Things to do · Barbados
17 best things to do in Barbados
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Barry haynes, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Barbados are Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, Harrison's Cave and Oistins Fish Fry. Of the 17 picks below, 5 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- Harrison's Cave
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison | Bridgetown | Half a day | Free |
| Harrison's Cave | St Thomas | 1.5 hours | Expensive |
| Oistins Fish Fry | Oistins and Maxwell | 3 hours | Low cost |
| Kensington Oval | Bridgetown | Half a day for a match | Mid-priced |
| Carlisle Bay | Bridgetown | Half a day | Free |
| Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl | Bathsheba and the east coast | 2 hours | Free |
| St Nicholas Abbey | St Peter | 2 hours | Expensive |
| Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre | Bridgetown | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| George Washington House | The Garrison | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Barbados Museum and Historical Society | The Garrison | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Animal Flower Cave | St Lucy | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Barbados Wildlife Reserve | St Peter | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Andromeda Botanic Gardens | Bathsheba and the east coast | 1–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Hunte's Gardens | St Joseph | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Gun Hill Signal Station | St George | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Crane Beach | St Philip | Half a day | Free |
| Bottom Bay | St Philip | 2 hours | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Historic site · Bridgetown
1.Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
Bridgetown's old centre and the British military Garrison to its south were listed by UNESCO in 2011 as an outstanding example of British colonial architecture. 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.
Start at the Parliament Buildings and the Careenage in the morning, then take a bus or taxi to the Garrison.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Iconic
Nature · St Thomas
2.Harrison's Cave
A crystallised limestone cave in the centre of the island, visited on an electric tram that passes stalactites, stalagmites, flowing streams and pools. It is one of the island's most popular attractions and a good choice for a rainy or very hot day.
Combine it with Hunte's Gardens or Welchman Hall Gully, both nearby in the central parishes.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Tram tours can sell out when cruise ships are in port; book a time slot online.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Iconic
Experience · Oistins and Maxwell
3.Oistins Fish Fry
Every Friday night, the fishing town of Oistins fills with grills serving flying fish, marlin, mahi-mahi and lobster with macaroni pie and rice and peas. Music, rum stalls and dancing follow, and both locals and visitors come in large numbers. Smaller versions run on other nights.
Arrive by about 7pm to eat before the queues peak, then stay for the music.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Iconic
- Couples
Experience · Bridgetown
4.Kensington Oval
Barbados's main cricket ground hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup final and the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Watching a match here, with music and food stalls in the stands, is a highlight of the island's sporting culture.
International fixtures are announced well ahead; local matches give a more relaxed taste of island cricket.
- Time needed
- Half a day for a match
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Active
Beach · Bridgetown
5.Carlisle Bay
This wide bay just south of Bridgetown has calm water and several shallow shipwrecks within swimming distance of the beach, now home to reef fish and turtles. Catamaran cruises stop here, and the beach is backed by bars and the Pebbles and Brownes beach areas.
Snorkel the wrecks early in the day, before the catamarans arrive.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Waterfront · Bathsheba and the east coast
6.Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl
On the Atlantic coast, huge coral boulders sit in the surf off Bathsheba's beach, and the Soup Bowl reef break draws surfers from around the world. The coastline is best enjoyed from the shore and the shallow rock pools at low tide, as currents make swimming dangerous.
Visit in the afternoon, when the sun lights the boulders; bring sandals for the rock pools.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Nature
- Couples
Historic site · St Peter
7.St Nicholas Abbey
Built in the 1650s, this Jacobean plantation house is one of only a few of its kind in the Americas. Today the estate distils its own rum, and visits include the house, the distillery and tastings; a heritage railway runs through the estate.
Stop at Cherry Tree Hill nearby for a view over the Scotland District.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Architecture
- Food
Experience · Bridgetown
8.Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre
Mount Gay traces its history to a 1703 deed and calls itself the world's oldest rum brand. Its visitor centre on Spring Garden Highway near Bridgetown runs tours and tastings explaining how Barbados rum is blended and aged.
