Barbados

An island you can cross in an hour, with a different sea on each side. Calm and clear on the west, wild Atlantic on the east, and rum that predates almost everything

Where to stay

The Crane Resort

St Philip · south-east coast · above Crane Beach

The oldest continuously operating hotel in the Caribbean, open since 1887.

See if your St Philip dates are free

  • Opened in 1887 as the Crane Beach Hotel and described as the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Caribbean. It stands high on the cliff above Crane Beach on the south-east coast — Buffalo Bill Cody once left his gold watch behind as payment for his room. There are now 364 rooms, five outdoor pools, five restaurants, a spa and a 24-hour gym with yoga and fitness classes. It's a large resort rather than a boutique, but the setting and the history are what you come for.

    • Open since 1887 — the Caribbean's oldest continuously operating hotel

    • Cliff-top position above Crane Beach

    • Five outdoor pools and five restaurants

    • Spa and 24-hour gym with yoga and fitness classes

    • Tennis courts and bike hire

Cobblers Cove

Speightstown · west coast · adults only

An adults-only beachfront in tropical gardens, with sorbet brought to your lounger.

See if your Speighstown dates are free

  • A five-star boutique on the west coast near Speightstown, close to Mullins and Sandy Lane beaches and set in tropical gardens. It's adults only — no children under 12 — with a private beach, an outdoor pool, the Sea Moon Spa and the Camelot Restaurant. Breakfast is included, along with small daily touches like sorbet and lavender towels brought out to you. Kayaking, snorkelling and sailing run from the beach. It made the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List.

    • Adults only — no children under 12

    • Private beach and outdoor pool on the west coast

    • Sea Moon Spa and Camelot Restaurant

    • Breakfast included, plus daily sorbet and lavender towels

    • Kayaking, snorkelling, sailing, tennis and yoga

Sea Breeze Beach House

Christ Church · south coast · near Dover Beach

All-inclusive on the south coast, if you'd rather not think about dinner.

See if your Christ Church dates are free

  • On the south coast at Maxwell in Christ Church, near Dover Beach and Miami Beach. Three outdoor pools, five restaurants, four bars, the Drift Spa and a 24-hour gym. There's an all-inclusive rate that folds food and drink into the room price, which is genuinely useful when you're travelling alone and would rather not solve the where-to-eat problem every single night.

    • South coast, near Dover and Miami beaches

    • Three outdoor pools and five restaurants

    • All-inclusive rate available

    • Drift Spa and 24-hour fitness centre

    • Four bars, beach volleyball and EV charging

8 Bucket List things to do in Barbados

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The best places to stay in Barbados

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    • Barbados became a republic in November 2021, and its first President is a woman — Dame Sandra Mason. Rihanna was declared a National Hero the same day.

    • Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    • Mount Gay has been making rum since 1703 — the oldest documented rum brand in the world.

    • The island is about 34km long and 23km wide, so you can cross it in roughly an hour.

    • English is the official language, and the Barbados dollar is pegged to the US dollar.

  • Best time — December to April is the dry season, and the busiest. May, June and November are quieter and cheaper with a decent chance of good weather. Hurricane season runs June to November, though Barbados sits at the eastern edge of the belt and is hit less often than islands further west.

    Getting around — Hire a car if you want to reach the east coast. Otherwise the ZR vans and blue buses are cheap and run constantly along both coasts. Taxis aren't metered — agree the fare before you get in.

  • Barbados is an easy, friendly place to travel alone — English everywhere and a well-worn tourist infrastructure. Apply the usual coastal-resort sense: don't walk isolated beaches after dark, and agree taxi fares in advance. And go to the Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday night. It's communal, loud and busy, and turning up on your own is completely normal — it's the single easiest way to have an evening with other people without booking anything.

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