We traveled to Barbados a couple of months back on JetBlue’s inaugural daily flight out of Fort Lauderdale. What we found when we landed was spectacular—lush gardens, historic plantations, stunning shorelines, and a feast for the palate. We touched on many of these Barbadian delights in the July issue in a dedicated onsite review of the destination, but we wanted to give you even more information you could use to sell this Caribbean destination. So…here are the 25 top things to do in Barbados according to the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
- Spend a weekend evening at the Oistins Bay Gardens, where clients can socialize with the Bajans and enjoy traditional Bajan fare such as fish cakes, fried fish and pudding, accompanied by a cool Banks Beer.
- Sample flying fish and cou cou, the national dish served at the Waterfront Cafe and at the Atlantis Hotel.
- Tour the home of Mount Gay Rum, which is considered by many as the world’s oldest and finest. Visitors can watch as the distiller shows them how to create this golden spirit.
- Take a tour with the Island Safari Fleet, which takes visitors through the gullies, forests, remote bay and roads with coastal views exploring the lesser-known areas of Barbados.
- Explore the Crystal Room in Harrison’s Cave, with its abundance of stalagmites, streams, lakes and waterfalls. Electrical powered carts take guests through the cave, and tell clients to look out for the Mirror Lake.
- View the 350-year-old synagogue in Bridgetown, which was originally built in 1654, destroyed and then rebuilt, featuring gorgeous Gothic arches.
- Visit Nicholas Abbey & Sunbury House—these plantation homes have been beautifully restored and offer more than 300 years of history.
- The Barbados National Trust’s Open House program allows the public and visitors to visit private homes, ranging from historic treasures to amusing abodes to lap-of-luxury lifestyles. Open House takes place every Wednesday afternoon during the winter from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Many say the tours resemble an English garden party.
- Visit Hunte’s Garden, filled with an array of tropical flowers, trees and foliage, as well as statues, antiques and beautiful decorative pieces. The best part is Hunte himself (what a character!).
- Have lunch while sailing on a catamaran, complemented by snorkeling with sea turtles and taking selfies with beautiful coves as the backdrop.
- Celebrate the Crop Over Festival in the summer. The festival spreads from July to August, culminating with the Pic-o-de-Crop calypso competition, Bridgetown Market, a large street fair, Cohobblopot, a pot-pourri of entertainment, and finally, the Kadooment, the parade of costumed bands.
- Surf the Soup Bowl at Bathsheba in November.
- Golf at any of the five top international course.
- Get pampered at The Spa at Sandy Lane, a 42,000-sq.-ft. facility featuring VIP treatment suites and a freeform pool.
- Hang with George Washington’s 19-year-old ghost at the Bush Hill House. Washington stayed at this historic plantation house for two months in 1751.
- Visit Arlington House, an interactive 3-story museum that offers visitors a peek at bygone times.
- Scuba dive, scuba dive and scuba dive. Visitors will come face-to-face with turtles and sea horses. Carlisle Bay, for one, has more than 200 reported wrecks.
- Sunbathe on the white sands of Crane Beach while staying at Crane Hotel.
- Join the party during the annual Barbados Food Wine & Rum Festival, held the third weekend in November. Here visitors can mingle with international celebrity chefs, as well as local Barbadian culinary talent.
- The Cliff, perched above lapping waves and lit by fiery lanterns, offers a menu influenced by the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, and boasts an extensive wine cellar.
- There are over 1,600 rum shops across the island, so your clients shouldn’t leave Barbados without visiting at least one of them. They’ll even have the opportunity to play dominoes with the locals.
- Rodeo Drive on Barbados? Yes, it’s true—Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, home the high-end brands such as Gucci and Cartier, as well as intimate restaurants and bars.
- On the first Saturday of every March, visitors can watch the Barbados Gold Cup, one of the Caribbean’s most renowned horse races.
- Go for an undersea expedition aboard the Atlantis, a state-of-the-art submarine.
For more information on Barbados, visit visitbarbados.org.
