The scenic nation in the Lesser Antilles is home to amazing scenery, featuring soft-sand beaches, postcard-perfect landscapes, crystal-clear turquoise waters, scenic towns, quaint fishing villages, and seaside spots that invite visitors to exquisite experiences. Add to that the friendly locals, the beautiful gardens, caves, historical sites, colonial buildings-rich neighbourhoods, and wildlife preserves, alongside the many opportunities for water sports, fishing, and other activities, and you start to complete the picture. Of all the outstanding things to see in Barbados, here is an illustrative list of the best of them.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve – A Supreme Wildlife Exploration
The 4047-square metre (4 acres) wildlife park lies in the Saint Peter parish and is an area mainly covered by mahogany forests, which are home to a wide range of animals, including indigenous species like the Barbadian green monkey, caimans, and macaws. While maundering through this fantastic place, you will have the opportunity to see many different animals in their natural environment, including deer, parrots, pigeons, and peacocks, which can be seen interacting with other animals, playing, or eating!
But, that’s not all of it. If you look closely under banana trees, chances are you will see tortoises, iguanas, snakes, and other reptiles taking a rest! And, if you feel like increasing your adrenaline levels, do hike up to Farley Hill and expect to be pampered with heart-stopping views of an exquisite landscape.
Please note that the park is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and the ticket price is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children. However, please check with the reserve’s website (Home - Barbados Wildlife Reserve: Handheld Tourguide) for the updated details before visiting it.
St. Nicholas Abbey – Where History Meets Architecture
Besides one of the most famous distilleries in Barbados, St. Nicholas Abbey is also a unique museum housed in one of the three in total authentic Jacobean mansions in the entire western hemisphere! Situated in the Saint Peter parish, it enables visitors to admire things like its exquisite historical and architectural furnishings, the exceptionally preserved antiques, chimney stacks, a Chinese Chippendale staircase, and curved Dutch gables, which can all be seen through a guided (or self) tour.
Surrounded by beautiful silk cotton and mahogany trees, St. Nicholas Abbey also provides scenic explorations of adorable natural gullies, while you may also hop on the train headed to Cherry Hill and get pristine views of the plantation. As for rum and sugar product lovers, there is both a working distillery and gift shop to please their desires! Finally, don’t leave without watching a rare 1930s movie, “China”, showcasing life in the sugar plantation. Most visitors admit to being mind-blown by it!
Welchman Hall Gully – A Family’s Paradise in Barbados
Fancy trying things like zip lining, walking on a tightrope, and swinging on trees? Then the adventure park within the Welchman Hall Gully is the perfect place to be with the family. Other than that, you can hike through the three-quarter-long forest gully, explore the scenic land, and fill your lungs with fresh air and the unique allure of the natural terrain.
And if the details regarding the life of the early settlers feel fascinating, then walk through the shaded paths via a guided tour and learn all about how the country used to be back in the day, while playful monkeys are seen grooming one another, swinging on vines, and walking on specifically-constructed platforms, greeting visitors in their own playful way.
It should also be noted that Welchman Hall Gully is also considered the place where grapefruit originated during the 17th century. All that aside, discovering collapsed caves, having a picnic or birthday party while camping in the rainforest, and cherishing spectacular views of the captivating east coast with a cold bank of beer and a fishcake in hand are all added things you can enjoy here.
Harrison’s Cave – A Jaw-Dropping Destination
This is, hands down, one of the most popular and important local attractions, perched in the heart of Barbados. Harrison’s Cave is part of a huge underground system of caves, lakes, and rivers that supply the island with (a portion of) its drinking water. The rocky and hilly terrain makes accessing the cave a small challenge worth taking as you will be gracefully rewarded with awe-inspiring natural wonders. Expect impressive, millennia-old stalactites and stalagmites around natural pools and a marvellous waterfall feeding a deep pool with gargling water.
Feel like getting a bit more adventurous? Do consider taking the tram tour and exploring the entire network of Harrison’s Cave. For some people, though, this is the dreamiest wedding setting, so don’t be surprised if you pump into a bridal ceremony while walking through this heart-stopping place!
Carlisle Bay – Exuding Luxury and Elegance
The crescent-shaped Carlisle Bay sits at Saint Michael parish on the west coast of Barbados, neighbouring the country’s bustling capital. Preferred by the majority of celebs and jet-setters visiting Barbados, it is their favourite docking location, which is why you will be seeing numerous luxury yachts and super-elegant catamarans anchored here.
Featuring a friendly, laid-back, and relaxed atmosphere, Carlisle Bay is also home to the exclusive Coconut Court resort, while offering plenty of opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling in the deep crystalline waters of the bay’s marine park. Now, if exploring the aquatic world is your cup of tea, then you will be fascinated with the marine wildlife that lives in the waters around the bay, including sea turtles, eels, rays, seahorses, and many more.
A must-see attraction in Carlisle Bay is Bay Street Esplanade, where you can spot the most romantic sunsets, as well as the Rhythm Bajan Heritage Show, which will introduce you to the Bajan culture through music!
Animal Flower Cave – A Nature Lover’s Earthly Heaven
This remote cave on the north of the island belongs to the Saint Lucy parish and is a cliffside landmark worth seeing, especially if you find nature-related ventures being utterly soul-pleasing for you. The cave got its name from the anemones that live in the pool of the caves, and it also pampers visitors with spellbinding panoramas of the Caribbean Sea through diamond-shaped holes on the cliffs.
There is also a lively play park for the little ones to enjoy adventure activities, along with unusual brown and green formations that owe their distinct hues to the oxidation of iron and copper, many restaurants and bars with exquisite views of the Atlantic Ocean, and stores and shops to buy art and crafts, local jewellery, and more.
