The Best Beaches in Barbados

The beautiful island of Barbados has over 70 miles of beaches, each of which are unique and different. Beaches located on the Caribbean (West side) of the island are suitable for water activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding, jet skiing and sunbathing due to their calm nature while beaches on the Atlantic (East side) are more rocky and good for surfing or sunbathing. It was incredible to see so many different types of beaches on such a small island which added to the charm and beauty of Barbados! Here are my top 5 favorite beaches you must visit during your travels to this magical island.

1. Bottom Bay
Bottom Bay was the most scenic of all the beaches I visited in Barbados. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by a magnificent cliff over looking the prettiest turquoise water I’ve ever seen! The tall palm trees on the beach down below made for the perfect backdrop. There’s plenty of beach here to sunbath and have a picnic or you can do the same from above and enjoy the view on the rocky cliff.
If coconut water if your thing, you can buy a fresh coconut at the top of stairs that descend down to the beach from some of the local Bajans who actually climb the tall palm trees on the beach and shake down the coconuts! I would highly recommend this beach for sunbathing, swimming and picture taking.



2. Bathsheba Beach
Bathsheba Beach was one of the most unique beach I’ve ever visited! Located on the East side, Bathsheba was extremely windy and the waves looks like a surfers dream come true. Dangerous rip curls and undertows do not make Bathsheba an ideal spot to swim, however, you can enjoy the water in many of the shallow natural reef pools located just a few feet from the shore. During the winter, layers of seaweed wash up on shore so I appreciated the view from far away because it made for some cool photos. The giant rock formations are what make this beach a stunning sight to see! I would highly recommend Bathsheba for sunbathing during the Summer and picture taking and surfing during the Winter. Experienced surfers only!

3. Alleynes Bay
Alleynes Bay has crystal clear water which makes it the best beach in Barbados to snorkel and swim with sea turtles. I entered the beach from The Lonestar, a really popular restaurant and hotel in the bay which I would highly recommend for breakfast or lunch before your swim. Bring plenty of snorkel gear and an underwater camera if you have one!

4. Paynes Bay & Sandy Lane Beach
These two beaches are home to some of the island’s most luxurious resorts. Located on the West side of the island, the soft white sand and calm waves make these two beaches the best for water sports, sun bathing and swimming. I stayed at a private villa in Paynes Bay during my stay and enjoyed watching the boats dock out in the water, the jet skis go by and taking strolls to nearby Sandy Lane Beach.
Sandy Lane, an exclusive high end luxury resort, is located here. You can admire the signature pink umbrellas and walk the beach, but don’t be expected to be allowed into the resort for a cocktail unless you’re a guest at the hotel or have a meal reservation!

5. Brandon’s Beach
Brandon’s Beach was a little off the beaten path and more secluded than the other beaches, but I loved how private it was and the fact that you could relax and watch the locals surf here. I would recommend making a pit stop here after you take a tour at the famous Mount Gay Rum Distillery!
If you’re looking for additional thing to do during your stay, check out my blog post on the the top activities to do during your trip to Barbados!

Top 5 Activities to do in Barbados

I’m an explorer at heart and am always up for an adventure! My favorite thing about traveling is when I find opportunities to experience the natural beauty of our world and time to marvel at the beauty of animals in their natural habitat. During my 10 day trip to Barbados, I got to see so much of the island and planned some fun activities that completely beat my expectations and blew me away.

If you’re planning a trip to Barbados, here is my list of the top 5 activities I would highly recommend you do to satisfy your craving for adventure!

1. Feed the monkeys at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve
This was the highlight of my trip! I didn’t expect the monkeys to be so friendly and agile, but when it comes to food they love humans and don’t mind getting up close and personal. I totally didn’t expect them to eat right out of my hand but they did and it was incredible! You can read more in depth about my wildlife reserve experience here and see all the photos I took of the animals in the reserve. Admission costs $30 BDS ($15 USD) for adults and $15 BDS ($7.50 USD) for children. Hours are from 10am to 5pm and it is recommended that you are there around 2pm as this is the animal feeding time so you are more likely to see many of the animals at this time.

2. Swim with sea turtles
If you love being in the water as much as I do and you enjoy water activities like snorkeling or scuba diving, Barbados is a great place to experience swimming with sea turtles! The best part about this activity is that you don’t even need to pay to go out on a catamaran because the turtles can be found many places right off the beach. You can even feed and pet the turtles when you swim with them!
Head out early in the morning when the turtles are likely to be scouting for food. We snorkeled and swam with the turtles in Alleyne’s Bay (located behind the Lonestar hotel and restaurant) where many of the glass bottom boats and catamarans stick around. Other good areas to swim with turtles include Freights Bay, Carlise Bay & Paynes Bay.

