If you’re looking for a vacation where nothing but relaxation is on the agenda, you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than Barbados. A quintessential fly-and-flop destination with postcard-perfect white sand beaches, neon-hued waters and bougie beach clubs lining the coast, it’s a year-round destination that will leave you feeling refreshed and full of vitamin D. But where does the style set go next?
Where to stay
Shoemakers Bay
Pink candy cane umbrellas, palm trees and marble bars with woven rattan furniture: Cobblers Cove feels like it’s stepped straight out of the glamorous Caribbean heyday of the 1950s.
The clientele ranges from newlyweds to those who have been staying at the hotel annually for 30 years. A firm favourite with Brits, you are almost certain to see a man in a polo shirt, cricket cap and trusty Daunt Books bag slung over his shoulder as he searches for the best lounger for the day.
Each of the property’s 40 rooms is a suite, complete with indoor and outdoor spaces and décor that’s a beautiful mix of chintz and tropical: the playful result of a 2019 collaboration with Soane Britain.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a small gym, a two-room spa, a tastefully decorated shop and a restaurant. After soaking up the rays in the teardrop-shaped pool or snorkeling in the bay, pull up a chair on the oceanfront veranda and order one of the exceptional Piña Coladas just in time for sunset.
Book It: From £650 per night. shoemakerscove.com
Coral Reef Club
Situated on a prime stretch of the Platinum Coastline via a winding, tree-lined driveway, the Coral Reef Club is set in 30 acres of frangipani and bougainvillea-filled gardens. Owned and operated by the O’Hara family since the 1950s, it is a colonial-style hotel with a country club feel that draws the same loyal guests year after year.
The 88 rooms are made up of cottages, suites and spacious rooms with West Indian and European influences throughout. There are two swimming pools, a gym and a water sports centre — but the real showstopper is the self-contained spa with four treatment rooms, a steam room and a hydropool.
The open-air restaurant is located on the waterfront with a beautiful view of the lapping Caribbean Sea. It offers extensive daily menus. Thanks to the hotel’s proximity to some of the island’s best-loved restaurants, it is also a convenient base for dining out.
Book It: From £868 per night for a Double Garden Room including breakfast and taxes. coralreefbarbados.com
The Sandpiper
The Coral Reef Club’s sister hotel, The Sandpiper, is just a short stroll along the beach towards Holetown. A smaller hotel than its sibling, it has a distinctly tropical feel with apartments and sparkling pools emerging from the leaves and foliage.
The Beach House Suites are worth it — spacious with jackpot panoramic views, private oceanfront terraces, plush king-size beds and large modern bathrooms. Facilities include two swimming pools (early rises to grab the half-in, half-out poolside loungers are worth it), a small gym, two tennis courts and a water sports hut.
When it comes to dining, there’s one open-air restaurant, where the Sunday night barbecue is a highlight. It has a wraparound, covered alfresco dining area, right by the hotel’s legendary pink beach hut, Harold’s Bar. Still run by Harold himself, it’s been around for decades and has a thick bible of cocktails to choose from, including the Billie Piper. Named after the lady herself who, on a holiday in the noughties with her then husband, Chris Evans, requested a cocktail made with rum, Tia Maria and chocolate ice cream.
Book It: From £868 per night for a Double Garden Room including breakfast and taxes. sandpiperbarbados.com
Where to eat
The cliff
The A-list-approved The Cliff is a glittering affair. Built into a sheer cliffside, you dine overlooking the illuminated Caribbean Sea as giant stingrays and tarpons scuttle and glide below.
