22 of the best · Barbados

Things to Do in Barbados: Caves, Gardens, Rum and Days Out

The tram through Harrison’s Cave, green monkeys and gullies, gardens above Bathsheba, the Animal Flower Cave, rum at Mount Gay and St Nicholas Abbey, a submarine to the reef and off-road safaris.

Our 22 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026

Insiders' picks

Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Barbados.

Under the island by tram

Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park

Allen View · St. Thomas·Cave tram tour & adventure park

An electric tram tour through the crystallised limestone caves of the central uplands, now part of an eco-adventure park with a zipline, nature trails and a pool.

Allen View, St. Thomas, BarbadosExplore View on map
A 1658 great house and its rum

St Nicholas Abbey

Cherry Tree Hill · St. Peter·Jacobean great house, distillery & railway

A Jacobean great house of 1658, one of only three in the Western Hemisphere, with its own single-cask rum distillery, gardens and heritage railway.

Cherry Tree Hill, St. Peter, Barbados BB26007Explore View on map
Where the island meets the Atlantic

Animal Flower Cave

North Point · St. Lucy·Sea cave·$

A sea cave at North Point that opens straight onto the Atlantic, with rock pools to swim in when the sea allows, and a lunchtime restaurant above.

North Point, St. Lucy, BarbadosExplore View on map

The full list: Attractions, A–Z

Show 17 of 22 places on a map

In depth 3

Rum, Crop Over and fun facts.

The back story

Barbados essentials and fun facts

Barbados·In depth: the island

A few things worth knowing: the currency, electricity, drinking water, emergency numbers, the green monkeys, the parishes and the Garrison Savannah.

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The back story

Crop Over: the island’s summer festival

Barbados·In depth: festivals

Crop Over, the National Cultural Foundation’s summer festival of music, arts, food and culture, which ends with the Grand Kadooment parade in August.

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The back story

Rum in Barbados: Mount Gay, St Nicholas Abbey and Foursquare

Barbados·In depth: rum

How to taste the island’s rum where it is made: Mount Gay’s distillery and visitor centre, St Nicholas Abbey’s Jacobean estate, and Foursquare, plus a rum shop or two.

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Nature 8

Caves, gullies and gardens.

Butterflies above Bathsheba

Andromeda Botanic Gardens

Bathsheba · St. Joseph·Botanic garden

A botanic garden on the hillside above Bathsheba, now an organic sanctuary for native wildlife, with an ethnobotanical garden and a café.

Bathsheba, St. Joseph, BarbadosExplore View on map
Where the island meets the Atlantic

Animal Flower Cave

North Point · St. Lucy·Sea cave·$

A sea cave at North Point that opens straight onto the Atlantic, with rock pools to swim in when the sea allows, and a lunchtime restaurant above.

North Point, St. Lucy, BarbadosExplore View on map
Green monkeys among the mahogany

Barbados Wildlife Reserve

Farley Hill · St. Peter·Wildlife reserve

A mahogany woodland opposite Farley Hill where you walk among free-roaming green monkeys, tortoises, agouti, deer and peacocks.

Farley Hill, St. Peter, BarbadosExplore View on map
The ruined mansion with the view

Farley Hill National Park

Farley Hill · St. Peter·National park

A national park around the ruins of the Farley Hill mansion, with lawns and views over the Scotland District to the Atlantic.

Farley Hill, St. Peter, BarbadosExplore View on map
Fifty-three acres in bloom

Flower Forest Botanical Gardens

Richmond · St. Joseph·Botanic garden

Fifty-three acres of botanical gardens in the hills of St. Joseph, with flowers and trees in bloom all year, a café and a gift shop.

Richmond, St. Joseph, BarbadosExplore View on map
Under the island by tram

Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park

Allen View · St. Thomas·Cave tram tour & adventure park

An electric tram tour through the crystallised limestone caves of the central uplands, now part of an eco-adventure park with a zipline, nature trails and a pool.