3. Visit Hunte’s Gardens
This beautiful outdoor garden was stunning from the moment we pulling up to the entrance to the moment we left. I’ve never seen such lush, colorful plants or palm trees so tall in my life! This walkable garden holds different surprises around each corner and I could have literally spent an entire day taking pictures of all the exotic scenery, birds and animals among the soft classical music playing throughout the garden. Admission costs $30 BDS ($15 USD) per person and hours are from 9am to 4pm daily. It truly is a magical place unlike any other!

4. Explore the natural beauty of Animal Flower Cave
Discovered in 1750, this naturally formed cave is the only accessible cave on the island and was formed by natural limestone similar to cenotes found in Mexico. Build in 1912, coral steps lead down to the cave floor which is estimated to be 400,000 to 500,000 years old! Be sure to wear sneakers or take your shoes off while in the cave because it’s pretty slippery and easy to fall if you don’t have good balance. There is also a separate swimming chamber in the cave if you’re up for it! Make sure to visit when the waves aren’t too big because it will close due to the strength and size of the waves on occasion. Admission costs $20 BDS ($10 USD) per person and hours are from 9am to 4:30pm daily. In addition to a guided cave visit, there is also a restaurant where you can grab a quick bite to eat and drinks on top of the cave with an incredible ocean view, open from 11am to 3:30pm daily.



5. Enjoy a Rum Punch at the Mount Gay Rum Distillery
Honestly, I was mostly excited for rum cocktails upon showing up to the distillery, but the best part ended up being the incredible history lesson behind Mount Gay Rum! I highly suggest taking the Signtaure Rum Tour through the distillery where you will learn the history of the brand and enjoy a tasting of 3 different rums. You receive a delicious rum punch at the beginning of the tour and it ends at the bar where you can also enjoy specialty rum cocktails. The tour costs $40 BDS ($20 USD) per person and hours are from 9am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday and 10:30am-2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Cheers!

Other activities I would highly recommend depending on how much time you have on the island include:
Oistnis Friday night fish fry
Sunset sail with Cool Runnings
Paddle boarding

Barbados Animal Wildlife Reserve

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I have a very special place in my heart for animals! When I researched top activities in Barbados, I found that there is an Animal Wildlife Reserve on the island where animals roam free and you can see wild green monkeys. I had to check it out for myself! Upon pulling up to the parking lot, we were greeted by incredible banana leaf fields, countless rows of stunning palm trees and beautiful lush, tropical plants.

There were three green monkeys near the ticket counter when we arrived and after paying the entrance fee, we were given chopped up sweet potatoes to feed them. Six more monkeys joined us shortly after they realized food was present, including a couple baby ones.
I was absolutely amazed at how gentle and sweet the monkeys were that I wanted to take one home with me! They each had their own personality and many times they would hold my hand (or a finger) while eating directly out of my hand.

We entered the grounds and started our journey walking small brick pathways throughout the reserve. There were tons of large tortoise which were easy to spot and although they’re known for being slow, they actually move pretty fast. While I was taking photos, one almost walked directly over my foot! Walking a little deeper, we discovered a mother deer feeding her baby!
Continuing further into the reserve, we spotted a rabbit cage filled with beautiful white rabbits and a large male mare rabbit. There were also three large peacocks, one of which  opened their tail so you could see it’s gorgeous feathers! It was absolutely beautiful. It was really cool to see so many different animals living together within such a small space!
I’m not a huge fan of snakes (hence the lack of photos on this one!) but there is also a separate area where you view several species of snakes in glass tanks along with a separate iguana cage. A reserve employee took a couple of the snakes out and allowed guests to hold them which was pretty cool if you’re into that. Next to the snakes were all types of tropical caged birds as well as a separate pool of caymans.

If you love animals as much as I do or want to see green monkeys up close and personal, I would highly suggest coming to visit the reserve during your stay in Barbados! Admission costs $30 BDS ($15 USD) for adults and $15 BDS ($7.50 USD) for children. Hours are from 10am to 5pm and it is recommended that you are there around 2pm as this is the animal feeding time so you are more likely to see many of the animals at this time. It was truly a magical experience and feeding the monkeys was definitely an experience to remember. It was so much better than viewing animals behind bars at the zoo!

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