Barbados: Things To Do

Andromeda Gardens A dazzling horticultural marriage between the simplicity of stream-filigreed Japanese rock gardens and the wild romantic tangle of English landscaping, this six-acre oasis overlooks the rollicking Atlantic coast. There’s also an excellent café and gift shop. Bathsheba; 246-433-9261; andromeda.cavehill.uwi.edu
eco-tourism | shop | walk | budget | cafe | gardens

Barbados Museum This 19th-century former British Military Prison traces the history of human habitation over two millennia back to Arawak settlement; learn about everything from primitive dental equipment to the chilling slave sales. Hwy. 7, St. Ann’s Garrison; 246-427-0201; www.barbmuse.org.bb
family | culture | gallery | museum | shop | budget | history

Barbados Wildlife Reserve See the colorful wildlife – deer, peacocks, green monkeys, tortoises – on the grounds, in the aviary, and in the aquarium. Farley Hill; 246-422-8826
family | aquarium | walk | moderate | zoo

Diving and snorkeling Roughly 30 dive sites, and a large marine reserve, garland the west and south coasts. See sea fans, barrel sponges, 50+ fish species, and almost 20 wrecks. PADI-certified Dive Barbados gets the nod for personalized attention (max six divers). Dive Barbados, Various locations; 246-422-3133; www.divebarbados.net
family | diving | expensive

Fishing Go deep for big billfish or stay along the coast and reel in wahoo and barracuda. Blue Marlin Barbados runs the 36-foot Blue Marlin and 45-foot Blue Jay Sport Fisherman (both include bait, tackle, GPS tracking, knowledgeable crews, drinks, snacks, and transfers). Blue Marlin Barbados, The Careenage; 246-429-2326; www.bluemarlinbarbados.com
expensive | fishing

Flower Forest This remote, almost supernaturally quiet spot contains 100+ species of flora, from puffball trees to plumbago, scattered amid a 50-acre former sugar plantation. There's also a snack bar, gift shop, and strategically located benches with mountain views. Hwy. 2, Richmond Plantation; 246-433-8152
eco-tourism | off the path | romantic | shop | walk | budget | cafe | gardens

Folkestone Marine Park The museum and aquarium provide a dynamic introduction to the island’s denizens of the deep, from barracuda to barrel sponges. Divers can follow the underwater snorkeling trail around Dottin's Reef, but glass-bottom boats also ply the waters. Church Point, Holetown; 246-422-2871
family | aquarium | eco-tourism | museum | shop | snorkeling | boat tour

Golfing Golf-mad Barbados features several top-hole courses, but the Country Club at Sandy Lane is the unquestioned queen, with the Tom Fazio-designed Country Club Course and devilish guest/member-only Green Monkey Course. Carts include GPS, which provides hazard alerts, playing tips, and refreshment orders. Country Club at Sandy Lane, Hwy. 1, Paynes Bay; 246-432-2829; www.sandylane.com/golf
golf | shop | smart splurge | expensive

Harrison’s Cave Fancifully shaped stalactites and stalagmites blossom around subterranean streams and a 40-foot waterfall. Electric trams whisk you around the limestone cavern’s most remarkable sections on the wildly popular one-hour tour. Hwy. 2, Welchman Hall; 246-438-6640; www.harrisonscave.com
family | eco-tourism | shop | tour | moderate | smart splurge

Hiking Try one of the National Trust’s free guided treks – the routes change regularly but the sights and commentary make for scintillating edu-tainment. Hiking sites include Welchman Hall Gully (actually a collapsed limestone cavern) and the Arbib Heritage & Nature Trail. National Trust; trust.funbarbados.com
family | eco-tourism | culture | hiking | off the path | tour | walk | budget | history

Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill The island’s last standing windmill, replete with sails and wheelhouse, operated from 1727 to 1945 (it was restored in 1998 by the Barbados National Trust). The interior houses displays on sugar cultivation, including evocative photographs. Cherry Tree Hill; 246-422-7429
family | museum | budget | history

St. Nicholas Abbey One of only three Jacobean houses still standing in the western hemisphere, this 17th-century stone-and-wood greathouse has no religious affiliation. Period furnishings (including family portraits), lovely grounds, and rare pre-WWII home movies handsomely evoke the plantation lifestyle. Cherry Tree Hill; 246-422-8725; www.stnicholasabbey.com
family | museum | moderate | history | cafe | gardens