Barbados (Bridgetown/Holetown)

The Bridgetown Port where we disembarked our cruise ship was relatively well organized - despite having to board a bus to drive us in a circle and deposit us about 400 yards from where we’d started, in order to go through customs. Once through that rigmarole, the taxi stand was efficient and the prices appeared fixed based on where on the island you were trying to get to (e.g. no haggling needed between drivers).

The island immediately felt more developed and modern than most of the islands we’d been stopping at along our cruise.

We were staying 1 night before flying back home, so we made our way to a cute little family-owned hotel called “Beach View Barbados” located just south of Holetown on the west coast of the island. Since it’s NOT an all-inclusive (as many of the island’s lodging options appeared to be), its prices were more reasonable (though not inexpensive!). The decor was simple but functional and the staff was exceptionally helpful both before our arrival via email, and also during our stay! Each room has a small kitchen and living room, so it would be perfect for a longer visit. The 2 pools on-site were clean and nicely maintained, and beach chairs/umbrellas were availble to check out for free. The restaurant on-site looked decent, though we didn’t try it ourselves.

Beach View had helped us arrange for a rental car directly from their hotel location (instead of having to get ourselves to the airport rental car sites or downtown Barbados locations), and since our room wasn’t ready for check-in yet, we dropped our bags and quickly signed the paperwork for the rental car!

From there we went exploring - checking out the Flower Forest Botanical Gardens first. Though it didn’t impress us like the Botanical Gardens in Guadeloupe, it was still a lovely walk along a manicured path in a beautiful tropical forest setting. They also had a cute shop with homemade goods for sale.

Our next stop was Bathsheba Beach on the rugged east coast of the island. This is a famous spot for surfing where we happened upon an international Junior surf competition taking place! The unique rock formations at the far end of the beach were fun to check out as well.

We tried driving to the Mount Gay Rum Distillery, however we ended up at what looked like a run-down factory with nobody around and no clear Office, Tasting Room, or Tourist entrance. So, although it looks very cool online, we’d recommend calling and scheduling a visit (and confirming the location) before you try this activity!

Unfortunately we were visiting on a Monday so the famous Animal Flower Caves & Restaurant were closed - but if we go back, this would be a fun activity we’d try!

Our next stop was for lunch in Speightstown - back on the north-west side of the island. Some friends had recommended Local & Co, which turned into a GREAT little afternoon treat for us. The inviting and cozy outdoor deck, with fun and funky decor, sitting atop a small but peaceful beach was the perfect final stop for our afternoon of exploring.

Dinner that night was at The SeaCat - a wonderful restaurant recommendation by the Beach View Manager, and the next morning, we relaxed on the small beach (Paynes Bay) directly across from the hotel. The water was so smooth, a couple was picked up by boat for a Scuba Tour there, and folks were waterskiing behind a boat just off the beach!

We were unimpressed with the Barbados airport experience as we started our long journey to Denver via Miami. The TSA line didn’t accept electronic American Airlines tickets (we had to go back to the check-in desk to get printed tickets), they held us up for 20 minutes searching our bags for what turned out to be our Scuba Diving Bells, the Priority Lounge didn’t allow us in as they said they were overbooked, and the food options in the food court were limited.

Summary

Overall we enjoyed our time in Barbados and could see going back for a few days, especially if it was a jumping-off or ending point for a future trip.

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list!”

– Susan Sontag