Book a tasting tour in the afternoon after Carlisle Bay, which is a short taxi ride away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · The Garrison
1.George Washington House
The young George Washington stayed in this Garrison house in 1751, his only trip outside mainland North America. The restored house has period rooms and a museum, and tunnels beneath the Garrison can be explored on some tours.
Combine it with the Barbados Museum, a short walk across the Garrison.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · The Garrison
2.Barbados Museum and Historical Society
Housed in the former British military prison at the Garrison, the museum covers Indigenous history, the sugar plantations and slavery, colonial life and natural history, with a children's gallery.
Allow time for the galleries on plantation history, which explain much of the island's story.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Nature · St Lucy
3.Animal Flower Cave
At the northern tip of the island, this sea cave is named after the sea anemones in its rock pools. Guided visits lead down into the cave, where natural pools and openings look out over the Atlantic, and the clifftop restaurant has wide views.
Cave access depends on the sea; visit when the swell is low and wear shoes with grip.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
Zoo · St Peter
4.Barbados Wildlife Reserve
In a mahogany forest in the north, green monkeys, tortoises, deer and birds roam freely along shaded paths. The reserve sits next to Farley Hill National Park, with its ruined mansion and views over the east coast.
Arrive around the afternoon feeding time, when the green monkeys are most active.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Garden · Bathsheba and the east coast
5.Andromeda Botanic Gardens
These hillside gardens above Bathsheba, created by horticulturalist Iris Bannochie from the 1950s, hold orchids, palms, heliconias and a huge bearded fig tree, with views towards the Atlantic coast.
Combine it with lunch in Bathsheba and the boulders on the beach below.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Garden · St Joseph
6.Hunte's Gardens
A lush garden planted in a deep, collapsed limestone gully in the centre of the island, with winding paths among palms, ferns and flowering plants. Classical music often plays among the plants.
Visit on the way to Bathsheba from the west coast; it is a short drive from Harrison's Cave.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · St George
7.Gun Hill Signal Station
A restored 19th-century military signal station in the centre of the island, used to relay messages by flag. It has views over the south and west coasts, and a large white lion carved by British soldiers stands below.
Clear mornings give the best views across to the south coast.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
Beach · St Philip
8.Crane Beach
On the southeast coast, this cove of pinkish sand below cliffs is reached by steps or through the Crane resort. The waves are bigger than the west coast, making it popular for bodysurfing.
Watch the red flags; currents can be strong when the waves are up.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
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Beach · St Philip
9.Bottom Bay
A small, cliff-backed bay of white sand and coconut palms on the southeast coast, reached by steps from the clifftop car park. It has no facilities and is often nearly empty.
Bring water and snacks, as there are no shops, and keep to the shallows when the surf is up.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Nature
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Barbados Museum and Historical Society |
| History | Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, St Nicholas Abbey, Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre and George Washington House |
| Views | Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl, Animal Flower Cave, Gun Hill Signal Station and Crane Beach |
| Outdoors and nature | Harrison's Cave, Carlisle Bay, Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl and Animal Flower Cave |
| Food and markets | Oistins Fish Fry, St Nicholas Abbey and Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre |
| After dark | Oistins Fish Fry |
| With children | Carlisle Bay, Harrison's Cave, Barbados Museum and Historical Society and Animal Flower Cave |
| On a rainy day | Harrison's Cave, Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre, George Washington House and Barbados Museum and Historical Society |
What to book ahead
- Harrison's Cave: Tram tours can sell out when cruise ships are in port; book a time slot online.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Barbados?
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison. Bridgetown's old centre and the British military Garrison to its south were listed by UNESCO in 2011 as an outstanding example of British colonial architecture.
+What can you do for free in Barbados?
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, Carlisle Bay, Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl, Crane Beach and Bottom Bay. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Barbados when it rains?
Head indoors to Harrison's Cave, Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre, George Washington House and Barbados Museum and Historical Society.
+What is there to do in Barbados at night?
Oistins Fish Fry are best after dark.