Barbados conjures up images of palm trees swaying in the breeze, sun kissed, dazzling white sand - and the strains of reggae reverberating around beach bars.

The island is home to several high-profile celebrities, including Rihanna who was born here, and frequent visitors like Penelope Cruz and Kylie Minogue, who own or regularly stay in luxurious properties with price tags exceeding $100 million.

Our Lifestyle and Leisure Editor Sharon Cain, and series photographer, Steve Hare, flew 4,000 miles to find out if the island - at just 21 miles long and 14 miles wide - is all it’s cracked up to be.

Colonial Throwback

In 2026 Barbados is celebrating its 60th year of independence after the British, who landed in 1625, pulled out over 300 years later leaving a mixed legacy.

Establishing sugar exports and introducing an enduring legal and education system, their slave trading policy sparked major unrest. By the early 1800s there were 385,000 slaves labouring in the sugar plantations and subjected to brutal conditions.

Evidence of the colonial era's wealth and excesses can be seen in the Jacobean-style architecture of plantation houses. They include the stately St Nicholas Abbey, which stands resplendent amid mahogany forests, tropical ravines and sugar cane fields.

Hiring a car, we negotiated an adrenalin-fuelled challenge on pot-holed, narrow roads - many with deep drop-offs – to discover more. Within a day of our stay, Barbados ranked among our top ten hazardous destinations for reckless driving, coming a close fourth to Turkey, Albania and Morocco.

Built in 1658, the Abbey is deemed one of Barbados finest historic sites. Elegance personified, mahogany furniture and antiques have withstood the test of time.

The stark reminder of how the opulent lifestyle of former plantation owners contrasted with the horrific conditions in which their slaves existed made me shiver. Slave trading was finally abolished in 1836.

The current owners, an English family who purchased the house two decades ago to preserve its history and architectural heritage and to honour the memory of the slaves who laboured here.

On The Right Track: Heritage Railway

A tour of the house and brewery was followed by a journey into a bygone era through plantations and mahogany woods on the Abbey’s heritage steam railway.

Created and funded at a cost of one million US dollars by architect Larry Warren, the Abbey’s current owner, it has been enchanting visitors worldwide since 2019.

We opted for 20 minute ride from the Abbey to Cherry Hill, a panoramic viewing point 850 foot above sea level.

Unfortunately for us and fellow passengers, everything was shrouded in mist.

There is nothing more compelling than the nostalgia of a steam train and we enjoyed the fascinating commentary into the venture's 'back story'.

The attraction created 15 job opportunities and the enthusiasm of the driver and crew are delightful – a far cry from the attitude of many Barbadians we encountered in the service sector.
Tsunami Warnings

Billboards urging locals to ‘Be Tsunami Smart’ highlight the island’s susceptibility to tsunamis and hurricanes due to lying on the path where the North American and Caribbean plates merge.

It reminded me of living and working in Hong Kong, which is also vulnerable to severe weather conditions including tropical cyclones, and where amber, yellow and black warning systems denoted levels of severity.

Hurricane Beryl, the last hurricane to hit Barbados in July 2024, caused significant damage to boats, homes and disrupted essential services.

Sailing and Snorkelling Heaven

High on our ‘must do’s was a catamaran adventure in turquoise waters where we snorkelled with resident green turtles, feasted on mahi-mahi fish, drank rum, joked with the affable crew and chilled to Bob Marley.

We dropped anchor at Folkstone Marine Reserve in the North East, the island’s first protected underwater sanctuary and thriving ecosystem. Its shallow reef houses and abundance of tropical fish including blue and yellow-tail parrotfish and yellowtail damselfish.

Another idyllic snorkelling spot is Carlisle Bay in Bridgetown from where we set sail. The shore is a popular spot with no shortage of calypso and rum fuelled beach bars. We steered clear of those catering for hordes of cruise passengers with fixed, and massively inflated, charges.

Carlisle Bay's is also where Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles hatch between mid-July and mid-October, with August and September the best months for spotting them. Volunteering is available with The Barbados Sea Turtle Project which safeguards the vulnerable species.

