Barbados

Travel Dates: May 2026

What to do in Barbados

Mount Gay Rum Distillery Tour – If you like rum, don’t miss the Mount Gay Rum tours. The distillery tour takes place in St. Lucy in the northern part of the island, while tastings and cocktail classes are offered at the visitor center near Bridgetown. Be sure to book in advance, as tours often sell out and schedules can change due to closures or limited operating days.

We chose the distillery tour because we wanted the full experience of seeing where and how the famous rum is made. Upon arrival, you check in at the security gate before being allowed onto the property and walking to the main house. There, you’ll find air conditioning, restrooms, and a welcome drink before the tour begins. After receiving a hard hat, you’ll tour the grounds and production areas. Much of the tour is outdoors and inside non-air-conditioned distilling facilities, so it can get quite hot. Closed-toe shoes are required. At the end of the tour, you return to the main house for a guided tasting of five different rums. Overall, it’s a great experience for anyone interested in learning more about Barbados’ most famous spirit.

Bathsheba Bay – It isn’t really a beach for swimming since it’s quite mossy, but it’s worth visiting for the views. The rocky coastline, palm trees, and dramatic scenery make it a beautiful spot to stop and take photos.

Cove Bay – There are nice cliffside coastal views here, but getting there requires driving down an off-road path with cows wandering nearby. Feel free to skip.

Animal Flower Cave – This place is worth a stop to relax, grab a bite, and enjoy the scenic coastal views. From the parking lot, follow the sign to “The View” on the right for a beautiful cove overlook, while the restaurant is on the left. At the restaurant, we ordered the ceviche, Bajan style fish cakes, piña colada, and sea moss smoothie—everything was good, but nothing particularly stood out. They do take credit cards.

Cherry Hill Reserve – Pleasant hilltop view of the northeast part of Barbados. You’ll need a car to get here.

Where to eat in Barbados

Pat’s Place – Pat’s Place was so good and definitely worth a visit. We ordered the fried flying fish, which came with a main and a side. We chose plantains and mac salad, and both were delicious. Bonus: they take credit cards.

Chefette – A popular fast-food chain in Barbados where we tried the fried chicken and chicken & potato roti. Both weren’t memorable. They also accept credit cards.

BBQ Barn – Often located next to Chefette in the same storefront, I’d recommend BBQ Barn over Chefette. We ordered the mahi-mahi dinner plate with seasonal vegetables and mac pie. The fish was good, but the mac pie was better. If you order a drink, free refills are included. I wouldn’t recommend the mauby, as it has a very strong bitter aftertaste. Instead, try the pineapple juice—it’s quite sweet and more enjoyable.

Cutters of Barbados – Try their house-made rum, but be mindful as it’s sweet and very strong. We ordered the market fish platter, which was mahi-mahi, and came with soup, salad, and rice. It was more than enough food to share between two people. We also had the rum cake, which had a noticeable strong rum flavor. They accept credit cards.

Cuzz Cafe Fish Stand – The menu is simple—they only serve a fish sandwich, available either with or without cheese. It’s fine but not memorable. The place is cash only.

Yelluh Meat – If you want to try breadfruit (starchy fruit that is typically used as a potato substitute), this is a good spot to do it. I recommend the “make your own bowl” option since it’s cheaper and lets you customize your meal. The pineapple salsa we chose was tasty, but I would skip the pig tail—it was a bit too adventurous for me personally. While they do accept credit cards, the machine wasn’t working when we visited, so it’s a good idea to bring cash just in case. There’s no proper dining area, but there are a few small stools available if you want to sit while waiting for your food.

Purity Bakery – Although mainly a bakery factory, they also have a small shop out front selling food. It’s a great spot to grab patties with a combo of two patties and a drink for 12 Barbados dollars ($6). The patties were crispy, flaky, and had a good meat-to-pastry ratio, making it a solid, budget-friendly stop.

Azure – This restaurant is located on the Hilton Grand Vacations Club property and offers nice ocean-view seating. We had the pumpkin curry soup, yellowfin tuna sashimi, and curry noodles, which were all very tasty. The parmesan bread rolls with butter were also absolutely delicious. Reservations are recommended and can be made via the Hotel’s Crane app or through the concierge, although we arrived a little after 5:30pm without a reservation and were still able to get a table. Note that they do not accept cash.

Where to stay in Barbados

Hilton Barbados Resort – Good hotel with pools and direct beach access. Near the pool area, you’ll find giant chess, Connect 4, and Jenga for some casual fun. Guests can also use tandem kayaks and paddleboards for free through the hotel’s partnership with Barbados Blue Water Sports. This is located next to the parking lot opposite of the hotel building, near Carlisle Bay. A refundable $50 deposit per boat is required, and life jackets are provided.

The hotel also includes a complimentary breakfast buffet, free parking, and bottled water in the room. You can refill water bottles at the water station near the pool bar or at the ice machine area on each floor.

The only downside of the hotel is the floors and walls can be somewhat thin as you can hear noise from the room above. The air conditioner and mini-fridge can also be a bit loud at times.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club The Crane Barbados -This is a large complex with suite-style rooms that include kitchenettes. Breakfast is not included, but they provide fruit and coconut drops (bread) each evening. They also provide two small bottles of water, and water can be refilled at the reception area, where they sometimes have free fruit punch and rum punch in the late afternoon.

The resort has plenty of activities, including free tennis and pickleball (booked via the app or concierge, with equipment available on-site), plus a free billiards room next to the café. Free parking and EV charging (possibly not complimentary) are also available. There are two main pool areas: a larger multi-pool section and a historic pool that seems to be adults-only and deeper (up to 9 feet). The property has beach access, though seaweed can be an issue in that area. A shuttle also runs to Carlisle Bay, though it may not be free.

Daily activities are posted on a schedule provided at check-in. We joined a cocktail-making class where they demonstrated two drinks and had guests recreate them. At the end, there was a quiz on the ingredients, and if you answer them correctly, you get a free bottle of wine.

The downsides of this property are: the beach area is not as good as Hilton Barbados Resort, and the occasional noise at night and early morning from frogs, birds, or nearby music, which can depend on room location.

Miscellaneous tips when traveling to Barbados

• Driving here is on the left side of the road. Most roads are two-way, but they can be quite narrow in places. Road conditions can be a bit tough with potholes and speed bumps scattered throughout the island.
• We had a few uncomfortable encounters where people approached us or stopped our car to ask for money or request a ride. Nothing serious happened, but it’s a good reminder to stay alert and aware.
• The eastern side of the island tends to have more seaweed and stronger waves, making it better suited for surfing rather than swimming. In contrast, the western side is much calmer, with clearer water and no seaweed, which is where most of the best snorkeling spots are located.