About

About ULTIMATE Barbados Island Guide

ULTIMATE Barbados Island Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Barbados. We publish 18 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars & rum shops, beach clubs & nightlife, hotels & resorts, attractions, beaches, museums & heritage, golf & sport, boats & diving, spas & wellness, hospitals & clinics, shopping, supermarkets & markets, luxury lifestyle, property, getting there & around and motoring. Together they cover Bridgetown and the Garrison, Holetown and the Platinum West Coast, Speightstown and the north, the south coast, the east coast, St. Philip and the centre of the island, with in-depth guides to Sandy Lane, rum, Crop Over, golf, diving and island hopping.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website and, where it has one, its listing on visitbarbados.org, the official site of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., or another official source such as the Government of Barbados or UNESCO. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening days, tour times and seasonal schedules change, so please check directly with each place before you visit. Prices are shown in the currency the business uses.

For venues

Run a venue in Barbados and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Accra Beach at Rockley on the south coast, by bongo vongo, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The control tower at Grantley Adams International Airport, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tropical planting at Andromeda Botanic Gardens, by Postdlf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Animal Flower Cave opening onto the Atlantic, by Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parliament Buildings in Bridgetown, by David Broad, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Formations inside Harrison’s Cave, by Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A traditional Barbadian rum shop, by Kevin Gabbert - User: (WT-shared) Kevin James at wts wikivoyage, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boulders and surf at Bathsheba on the east coast, by Postdlf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The wild beach at Bathsheba, by allen watkin from London, UK, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Batts Rock beach, by Derek Hatfield from Peterborough, Canada, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Admiralty Bay at Port Elizabeth, Bequia, by David Broad, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clear water of Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bottom Bay and its coconut palms, by Jonathan Wilkins, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Waiting at a bus stop in Barbados, by Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The waterfront at Speightstown, by colinpayson, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chamberlain Bridge over the Careenage, Bridgetown, by giggel, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clear water of Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road over Cherry Tree Hill, by colinpayson, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cave Shepherd department store on Broad Street, by CaribDigita, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A traditional Barbadian chattel house, by rufus, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road over Cherry Tree Hill, by colinpayson, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Codrington College in St. John, by G. G. Belgrave, Barbados, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The view of Crane Beach from The Crane, by Upjav, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Crane Beach below the cliffs of St. Philip, by Clump, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over the sea in Barbados, by bez_uk, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the port of Bridgetown, by Martin Falbisoner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A traditional Barbadian chattel house, by rufus, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fairmont Royal Pavilion on the west coast, by LittleT889, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of Farley Hill house, St. Peter, by Z thomas, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Garrison Savannah, Bridgetown, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gun Hill Signal Station in St. George, by giggel, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• George Washington House in the Garrison, by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Formations inside Harrison’s Cave, by Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stalactites and stalagmites in Harrison’s Cave, by Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A view over Paynes Bay on the west coast, by Boutboul, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Holetown, St. James, by CaribDigita, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Paynes Bay on the calm west coast of Barbados, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sandy Lane seen from the water, St. James, by Randy Storey, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The planted gully at Hunte’s Gardens, St. Joseph, by Alex Dixon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kensington Oval during the 2007 Cricket World Cup final, by ROxBo at English Wikipedia, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A display at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marina at Port St Charles, by GrimsbyT, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Enterprise Beach, known as Miami Beach, near Oistins, by The original uploader was ROxBo at English Wikipedia., licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A green monkey in Barbados, by Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Morgan Lewis Windmill in St. Andrew, by TaroSingh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre on the Spring Garden Highway, by CaribDigita, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A copper pot still at the Mount Gay distillery, by Captmondo, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A beach on Mustique in the Grenadines, by Stefan Schäfer, Lich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ramparts of Galle Fort, by Daibo Taku, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clear water of Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The shoreline at Oistins, the south coast fishing town, by Clump, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parliament Buildings in Bridgetown, by David Broad, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A view over Paynes Bay on the west coast, by Boutboul, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in the lagoon at Port St Charles, by GrimsbyT, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marina at Port St Charles, by GrimsbyT, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in the lagoon at Port St Charles, by GrimsbyT, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The shoreline at Oistins, the south coast fishing town, by Clump, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ronald Tree, the founder of Sandy Lane, by Bassano Ltd (active 1901-1962), licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A traditional Barbadian rum shop, by Kevin Gabbert - User: (WT-shared) Kevin James at wts wikivoyage, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sandy Lane seen from the water, St. James, by Randy Storey, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sandy Lane on the west coast of Barbados, by Jack Kennard, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Sandy Lane, by Charles J. Sharp, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A display at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, Holetown, by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Silver Sands beach on the south coast, by Johnmartindavies, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tropical planting at Andromeda Botanic Gardens, by Postdlf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The waterfront at Speightstown, by colinpayson, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kensington Oval during the 2007 Cricket World Cup final, by ROxBo at English Wikipedia, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Nicholas Abbey, the Jacobean great house of 1658, by Pontificalibus, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The rum distillery at St Nicholas Abbey, by Hiltrud Trottenberg, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over the sea in Barbados, by bez_uk, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Nidhe Israel Synagogue in Bridgetown, by NYC2TLV, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tobago Cays in the Grenadines, by Stefan Schäfer, Lich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The control tower at Grantley Adams International Airport, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tropical forest in Welchman Hall Gully, by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.