The Caribbean holds many great treasures when it comes to great Beaches and Island Destinations. Barbados is just one of these fantastic places and there are so many amazing things to do in Barbados. I was just there on a little tour with our rugby club. Just the thing for a February escape from South Buffalo in western New York.
Here Are Things To Do In Barbados While You Are On Vacation.
1) Well first of course for us was the rugby pitch at historic Garrison Savannah Barbados! It’s a tad dry compared to the pitch in the South Buf early in the spring of course but softer than the pitch typically is at the start of the fall season. It’s fast and level though and the Barbados Selects are quick and skilled. They were spectacular hosts for both an afternoon game and then brought out the lights for an evening match later in the week.
We fared decently, though…. both our men’s and women’s sides won our first matches but dropped the second of the week. The pints were cold and the hospitality was excellent.
The Garrison Savannah Barbados is the racetrack that hosts the Sandy Lane Gold Coast horse race every March. It’s right across the street from St Anne’s Fort on H7 just outside of Bridgetown. So if you are looking for a bit of rugby to check out here is their site.
2) Alright so maybe rugby isn’t your game? We stayed down at Timeout across the street from Dover Beach Barbados. They took great care of us there. The food and drink at their bar the Sporting Pig is excellent and reasonably priced. Nice kind of man cave atmosphere there. Plenty of tvs for all the soccer (football….. I am an American after all) rugby and even a little college basketball at night if you are so inclined.
Dover Beach Barbados is supreme!! Make it a point to spend at least a few hours there!!
From Timeout, we were about 100 yards from the beach. The water is so clear in Barbados. Almost beyond description but I will try. Crystal clear is almost an understatement, the only place there is a little bit of sediment in the water is when the surf is breaking in the sand. The waves at Dover are just right too. To the left they are just a bit bigger and they even teach beginning surfing over there.
The middle by JCool’s jazz bar is just right, though…. when a front is coming through just enough to break a little on a regular day just enough to tickle you as you head into the water which is just a spectacular temperature. I could spend most of the day in the water there and I am a skinny guy.
Also down at Dover beach, there were sea turtles every day when we were there late Feb 2017. When you hit the beach head down to the right about ⅔ of the way down and look for the deeper blue water about 20 yards out. A landmark that might help is in about in the middle of the pink colored resort. Just be a bit patient and study the surf, they come up every 4 or 5 minutes. There were at least 3 or 4 there every day, bring your snorkel mask and they will let you hang out with they – maybe invest in an underwater camera or case? (I didn’t but maybe would have.)
There is also jet skiing and a ton of other water activities and things to do in Barbados if you are so inclined.
3) If you want to learn some history of Barbados Island then stop at the Sunbury Plantation House. A couple of my compatriots and I rented a little car and did some exploring of the island. Our first stop of the day was Sunbury Plantation. It is a 300-year-old sugar plantation house with a terrific collection of antiques.
The tour was well worth it and the lovely guide gave us a great description of the history of this particular plantation and of Barbados in general. From the dining room set to the bedrooms, to the planter’s offices and even the story about the one owner being friendly with a known pirate. Fascinating stuff! And even thought the wax sculptures of the owners in the living room is a bit creepy the collections are fantastic.
And don’t forget to stop in the late morning or early afternoon because their buffet served on the grounds is scrumptious as well. The Bajans certainly do know how to cook!
4) Another stop on our car tour of the Barbados island was St. John’s Parish Church. The building dates back to roughly 1645 but has had to be reconstructed due to hurricanes in 1675, 1780, and 1831 and fire in 1660. The building is beautiful and well maintained. The interior has a deep ancient, quiet reverence. The elaborately carved pulpit is said to contain six different kinds of wood; ebony, locust, Barbadian mahogany, manchineel, oak, and pine – the first four of which are indigenous to Barbados.
It also has beautifully curved staircases that flank both sides of the entrance and a Westmacott sculpture decorates the wall to the left of the main entrance in tribute to Elizabeth Pinder. The grounds are spectacular as well, several immense mahogany trees dominant the front side and the view from the cemetery is absolutely spectacular.
The churchyard contains the body of Ferdinand Paleologus who was the last descendant of the second brother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. His grave dates to 1660. It also contains one of only two intact sundials on the island. You can look out for miles on the Atlantic Ocean and see up and down the east coast of the island.
5) Not too far up the coast from St John’s is Bathsheba Barbados. A wonderful crisp breeze blows on the beach here. The rock formations are amazing to see. There is only limited water access unless you are surfing because the rip tide and shallow rocks can be dangerous. There are cool caves and tons of tidal pools and unique rock features to explore.
If you are a beginner you can take a surf lesson and if you are advanced head up a couple hundred yards to the Soup Bowl. The swells are nice and we were there on a calm day. They even hold international surfing competitions there. Nothing like that when we there but there was a lady taking action shots of her husband surfing from New Zealand.
One bonus tip to hit while you’re there.
Oistin’s fish market. We were there on a Friday and the atmosphere was hopping. We ate at Pat’s stand. I had the Swordfish, simply MARVELOUS!! I also tried some Marlin, again excellent.
I hope that helps give you a little bit of a taste of things to do in Barbados from a recent traveler. Let me know your thoughts and ask any questions you might have I can try to answer them.