Allen View, St. Thomas, BarbadosExplore View on map
A garden in a hidden gully

Hunte’s Gardens

Castle Grant · St. Joseph·Garden in a sinkhole gully

A lush garden planted in a sinkhole gully on a former sugar plantation in St. Joseph, created by horticulturist Anthony Hunte.

Castle Grant, St. Joseph, BarbadosExplore View on map
A forest in a collapsed cave

Welchman Hall Gully

Welchman Hall · St. Thomas·Tropical gully walk·$

An easy paved walk through tropical forest in a collapsed cave, with monkeys in the morning and guided tours in winter.

Welchman Hall, St. Thomas, BarbadosExplore View on map

Rum 3

Distilleries and estates.

The south-east’s family distillery

Foursquare Rum Distillery & Heritage Park

St. Philip·Family-owned rum distillery

A family-owned rum distillery on a former sugar plantation in St. Philip, with a heritage park and folk museum.

St. Philip, BarbadosExplore View on map
Where the rum began, in 1703

Mount Gay Distillery

St. Lucy·Historic distillery tours·$$

Mount Gay’s working distillery in St. Lucy, on the estate where the rum has been made since 1703, with distillery tours and dinners.

Mount Gay, St. Lucy, BarbadosExplore View on map
A 1658 great house and its rum

St Nicholas Abbey

Cherry Tree Hill · St. Peter·Jacobean great house, distillery & railway

A Jacobean great house of 1658, one of only three in the Western Hemisphere, with its own single-cask rum distillery, gardens and heritage railway.

Cherry Tree Hill, St. Peter, Barbados BB26007Explore View on map

Heritage & viewpoints 4

Signal stations and windmills.

The east coast at your feet

Cherry Tree Hill

Cherry Tree Hill · St. Peter·Viewpoint

A ridge-top road through mahogany trees near St Nicholas Abbey, opening onto one of the island’s widest views of the east coast.

Cherry Tree Hill, St. Peter, BarbadosExplore View on map
The lookout over the centre

Gun Hill Signal Station

Newbury · St. George·Restored signal station

A restored 19th-century military signal station on a hill in St. George, with a café and long views across the island.

Fusilier Road, Newbury, St. George, BarbadosExplore View on map
A sugar windmill with its sails

Morgan Lewis Windmill

Morgan Lewis · St. Andrew·Historic sugar windmill

A historic sugar windmill on the hillside of St. Andrew, above the Scotland District; Visit Barbados says it is under repair.

Morgan Lewis, St. Andrew, BarbadosExplore View on map
A great house of the 1660s

Sunbury Plantation House

Sunbury · St. Philip·Plantation great house

A plantation house in St. Philip built around 1660, with house tours every day.

Sunbury, St. Philip, BarbadosExplore View on map

On the sea 1

Beneath the waves.

A real submarine to the reef

Atlantis Submarines

The Shallow Draught · Bridgetown·Submarine dives

Day and night dives in a real submarine to the reefs and wrecks off Bridgetown, from the Shallow Draught harbour.

The Shallow Draught, Bridgetown, St. Michael, BarbadosExplore View on map

Tours & hikes 3

With a guide.

Sunday mornings with a few hundred friends

Barbados National Trust hikes

Island-wide·Group hikes

The National Trust’s weekly group hikes across the island, at different paces, with morning, afternoon and moonlight walks.

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Hikes with a local guide

Hike Barbados with Stephen Mendes

Island-wide·Private guided hikes

Private guided hikes of 2 to 8 miles with Stephen Mendes, a Barbados hiking guide, planned around you.

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The back roads by Land Rover

Island Safari

Lower Estate · St. George·Off-road 4×4 tours·$$$

Off-road tours of the island in safari-rigged Land Rovers, with pick-up from your hotel and food and drinks included.

CWTS Complex, Lower Estate, St. George, BarbadosExplore View on map

Price guide per adult, shown only where the operator publishes its own adult price: $ under US$25, $$ US$25–75, $$$ US$75–150, $$$$ over US$150. Check current prices when you book.