One of the larger and more populated islands in the southern Caribbean, Barbados has an excellent range of sights and styles for travelers of any budget. As a former British colony and English as its primary language, Barbados remains very popular with British tourists in particular, with in-season charter flights available from even some smaller airports in England and Scotland.
Barbados has two very distinct districts for accommodation. The South Coast just south of Bridgetown has mostly mid-market beach hotels and a few cheaper ones across the street. The Gold Coast is a long stretch of sand north of Bridgetown and it’s lined with upscale mansions and rental villas, to the point that it’s basically the “Beverly Hills” of the Caribbean. The island is also popular with Americans and Canadians, many of whom can fly in nonstop from larger airports in North America at quite reasonable prices.
There’s a famous rum distillery here as well as excellent diving and water sports, but most people just come to relax and soak up the sun during the winter months.
| Population | 290,000 |
| Area | 290,000 |
| Timezone | UTC-4 |
| Currency | Barbadian Dollar |
| Airports | Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) |
Barbados offers lots to do and see, especially if you like to go shopping, enjoy a nice sandy beach, or explore cultural aspects of the Caribbean. Of course there’s great snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing here as well, making Barbados a very well rounded destination.
If you enjoy rum, then you’ll want to look into a distillery tour, or you can just enjoy a drink or two while lounging on a beach chair.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 42.00 - 151.00 |
| 81.00 - 167.00 |
| 95.00 - 320.00 |
| 470.00 - 470.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | - |
| Local Breakfast | Coffee is served at many cafes but you also have the choice of different fresh juices to choose from. | $3.50 - $8.00 |
| Local Lunch | Flying fish is a great lunch item served lightly breaded and topped with a yellow sauce. To make it even better, many restaurants serve it at a great price. | $5.00 - $9.00 |
| Local Dinner | If you love beef, you'll be hard pressed to find any on the island. However you'll easily find chicken, pork and fish. | $11.00 - $17.00 |
| Beer | The legal drinking age is 16 so don't be surprised if you find yourself drinking a beer next to a teenager. | $2.50 - $5.50 |
From your hotel or resort, you’ll have access to a decent amount of tours, both land based and ocean based. These range from snorkeling trips to island tours.
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 84 | 74 | 1.1 |
| February | 84 | 73 | 0.8 |
| March | 85 | 74 | 0.7 |
| April | 86 | 76 | 1.0 |
| May | 87 | 77 | 1.8 |
| June | 87 | 77 | 1.9 |
| July | 87 | 77 | 2.6 |
| August | 87 | 77 | 2.6 |
| September | 87 | 77 | 2.9 |
| October | 86 | 76 | 3.2 |
| November | 86 | 76 | 3.5 |
| December | 84 | 75 | 1.8 |
Located in the eastern Caribbean, Barbados offers sunshine, beach, clear waters, mountains and great weather. December is generally the beginning of winter with cooler temperatures setting in the for next few months. Lows tend to average in the mid 70s with highs in the low 80s.
Summer is filled with short rain showers, slightly higher temperatures and the chance of a rouge hurricane. Even though Barbados seldom gets hit, sometimes it does end up experiencing bad weather associated with a storm.
When packing, bring light clothes that are easy to layer. Cotton seems to be the best choice and of course don’t forgot your swimsuit and a hat.
| 21 Mar | 6:02am | 6:09pm |
| 21 Jun | 5:33am | 6:27pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:48am | 5:55pm |
| 21 Dec | 6:16am | 5:37pm |
There are over 100 resorts and hotels on Barbados, making it one of the top destinations in the Caribbean overall. The majority of resorts are on the western side of the island in the south, but a few resorts are located on the east side, particularly some of the more affordable ones.
The hotel scene in Barbados seems to run a much wider range than most Caribbean islands. There are modest 2-star resorts near the beach with in-season prices starting below US$100 per night, and also super-deluxe resorts where even the cheapest rooms start at over US$1,000 per night. All-inclusive resorts aren’t as cheap as they are elsewhere in the Caribbean, but they can offer good value. There are plenty of worthwhile things to do in Barbados, whether you are staying at an all-inclusive resort or not.
Even though winter is a great time to visit if you’re wishing to escape a northern winter, it is unfortunately the worst time to visit as far as prices are concerned. The months of January, February, March and April are considered the peak season with higher prices than the rest of the year.
Lower prices can be found during the summer and fall months when there are less visitors but more chances of rainy days. This time of the year is considered the low season. If you’re looking for a mixture of both, considered a trip during early December or May. Both months will give you great weather with prices falling between the normal range of the peak and low seasons.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| - |
| 42.00 - 151.00 |
| 81.00 - 167.00 |
| 95.00 - 320.00 |
| 470.00 - 470.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | - |
The only airport is Grantley Adams International Airport and it’s one of the larger and busier facilities in the Caribbean. There are nonstop flights from many major US cities as well as many airports in the UK, making it one of the easier islands to reach.
Nonstop flights from:
San Juan, Miami, Charlotte, Dallas, New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Manchester, and many smaller UK airports in season
If you’re staying in a well known and decent sized hotel, then you’ll find that the public bus system is a good choice as it stops in front of most of the main road hotels. You also have the option of renting a car or using a taxi.