For a small island 21 miles by 14 miles, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do.

A small selection of the sorts of things you can do in Barbados.  There are guide books and leaflets with lots of info in Sandy Lodge.

If you are a member of the NT, it is worth taking your card because many places in Barbados will offer you a discount if you show your card.

18 IDEAS FOR DAYS OUT – OR HALF DAY TRIPS – AND SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY ON THE BEACH OR BY THE POOL!

1.  Hunte’s Gardens       

A lovely garden in a sink hole gully.  The garden was created by Anthony Hunte who has a great flair for garden design and is a legendary horticulturalist.

It is about 20 -30 minute drive from Holetown and is located in the St Joseph’s area of Barbados.  You can drive, or catch a bus to the gardens from Speightstown – just ask at the bus station and they will help you to catch the right bus.

The gardens are very ‘walkable’ with many beautiful and quiet areas to sit and enjoy the peace.

In the main house you can buy drinks and cake (the banana cake is lovely) and buy souvenirs made by local crafts people.

2.  St Nicholas Abbey Plantation    

A really interesting house, a working rum distillery, museum and garden.  Your entrance ticket entitles you to a tour of the house – a lovely Jacobean mansion with some beautiful pieces of furniture, a glass of fruit juice or rum punch and a tour round the distillery and plantation and a rum tasting.

Tour includes a fantastic short black & white pre-war film of family arriving on a ship from the UK.

There is also a small café with a nice menu and gift shop.

Well worth a visit about $Bds 45 entrance to include tour, rum punch and rum tasting.

3.  The East Coast – Bathsheba

This is the Atlantic coastline and very different from the Caribbean west coast.  You can drive down the coast and stop off in Bathsheba.  There’s a great café in Bathsheba for lunch – Dinas Bar and Café (see Restaurants).  A lovely place for walks, picnics and enjoying the rugged scenery.  Buses go to Bathsheba from Speightstown.

4.  Andromeda Gardens    

Close to Bathsheba (would combine with the visit above to make a very nice day out), the Andromeda Gardens are well worth a visit.  The gardens are about 8 hectares in size and contain some rare species of trees.  There are two well signposted pathways through the gardens – we had the time to take both pathways.  Plants and trees are well signposted.  The staff are very enthusiastic and helpful.  There is a small café selling drinks (great lime and ginger drink), cakes, sandwiches, salads and fish cakes.  There is a small gallery shop selling local handcrafts.  Parking is plentiful.

5.  Cool Runnings – Catamaran Cruises  

You will be picked up from Sandy Lodge and taken to the terminal in Bridgetown where you will join your catamaran for the day.  Numbers are limited – so it feels uncrowded.  Your ticket includes transportation to and from Sandy Lodge, unlimited drinks, buffet lunch and an opportunity not only to visit some lovely beaches and snorkel but also to swim with turtles.  All snorkelling equipment provided.  A very popular trip and good value for money.

6.  Horse Racing at Garrison Savannah, Bridgetown    

This is a great, cheap day out!  You can catch the Oistins bus from Sandy Lodge and get off at the Garrison area of Bridgetown.

Horseracing takes place at the Garrison Savannah (one of the oldest race tracks in the Americas) on a Saturday for most months of the year.  Check the website for race meeting dates and times.

The race track is small and wherever you sit in the stand you can see the whole race and the parade ring.  There is a really good atmosphere of mostly locals with some tourists as well.  There are different levels of entry with the cheapest being $Bds 20 for the Grandstand.  Check out the website for up to date prices.

The races are a great place to mingle, enjoy the different foods from vendors, have a picnic, watch the horses and of course place bets.

7.  The Garrison, Bridgetown (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

This is a really interesting area to visit with a range of historical buildings, a museum and you can even tour the extensive underground tunnel system.

There are numerous tours you can do.  George Washington’s House (the only place George Washington visited outside of the USA) is well worth a visit with a very good tour guide.  Before the tour of the house we saw an interesting video which provided useful background history.

You can reach this area using the Oistins bus – get off at the Garrison.  There is a very good café in the grounds called the Coffee Barbados Café – great for lunch, tea, coffee etc.

There are various websites which will provide information about this site.

