Barbados Top Things To Do

The Barbados Wildlife Reserve
The Barbados Wildlife Reserve’s resplendent mahogany forest is the roaming territory of green monkeys, tortoises, deer, raccoons, pelicans and otters. A walk-through aviary allows a leafy stroll with peacocks, turkeys, toucans, parrots, flamingoes, pelicans, lovebirds and macaws.

East Coast Road
Barbados’s East Coast Road, hemmed by crashing Atlantic waves, is one of the island’s most exciting drives. A rugged coastal route overlooks treacherous reefs with an inland road that weaves through rolling sugarcane to quaint plantation towns topped by church steeples.

Scuba diving
Barbados’s rainbow of coral reefs offers a pristine watery home to seahorses, sponges and giant sand eels. Hidden caves and shipwrecks provide plenty of underwater nooks and crannies along a shoreline nested by Hawksbill Turtles.

Rum tasting
Barbados is the birthplace of rum, and, understandably, rum is the island’s favourite tipple. A thousand rum bars offer plenty of choice while Mount Gay Rum (www.mountgay.com), the oldest rum producer, on the island’s west coast offers tours - and tastings.

Cricket
Cricket is the national sporting obsession. Choose from barefoot village friendlies to international and local club cups – where many of the great names of West Indian cricket are honoured, most notably Sir Garfield Sobers.

Horse riding
It’s possible to gallop along the beach at sundown or simply trek along inland trails. Over two-dozen horse-riding events take place on the Garrison Savannah. Polo is also played to a high level by fiercely competitive Barbadian teams.

Crane Beach
The baby-pink sands of cliff-flanked Crane Beach, an idyllic spot that is one of the most beautiful on the island, are perfect for a stroll. Moderate, foamy waves draw a body-surfing crowd and there are plenty of shaded spots to chill out until the magical sunsets arrive.

Fishing
Wahoo, dorado, barracuda, tuna and sailfish, together with mighty blue marlin and shark, all patrol Barbados’s deep sea waters. There are plenty of game fishing tournaments and inshore competitions to join or just grab a rod and head to the jetty.

Watersports
The island’s rugged south and west coasts boast world-class watersports where windsurfers, jet skiers, parasailers and water skiers enjoy perfect conditions. To ride the waves head to the Soup Bowl, South Point and Rockley Beach, Barbados’s surfing mecca.

Guided hikes
The Barbados National Trust (http://nationaltrustbarbados.com) offers free guided hikes, which last around three hours and cover distances of 8 to 22km (5 to 14 miles). They are divided into three categories: stop’n’stare, where’n’there and grin’n’bear. Moonlit walks are also held.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.