Heading to the Caribbean is a prime travel destination for a lot of reasons. The sun and the sand are on the top of the list, but there’s more to this region than that. Nowhere is that more evident than on the island of Barbados.
Naturally, it has the resorts and the massive cruise ship port, as one would expect. But the island has a lot to offer visitors, regardless of the experience they choose. Barbados is a magnificent place to spend a week or seven.
Relax on Bathsheba Beach
Calling this part of Barbados legendary at this point might be the biggest understatement of your trip. Naturally, you’re here for the beaches. Beautiful white sand stretches along the east coast of the island, dotted by intriguing rock formations. Bathsheba is the definition of picturesque.
But this region is more than that. The village of Bathsheba is a wonderful place with guest houses for rent, not to mention some great restaurants and rum shops. This might be the the spot you picture in your imagination when you think of Barbados.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens
The climate of Barbados is naturally quite stunning for the most part. As such, it should come as no surprise that there are a few wonderful botanical gardens on the island when you consider the diverse array of fauna the environment can support.
While you have a variety of choices, Andromeda Botanic Gardens is an excellent stop. Stunning and gorgeous, it has a surprising range of plants. It’s a relaxing place to spend time, which is probably why it attracts visitors from around the world.
Explore Bridgetown
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados, not to mention the largest city on the island. Whether you arrive by plane or by cruise ship, this is the place where you will make your first steps into paradise. But don’t sleep on Bridgetown, either.
Naturally, there is a marvelous array of shops and restaurants to check out. On top of that, there are iconic locations like St. Nicholas Abbey, Carlisle Bay and Chamberlain Bridge. And try to stop by Cheaptown Market if you have a moment or two.
Mount Gay Rum Distilleries
If there one word that people associate with the island of Barbados, it’s rum. For some people, that goes for virtually any island in the Caribbean. But Barbados definitely has some of the best rum distilleries in the world.
Established in 1703, Mount Gay Rum Distilleries is one of the oldest distilleries of any kind in the world. Not only can you do some shopping here, you can take a tour of the facility which is towards the northern point of the island.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve
Visitors to Barbados are often surprised by the existence of monkeys on the island. But Green Monkeys are not endemic, having been brought to the island in the 1600s. Now, they are a prominent species that can be found in every corner.
The Barbados Wildlife Reserve was initially set up to study the monkeys, but now acts as reserve for free roaming species like Cuban Rock Iguanas, Red-Footed Tortoises and Patagonian Maras. As an extra bonus, all the paths are made with recycled bricks from old sugar cane factories.