2 days in Barbados

Day by day

1. Day 1: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison and Kensington Oval

   Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, Kensington Oval, Carlisle Bay and Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre, then Oistins Fish Fry in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison

      Highlights include the Parliament Buildings, the Careenage, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue and the Garrison Savannah, where horse racing has been held since the 19th century.

   2. Late morning

      Kensington Oval

      Watching a match here, with music and food stalls in the stands, is a highlight of the island's sporting culture.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Flying fish and cou-cou

      Local restaurants and lunch spots; Friday cou-cou is a tradition in many places.

   4. Afternoon

      Carlisle Bay

      Catamaran cruises stop here, and the beach is backed by bars and the Pebbles and Brownes beach areas.

   5. Late afternoon

      Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre

      Its visitor centre on Spring Garden Highway near Bridgetown runs tours and tastings explaining how Barbados rum is blended and aged.

   6. Evening

      Oistins Fish Fry

      Arrive by about 7pm to eat before the queues peak, then stay for the music.

2. Day 2: Harrison's Cave and Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl

   Harrison's Cave, Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl, St Nicholas Abbey and George Washington House, then St Lawrence Gap in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Harrison's Cave

      It is one of the island's most popular attractions and a good choice for a rainy or very hot day.

   2. Late morning

      Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl

      The coastline is best enjoyed from the shore and the shallow rock pools at low tide, as currents make swimming dangerous.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Macaroni pie

      Lunch counters, rum shops and the Oistins Fish Fry.

   4. Afternoon

      St Nicholas Abbey

      Today the estate distils its own rum, and visits include the house, the distillery and tastings; a heritage railway runs through the estate.

   5. Late afternoon

      George Washington House

      The restored house has period rooms and a museum, and tunnels beneath the Garrison can be explored on some tours.

   6. Evening

      St Lawrence Gap

      A strip of bars, clubs and live-music venues, busiest on Thursday to Saturday nights.

Before you go

• Harrison's Cave: Tram tours can sell out when cruise ships are in port; book a time slot online.

If it rains

• Swap in Barbados Museum and Historical Society (The Garrison): Allow time for the galleries on plantation history, which explain much of the island's story.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–23 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.4 hours in January to 12.9 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Bus. Blue government buses, yellow minibuses and white 'ZR' route taxis all charge the same flat fare and run frequently along the west and south coasts from Bridgetown terminals.

More or fewer days

• One day in Barbados
• 3 days in Barbados
• 5 days in Barbados

Questions travellers ask