Upon arrival, your car will be valetd before you’re ushered inside for a cocktail in the bling-bling upstairs bar. Downstairs, you’ll find an impressive glass-fronted kitchen where you can watch chefs whip up miso-glazed octopus and truffle cacio e pepe before your chair is pulled out for you on the oceanfront balcony.
thecliffbarbados.com
The fish pot
Located in the tiny fishing village of St Lucy, The Fish Pot is housed in a small 17th-century fort. It’s a beachside restaurant on the waterfront. It has an informal interior – think rustic wooden floorboards and striped awnings – and, as the name suggests, fresh fish is the speciality here. The lobster risotto is an island favourite, but there are plenty of meat and vegetarian options too.
fishpotbarbados.com
Local & Co
On average, Bajan restaurants import over 85% of their ingredients, so stumbling upon Local & Co feels like a real win. Opened during the pandemic by chef Sophie Mitchell, who’s cooked in some of London’s best Michelin-starred restaurants, this spot is at the forefront of the island’s slow food movement. Not a fillet of Scottish salmon in sight, the team ferment, pickle, preserve and cook with local produce, and the results are outstanding. The coconut Caribbean prawn curry or the smashed double-aged burger with bacon jam come highly recommended.
thelocalbarbados.com
Chefette
Fast food may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an island, but it would be a shame to miss out on legendary fast food chain Chefette. No beef burgers here, but spicy island roti, crispy golden fried chicken and towering rum and raisin ice creams. Come hungry.
chefette.com
Lonely star
On the site of a former 1940s garage, Lone Star is a restaurant and boutique hotel that has the feel of a top Mediterranean beach club. It offers laid-back luxury at its finest, with guests ordering ice-cold buckets of champagne with snapper ceviche and club sandwiches all day long. Book a table for lunch and you won’t be leaving until well after sunset.
thelonestar.com
What must we do
Beach clubs
The west coast is peppered with luxury beach clubs ready for a day of sunbathing and a (magnum) of rosé. Sea Shed on Mullins Beach has white sun loungers and impeccable service, with staff in polo shirts, khaki shorts and white trainers to cater to your every need.
Also plan a day at La Cabane. Right on the water, the farm-to-table food and cocktails are as good as the views, and DJs often take to the decks as dusk falls. Technically not a beach club, but a restaurant-cum-beach bar — it’s definitely a place you can spend the day.
seashedbarbados.com; lacabanebarbados.com
Oistins Fish Fry
Although Oistins is a well-known tourist attraction, it’s not to be missed on Friday nights. The island’s fish market comes alive with rum punch bars, street food stalls and street dancers ready to party the night away. With plenty of fish frys to choose from, it’s best to ask the locals where to eat — Pat’s, Uncle George’s and Chillin’ and Grillin’ are names you’ll likely hear over and over again.
Fishing
If tropical fishing is on your bucket list, Barbados is one of the best places to try it, whether you’re a keen angler or a beginner. With over 500 species of fish, you can fish on land or at sea, but the latter is a real treat. Reel Spirit Fishing Charters offers the island’s most luxurious vessel, and the deep-sea tour is a real adventure. Taking to the Caribbean, you could catch anything from wahoo to giant barracuda, under the guidance of the expert crew. One thing’s for sure? Even the most stoic of stomachs are unlikely to be immune to the swell, so taking anti-nausea tablets is a must.
4 hour tours start at £630 for 6 people. reelspiritfishingbarbados.com
Silver Moon Cruises
A day trip aboard one of Silver Moon Cruises’ luxury yachts is a great way to see a different stretch of coastline. You’ll meet at the marina outside Bridgetown, where you’ll spend the morning sunbathing on expansive decks, snorkeling with turtles and visiting the island’s famous shipwrecks before tucking into a huge banquet of Bajan favorites like blackened shrimp, mahi-mahi, macaroni pie and black-eyed peas with rice. Of course, the day will also be punctuated with ice-cold rum punch top-ups.
Shared cruises from around £115 per adult. silvermoonbarbados.com
Rihanna ride
Mega fans aside, it’s probably not worth making a detour for, but if you’re anywhere near Bridgetown, a trip to Rihanna Drive is a nice little detour. Formerly known as Westbury New Road, the singer lived there until she was 16, and you can visit her lime and yellow childhood home before heading to one of her local bars for an ice-cold Banks pint.
How to get there – and how to get around
British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Barbados from £489 return per person, including taxes and charges; ba.com/Barbados
It is worth hiring a car on the island. Drive-a-Matic hire prices start at around £32 per day and you can collect your vehicle from the airport. car rental.tv