Holidays to Barbados
There’s no need to pack your umbrella-ella-ella for a trip to Rihanna’s beachtacular birthplace. Holidays to Barbados promise to be sun-soaked, rum-soaked and fun-soaked.
Let’s start with the beaches…
Because really, there’s no other option. Did someone say best in the world? Yes, we did. You’ll feel right at home on Rockley Beach, with sand so sugary you could chuck it in a cuppa. Here you can get your windsurf on or simply enjoy some people-watching from under a sea-grape tree.
For a spot of snorkelling, head to Brownes Beach where you’ll discover horizon-hugging stretches of sand, shipwrecks and shallow waters. It’s the stuff of coastal dreams!
Find your party people
Barbados’s nightlife is more than enough to satisfy your nocturnal needs. We’re talking bars, clubs, beach parties, boat parties, street parties… and that’s just in St Lawrence Gap!
For truly unforgettable Bajan nights, book your break in festival season (and by the way, it’s almost always festival season). July’s Crop Over may be the jewel in the crown, but November’s Food and Rum Festival is mighty close.
UNES-GO for it
The Bajan capital of Bridgetown is the island’s historic centre. Eight conservation areas, over a hundred listed buildings and gazillions of cool museum exhibits can fill every second you’re not basking on the beach.
The Garrison is where it’s at if you want to get your military history on, UNESCO-style. If you’re a member of a more modern ‘Navy’, take a walk down Rihanna Drive instead. (Rihanna calls her fans the Navy, but you already knew that, obvs).
Something to soak up the rum
Unless you want a serious case of rum legs, you’ll need some sustenance to soak up the Barbados Water. Fortunately, you’re in the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
Flying fish is a local favourite. In the restaurants of St Lawrence Gap, it’ll land on your plate in spicy gravy. Cutters – salt bread sandwiches – and the legendary Bajan macaroni pie are easy to find around here too. Pull up a pew on Dover Road for sea views with your seafood.
Sneak Peek
Best for... Bronzing your body on the world’s best beaches 🏝️
Go... Bridgetown for local life and a helping of history 🇧🇧
You have to... Join the party at the Oistins Friday Fish Fry 🎣
Barbados holiday deals
The Crane Resort
4.4
Excellent
- 11 Jan 2026
- 7 nights
- Bed & breakfast
- From Heathrow
Prices from
Sugar Bay Barbados
4.6
Excellent
- 15 May 2026
- 7 nights
- All-inclusive
- From Manchester
Prices from
Hilton Barbados Resort
- 15 May 2026
- 7 nights
- Room only
- From Manchester
Prices from
Divi Southwinds Beach Resort
4.4
Excellent
- 11 Jan 2026
- 7 nights
- Room only
- From Heathrow
Prices from
Top destinations in Barbados
St Lawrence Gap
Christ Church
Prices from
£829 pp
Bridgetown
Prices from
£1,057 pp
Details
Currency
Euro
Language
Greek & Turkish
Time difference
GMT +2
Cost of a beer
Around €1.50
3-course meal
€15
Flight time
4-5 hrs
A bay for every day
With the best part of a hundred beaches, you’re never far from paradise in Barbados. Fling off your flip-flops and dive into the depths at Folkestone Beach to make some tropical fish friends. Keep your peepers peeled for a sea turtle or two while you’re down there.
If the sea is just something you look at while topping up your tan, you’ll want Batts Rock. A quiet spot on the west coast, its golden sands are an idyllic place to lounge.
Meals that make memories
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: Barbados is the culinary capital of the Caribbean. Delicious dishes are easy to come by almost anywhere, but to really experience Bajan food, you need to try the Fish Fry. This street party/food market turns the village of Oistins into a musical metropolis. Thousands – yes, sometimes literally thousands – descend on the beach on Fridays to eat mahi mahi, swordfish and all manner of yumminess.
Caribbean for kids
Ayia Napa is still, to this day, unbeatable when it comes to nightlife. Make a beeline for the brightly lit, heaving Ayia Napa Square, where most of the action happens. Start easy with a karaoke night at Senior Frog’s and then go wild at the legendary (and literally massive) Castle Club.
Alternatively, there’s Paphos, which is a lot more chilled out. The nightlife here is more about cocktails at harbour-side bars, pints in the pub and alfresco dining – and less about clubbing into the early hours.
When to go to Barbados
We know you want to chase the summer sun, but you’re gonna have to hold your horses. Heat often equals humidity out here, and that means sweat-soaked holiday snaps and afternoons huddled under the aircon.
Visit Barbados between December and April, however, and you’ll still be sunning in 30-plus degrees – just with less sweat dripping down your knees.
For a cheap Barbados holiday, it’s all about the shoulder season. April, May, October or November should deliver beach weather without the peak season price tag.