I found the capital Bridgetown, awarded UNESCO status for its British colonial architecture, overhyped, sensing a tense atmosphere despite it being a bustling Saturday afternoon.

When not in the car and walking around, we dressed down to avoid attracting unwanted interest. Incidents of violence, including a recent surge of gun related crime, coupled with opportunistic thefts – which increase when cruise ships are docked - made it hard to fully relax.

Some locals naively believe visitors are minted – a mindset compounded by tourists, predominantly Americans, grossly over-tipping.

Sensory Tropical Gardens

The island’s reputation for lush, tropical gardens, is well deserved. Hunte's Gardens, described as ‘The most enchanted place on earth’ is, without doubt, an oasis of tranquillity.

It's creation stemmed from the vision of horticulturist, Anthony Hunte, who transformed ten acres of a former sugar plantation into a haven of royal palms and tropical plants such as ginger lilies and my favourite bird-of-paradise flowers.

Nestling among the flora and fauna are ‘mini gardens’ with secluded seating areas. Sinking into comfortable wicker chairs, we relished the blissful retreat - worlds away from the cacophonic road chaos. A pot of tea and coconut cake at the delightful, elevated café, rounded off the visit.

Exotic Bajan Heritage

Another idyll tenderly nurtured by its custodians is Andromeda Botanic Gardens on the East coast. The compelling hideaway features include over 600 plant species, ocean views, jungle paths, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Preserving Bajan heritage via conservation and research, it survives on donations from supporters and patrons. A sensory experience in every way, the chef at the garden’s cute café whipped up a delicious coconut-infused chicken dish for us.

Monkeys and Mating

Barbados ticks many boxes for its dedication to conservation in areas including marine, land and wildlife.

The Barbados Wildlife Reserve, a working conservation project and tourism attraction, was originally set to study and preserve green monkeys - descendants of primates introduced from West Africa over three centuries ago.

A highly entertaining troop having the time of their lives had us in stiches with their audacious antics. With the exception of caimans (semi-aquatic reptiles) and pythons, most residents roam freely.

Among my enduring memories of Barbados is the unexpected sight and sound of dozens of enormous, red-footed tortoises mating in any space they could find. Their raucous grunts, groans and squeaks they emitted reflected the sheer physical exertions of the copulations. When in need of a dose of laughter, I think of them.

Fellow inhabitants, who behaved more decorously in front of their guests, include Brocket deer, Caribbean flamingos, peacocks, toucans and otters.

While I would never return to Barbados, I genuinely enjoyed the above destinations and the effort poured into giving their visitors a great experience and feed-good factor. Here are my ‘takeaways’ on the good and not so good.

What’s ‘Hot’ About Barbados

The climate – temperatures hover from 28 to 30 Celsius all year round
The island’s commitment to many aspects of conservation
Tropical backdrops - beaches, gardens, flora and fauna
Culinary delights - some great fish restaurants
Snorkling with green turtles

What’s Not

Rising gun violence – April 2006 saw a triple fatal shooting near St James, a tourist area
Always guarded against opportunistic thieves
Expensive compared to other Caribbean islands
Appalling staff attitude in some hospitality venues – Welshman Hall Gully were so rude we left
Poor road infrastructure/transportation, lack of signposts, erratic, dangerous driving
Vulnerable to hurricanes/natural disasters (hurricane season is June-November)
Dangerous riptides on Atlantic facing East Coast
‘Pop up’ parties – vehicles ‘popping up’ in middle of night with ear-piercing decibel volumes


TRAVEL FACTS

Sharon and Steve travelled independently to Barbados

British Airways operates flights from Heathrow to Grantley Adams International Airport - for information visit here
Visit Barbados - The Official Barbados Tourism Guide
For information on Folkstone Marine Park visit here
For information on El Tigre catamaran tours visit here
For information on St Nicholas Abbey visit here and St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway here
For information on Huntes Gardens visit here and Andromeda Botanic Gardens here
For information on Barbados Wildlife Reserve visit here
For information on Barbados Sea Turtle project visit here
For official GOV.UK travel and safety advice on Barbados visit here