agent asked me where I was staying specifically, I couldn’t figure out what he meant. When I replied and said “Bridgetown”, he told me I needed to specify one of the 11 parishes in Barbados.

So note to self (and to you future Barbados travelers!): pay attention to the address of your hotel. If you decide to stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown, don’t forget that it is in Hastings, Christ Church parish.

Enjoy Your Barbados Vacation!

I hope you love this list of things to do in Barbados — and that my extra Barbados vacation tips help you have an ultra smooth journey. Let me know how your trip goes and be sure to share this article on social media to get more people excited about this Bajan paradise!

xx, O.

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