8.  The Animal Plant Caves

These caves are north of the island where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.  You can visit and swim in the caves (wear sensible shoes as it is very slippery) with local guides who will show you the interesting rock formations.  There are spectacular views from both within the caves and the outside area.  There is a children’s play area, small stalls with locals selling handicrafts and a great café.  The café, which has fabulous views over the sea, has an interesting menu of sandwiches, salads, fish cakes, desserts etc.  Good service and a very nice place to watch the waves crashing against the cliffs.

There is plenty of parking.  You can access the caves using local bus. Take the bus to Speightstown and ask at the bus station.

9.  The Beaches

Sandy Lodge is a 4 minute stroll from a lovely beach – Alleynes Beach.  All beaches on the west coast are accessible and open to the public.  Beaches are sandy, gently sloping, safe and the sea is beautifully warm and calm.  You can use your beach chairs and umbrella available for you in Sandy Lodge or hire sun loungers etc when on the beach – cost $Bds 45 for 2 loungers and an umbrella for the day.   In our experience, the beach close to Sandy Lodge is quiet – especially if you turn right, walk past Ju Ju’s and Lone Star and you will find a nice quiet area to relax, read or swim.  The photograph  to the left shows the stretch of beach I am writing about!  To the right you will see a beach bar with a wonderful view.

The guide books in the villa will give you more information about the beaches so you can decide which beach would suit you best.

10.  Cricket   

The world famous Kensington Oval, to the west of Bridgetown, hosts international and inter-island matches.  It is accessible via the Bridgetown bus plus a 15 minute walk.  Check their website for the current fixtures.

Also very much worth a visit is the nearby Legends of Barbados Cricket Museum.  This can be combined with a tour of the ground and features Barbadian greats such as the 3 Ws and Sir Garfield Sobers.

11.  Bridge   

The Barbados Bridge Club in Bridgetown is very welcoming and has sessions Monday to Saturday.

12.  Mount Gay Rum Distillery Tour

This is well worth a visit.  For Bds$ 60 you get a tour, a video presentation, a rum punch and five tastings.  Good value for money and interesting.  Check out their website for timings and up to date costs. You can catch the bus – speak to the driver / conductor about where to get off and then about a 15 min walk, there’s a big car park there.

13.  Martin’s Bay

If you go to Bathsheba on the east coast, its well worth the 10 min drive to Martin’s Bay – just south of Bathsheba.  Its a very quiet, local beach. There are a couple of bars which serve some food.  On a Thursday there is a fish market and local stalls selling local foods and drink.  A great spot – almost like the real Barbados.  Unspoilt.

14.  Foursquare Rum Distillery

South of the island and new to Sunbury Plantation House.  A free self guided tour and rum tasting (charge for this) was very generous and well done.  Well worth a visit.  See their website – rumsixtysix.com

15. Sunbury Plantation House

An interesting house with a self guided tour, lots of rooms and exhibits, a café and a small shop.

16.  Barbados Parliament and Museum, Bridgetown

An excellent, well laid out museum highlighting the history and 10 Bajan greats.  If you are lucky, you will also be able to visit the Parliament as well – depends on whether they are sitting. Closed on a Tuesday.

17.  Welchman Hall Gully

This is a lovely walk – about 40 minutes in total – through the ‘jungles’ of Barbados.  Lots of lovely trees and flowers and caves.  A very safe path way and mostly flat – so an easy walk.  Bds$24 entrance but half price if you are a member of the National Trust.

18.  The Flower Forest

Another lovely walk with great coastal views, beautiful plants and trees and fabulous views of the ‘Scotland’ area of Barbados.  Well laid out, walk is about 40 minutes in a loop, mostly flat.  There is a very nice gift shop and café with a deck over looking the forest.  Entrance Bds$30.

Other ideas – to list a few:

Visit – Harrisons Cave, The Wild Life Reserve, The Concorde Experience, the botanical gardens, Codrington College, 

Watch –  polo, turtles on the beach, celebs on Sandy Lane Hotel beach

Take part in – water sports, kayaking, horse riding, fishing, off roading, a rum tour, diving, scuba diving, snorkelling

Hire a car and drive round the island – see Ins and Outs of Barbados magazine in the villa for suggested routes.