Compare Barbados holidays

As the island is tiny – approximately 34km (21 miles) long and 23km (14 miles) wide – it pays to get out and explore beyond the luxury confines of your hotel. Venture inland, and you'll find a staggeringly beautiful patchwork of sugar cane plantations, lush gullies and underground caves complete with tumbling waterfalls.

A major highlight of any Barbados holiday is experiencing the island’s Bajan culture first-hand. So, bounce your head along to the kettledrums and penny whistles of a traditional tuk band, feast on tasty seafood fresh off the fishing boat at Oistins famous Friday night Fish Fry, and pay a visit to one of the local rum distilleries for a tipsy tour through the island’s history.

If you happen to get homesick, worry not. There’s a more familiar side to Barbados that makes the island feel like a tropical home away from home. As a former British colony, which was once dubbed Little England, you’ll find that afternoon tea and village cricket are island institutions (Kensington Oval is the place to be). And, yes, you can get ‘proper tea’ here too.

As with the entire Caribbean region, hurricane season in Barbados begins in June and runs until November, although the island is rarely hit by damaging storms. They’re more common from August to October, so an early summer trip is preferable to one later in the season. Travelling in July and early August will mean you’re on the island for Crop Over, the colourful carnival festival.

If you’re looking for a cheap holiday to Barbados, travel in either May or early December. These are the bookends of high season, and you can find good deals without compromising on sunshine.

Lying lonely and forgotten for almost 200 years, Harrison’s Cave, home to subterranean pools and yawning caverns fringed with gigantic stalactites and stalagmites, has been a major attraction since opening to the public in 1981. An electric tram tour is the most popular way to visit – it’s low effort and suitable for all the family.

Feeling more adventurous? Gear-up with a helmet, headlamp and knee-guards and take a guided scramble through the natural tunnels.

Bridgetown

The island's lively little capital offers a lovely clutch of attractions. Wander around the historic buildings of the Garrison area, and don’t miss the fascinating George Washington House, where the eponymous US president once lived (as well as the hidden network of tunnels beneath it).

Elsewhere, visit the nearby Legends of Barbados Cricket Museum, taste rum at the Mount Gay Visitor Centre, and pick up some souvenirs at the Pelican Craft Centre near the cruise terminal. Do note that opening hours can be sporadic.

Bathsheba Beach

Most visitors stay on the western and southern coasts of Barbados, where the calm Caribbean Sea laps gently on the sand. To see a different aspect of the island, take a trip to the east coast, where Atlantic breakers have battered rock formations into dramatic shapes.

Sit back on Bathsheba Beach and watch the surfers taking on the ‘Soup Bowl’ – the biggest, most dramatic set of waves on the island. You can cool off in a series of shallow, natural inshore pools, but don’t try swimming in the sea.

St Nicholas Abbey

In the north of the island, St Nicholas Abbey is a Jacobean plantation house set in a 400-acre estate of sugar cane fields, mahogany forests and formal gardens.

Visit the grand Great House, built in 1658, the fully functioning sugar mill, and the traditional pot still, where St Nicholas Abbey Rum is made using age-old processes. A steam-powered heritage railway tours the estate, stopping on Cherry Tree Hill for thrilling views over the rugged east coast.

Boat tour

Take a boat trip along the Bajan coast and you’ll skip over sparkling waves, swapping one stunning island view for another with every new stretch of shoreline. There’s a range of options, from sun-soaked daytime catamaran cruises to romantic sunset sails.

If you enjoy marine life, hop aboard a diving or snorkelling excursion, or sign up for a trip on the Atlantis Submarine, which dives to 46m (150ft) to reveal an underwater world of shipwrecks, exotic fish and colourful coral through the portholes.

Prices on the south coast are lower than on the west coast but if you have a generous budget, this stylish shoreline boasts plenty of exceptional hotels with all the bells and whistles small guests could wish for.

If you value your own private space, a wide selection of villas are available to rent in both locations.

For travellers on a budget

Those looking for a cheap Barbados holiday should steer clear of the west coast, where accommodation and eating out comes at a premium. The south coast has the largest choice of cheap hotels, although the rugged, underdeveloped east coast is home to some great value choices – just bear in mind that the ocean on this side is more suitable for surfing than swimming.

Staying in self-catering apartments or on a room-only basis will allow you to take advantage of Barbados’ cheap fish shacks and rum shops. All beaches, even those in front of expensive hotels, are public and free too.

For food and drink

If you have cash to splash, the island’s west coast is home to stylish, see-and-be-seen restaurants, with elaborate cuisine and wide-ranging wine lists. While all-inclusive hotels are becoming more widespread on this coast, the most luxurious addresses tend to offer bed and breakfast or half board, understanding that their clientele enjoy dining around.

But you don’t need to spend much to find fine Bajan food. The shacks close to Oistins fish market on the south coast serve delicious, fresh and cheap platters, and low-key cafes proliferate around the more popular beaches, making the south coast the sensible spot to stay for low-cost local cuisine.

For nightlife

St Lawrence Gap is the epicentre of Bajan nightlife, and this fun and friendly strip of bars and clubs can keep you drinking and dancing through ‘til dawn. Stay nearby for a short stumble home, but do note that you could be in for a little late night noise. On the upmarket west coast, there’s a smattering of more restrained nightspots in Holetown.

To mingle with locals, head to the Friday evening fish fry at Oistins, where, alongside the freshly-cooked local catch, there’s music to dance to. Or pop into a rum shop – these small local bars are spread across the island.

For culture

A stay near the capital, Bridgetown, will put you close to the Garrison, a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed with historic buildings, museums, a fort and the famous Savannah horseracing track. Bridgetown is also home to the Pelican Craft Centre, where you can see artwork from established and up-and-coming Bajan artists.

Towards the northern end of the west coast, laid-back Speightstown is where you’ll find the Gallery of Caribbean Art, with works from all over the region. From here, it’s just a 15-minute drive to St Nicholas Abbey.