The scenic nation in the Lesser Antilles is home to amazing scenery, featuring soft-sand beaches, postcard-perfect landscapes, crystal-clear turquoise waters, scenic towns, quaint fishing villages, and seaside spots that invite visitors to exquisite experiences. Add to that the friendly locals, the beautiful gardens, caves, historical sites, colonial buildings-rich neighbourhoods, and wildlife preserves, alongside the many opportunities for water sports, fishing, and other activities, and you start to complete the picture. Of all the outstanding things to see in Barbados, here is an illustrative list of the best of them.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve – A Supreme Wildlife Exploration
The 4047-square metre (4 acres) wildlife park lies in the Saint Peter parish and is an area mainly covered by mahogany forests, which are home to a wide range of animals, including indigenous species like the Barbadian green monkey, caimans, and macaws. While maundering through this fantastic place, you will have the opportunity to see many different animals in their natural environment, including deer, parrots, pigeons, and peacocks, which can be seen interacting with other animals, playing, or eating!
But, that’s not all of it. If you look closely under banana trees, chances are you will see tortoises, iguanas, snakes, and other reptiles taking a rest! And, if you feel like increasing your adrenaline levels, do hike up to Farley Hill and expect to be pampered with heart-stopping views of an exquisite landscape.
Please note that the park is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and the ticket price is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children. However, please check with the reserve’s website (Home - Barbados Wildlife Reserve: Handheld Tourguide) for the updated details before visiting it.
St. Nicholas Abbey – Where History Meets Architecture
Besides one of the most famous distilleries in Barbados, St. Nicholas Abbey is also a unique museum housed in one of the three in total authentic Jacobean mansions in the entire western hemisphere! Situated in the Saint Peter parish, it enables visitors to admire things like its exquisite historical and architectural furnishings, the exceptionally preserved antiques, chimney stacks, a Chinese Chippendale staircase, and curved Dutch gables, which can all be seen through a guided (or self) tour.
Surrounded by beautiful silk cotton and mahogany trees, St. Nicholas Abbey also provides scenic explorations of adorable natural gullies, while you may also hop on the train headed to Cherry Hill and get pristine views of the plantation. As for rum and sugar product lovers, there is both a working distillery and gift shop to please their desires! Finally, don’t leave without watching a rare 1930s movie, “China”, showcasing life in the sugar plantation. Most visitors admit to being mind-blown by it!
Welchman Hall Gully – A Family’s Paradise in Barbados
Fancy trying things like zip lining, walking on a tightrope, and swinging on trees? Then the adventure park within the Welchman Hall Gully is the perfect place to be with the family. Other than that, you can hike through the three-quarter-long forest gully, explore the scenic land, and fill your lungs with fresh air and the unique allure of the natural terrain.
And if the details regarding the life of the early settlers feel fascinating, then walk through the shaded paths via a guided tour and learn all about how the country used to be back in the day, while playful monkeys are seen grooming one another, swinging on vines, and walking on specifically-constructed platforms, greeting visitors in their own playful way.
It should also be noted that Welchman Hall Gully is also considered the place where grapefruit originated during the 17th century. All that aside, discovering collapsed caves, having a picnic or birthday party while camping in the rainforest, and cherishing spectacular views of the captivating east coast with a cold bank of beer and a fishcake in hand are all added things you can enjoy here.
Harrison’s Cave – A Jaw-Dropping Destination
This is, hands down, one of the most popular and important local attractions, perched in the heart of Barbados. Harrison’s Cave is part of a huge underground system of caves, lakes, and rivers that supply the island with (a portion of) its drinking water. The rocky and hilly terrain makes accessing the cave a small challenge worth taking as you will be gracefully rewarded with awe-inspiring natural wonders. Expect impressive, millennia-old stalactites and stalagmites around natural pools and a marvellous waterfall feeding a deep pool with gargling water.
Feel like getting a bit more adventurous? Do consider taking the tram tour and exploring the entire network of Harrison’s Cave. For some people, though, this is the dreamiest wedding setting, so don’t be surprised if you pump into a bridal ceremony while walking through this heart-stopping place!
Carlisle Bay – Exuding Luxury and Elegance
The crescent-shaped Carlisle Bay sits at Saint Michael parish on the west coast of Barbados, neighbouring the country’s bustling capital. Preferred by the majority of celebs and jet-setters visiting Barbados, it is their favourite docking location, which is why you will be seeing numerous luxury yachts and super-elegant catamarans anchored here.
Featuring a friendly, laid-back, and relaxed atmosphere, Carlisle Bay is also home to the exclusive Coconut Court resort, while offering plenty of opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling in the deep crystalline waters of the bay’s marine park. Now, if exploring the aquatic world is your cup of tea, then you will be fascinated with the marine wildlife that lives in the waters around the bay, including sea turtles, eels, rays, seahorses, and many more.
A must-see attraction in Carlisle Bay is Bay Street Esplanade, where you can spot the most romantic sunsets, as well as the Rhythm Bajan Heritage Show, which will introduce you to the Bajan culture through music!
Animal Flower Cave – A Nature Lover’s Earthly Heaven
This remote cave on the north of the island belongs to the Saint Lucy parish and is a cliffside landmark worth seeing, especially if you find nature-related ventures being utterly soul-pleasing for you. The cave got its name from the anemones that live in the pool of the caves, and it also pampers visitors with spellbinding panoramas of the Caribbean Sea through diamond-shaped holes on the cliffs.
There is also a lively play park for the little ones to enjoy adventure activities, along with unusual brown and green formations that owe their distinct hues to the oxidation of iron and copper, many restaurants and bars with exquisite views of the Atlantic Ocean, and stores and shops to buy art and crafts, local jewellery, and more.