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Barbados Planning:

My route map was San Juan–>Saint Kitts–>Antigua–> Barbados–> Grenada or from SJU–>SKB–>ANU–>BGI–> GND going by airport codes. Barbados was a former British colony, so people on this island speak English. Compared to other islands in the Caribbean, Barbados stands out with its well-connected public transit system, to go around the Island. I visited Barbados in April 2023.

Capital of Barbados 🇧🇧 is Bridgetown

Fights:

I flew into Barbados from Antigua by InterCarribean Airways for which I paid 162$ with Capital One points. Leaving from here was by Carribean Airline to Grenada for which I paid 189$ with Chase Points. My Grenada trip Review can be found here.

Currency:

Currency of Barbados is Barbadian (BBD) or Bajan Dollar. US Dollar is generally accepted everywhere on the Island. BBD is pegged to US Dollar. 1 USD=2 BBD

Accommodations:

I stayed in this Island nation for 3 days. During my stay, I used Airbnb website/App to reserve my accommodations. I observed that accommodations are on the expensive side in Caribbean Island Nations. So, I decided to stay in Airbnb ‘s in Oistins for 2 nights and in Bridgetown for 1 night. Surprisingly, I learnt that Barbados has many Consulates in Bridgetown. So, most of the people from Other Caribbean countries like Antigua, St. Kitts, Grenada, Dominica, Saint Lucia come here for getting their VISA stamps/work done.

Transportation on Ground:

The public transit around the island is great. Basically, there are vans and buses that take you all around the island, which is very convenient and affordable for tourists and locals alike. The cost of ride is around 3.50 Barbadian Dollar.

• Places I visited are shown with Blue Tear Drop Above
• Airport is indicated in Purple.
• Places of Interest on the Island that I was not able to Visit are shown in Orange tear drop.

Boots on the Ground:

Day 1:

After landing in the Airport, I took the 12A van, which was right outside the airport, to get to my Airbnb accommodation in Oistins. My host gave me very good directions on where to get off the Van, to make it easy for me to walk to her place. After I left my bags at Airbnb, I went to Oistins fish market and the shacks, where they make the fish fry and other sea food. I ordered fried fish myself and it was delicious. Besides, fish cakes in Oistins are a must taste delicacy, as they are inexpensive and are well done.

Later I took a walk on the ocean front, returning to my accommodation in Oistins, after a filling dinner.

Mangos grown in backyards at many homes on the Island. My Airbnb host had a mango tree in her back yard, and I got some sweet mangoes from her.

Day 2:

I stayed at an Airbnb in Bridgetown on Day 2. I enjoyed the Boardwalk, which is the longest Boardwalk in the Caribbean.

It’s 1.6km in length, starting at Accra beach. The walk took me past restaurants, hotels, beach bars and places to sit and stare at the waves. The boardwalk ends in Camelot. Seeing ocean waves crashing into the rocks and beach sand, was very relaxing and soothing, all along the walk. This spot on the southwest side of the island, should be on anyone’s “must see” list, when visiting Barbados

There are beautiful beaches starting in the south going westwards. Surely, the beaches on the westside are calmer with the Caribbean waters, than eastside beaches where Atlantic waters are rougher. I saw a lot of Sargassum, at some beaches. For long time this has been a problem at Barbados beaches, but a solution has not yet been found.

I got a chance to visit George Washington House and Garrison Tunnels in downtown. This was the House where George Washington stayed, when he visited this Island nation as a teenager with his brother.

Additionally, I checked out Barbados Museum and historical society.

I took a walk to Independence square and the surrounding area to get a feel for the center of activity in Bridgetown.

Day 3:

Starting early in the morning I took a walk to St. Lawrance Gap, where there is a shallow beach at the entrance. It’s renowned for night life and fine restaurants.

I went snorkeling this day, with Tranquility Cruises to see the shipwreck, turtles and reef fish. I reserved my snorkel trip using Chase Points in the Activities section of Ultimate Rewards Portal, which was 28$. The shipwreck is in Carlisle Bay, close to the Browne’s Beach.

There are 2 stops on the snorkel tour. First stop is to see the Turtles and String Rays. String Rays were mostly on the seabed, while turtles were swimming close to the surface of the water. Second stop was at the shipwreck, where there were tons of reef fish.

After the snorkeling tour, I went to Hole town and to Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve, where there were picnic tables along with gift shop and a beach restaurant. This is a well-kept beach. There is a small reef close to the beach and it also has access to a nice boardwalk.

I called it a day and winded down for the evening after visiting Hole town which is an upscale town on this Island.

I made my itinerary after looking at the following sources:

Planetware.com

VisitBarbados.org

Things I missed to see, which is a must do:

Racehorses are brought to pebble beach on Thursdays and Saturdays for a wash/bath in-between 5:00 am and 8:00 am.

Horse Racing happens here in Bridgetown all year round and their schedule could be found here.