BARBADOS TOURISM PRODUCTS
Tourism is a global marketplace. Traditional experiences are now duplicated across the globe with new non-traditional market players entering the fray, creating a heightened competitive environment. It is within and because of this paradigm shift that it becomes imperative for Barbados to differentiate itself from its competition, utilising effective marketing tools to promote a consistent and identifiable brand. Consistency will be achieved through coordinated and structured strategies that apply across all geographic locations.
ARTS & CRAFT
Barbados hasa unique offer in the arts and crafts as we offer a blend of Afro-Caribbean with Western influences.Numerous vendors and business offer an array of vibrant pieces in virtually all medias, from oil...
Barbados hasa unique offer in the arts and crafts as we offer a blend of Afro-Caribbean with Western influences.Numerous vendors and business offer an array of vibrant pieces in virtually all medias, from oil paints to paper-making,
to hand crafted mahogany carvings, shell work, jewellery, fine wood and metal sculpture and pottery work.
AVENTURE
Here are some exciting ideas to spice up your days in paradise. Jump aboard a boat and head out into our gorgeous turquoise waters. Grab your log book and sign up for a wreck...
Some of the best holiday experiences in the Caribbean start by getting lost, finding yourself and then getting lost again! Locals often take a seat by the roadside to watch as the world goes by. Passing back and forth in a brightly coloured Mini Moke rental car, lost holidaymakers receive first a friendly wave, then a knowing smile and, on request, some imaginative directions. There's no need to panic as you navigate our narrowest of roads, surrounded by cane fields or exclusive villas. You can almost always see the sea to orientate yourself, and all roads lead to an adventurous Caribbean experience.
A Barbados holiday is an adventure of a lifetime!
Here are some exciting ideas to spice up your days in paradise. Jump aboard a boat and head out into our gorgeous turquoise waters. Grab your log book and sign up for a wreck and reef dive with your buddies. Take your fishing rod to the end of a pier or cast from the rocks – a local fisherman can suggest the best spots – or spend your day catching marlin and kingfish from a deep-sea fishing boat.
Here are some exciting ideas to spice up your days in paradise. Jump aboard a boat and head out into our gorgeous turquoise waters. Grab your log book and sign up for a wreck and reef dive with your buddies. Take your fishing rod to the end of a pier or cast from the rocks – a local fisherman can suggest the best spots – or spend your day catching marlin and kingfish from a deep-sea fishing boat.
Learn to surf or improve your skills on some of the world’s most dependable and benign waves. All this and more will make your Barbados holiday a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
BEACHES & ACTIVITIES
Between the beach and the ocean, we offer unlimited ways to have fun! Add to the wealth of your travel experiences with our many island adventure watersports including jet-skiing at the ever-lively Mullins Beach,...
Travel makes us richer, so live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, and drink in our balmy Caribbean breeze. Our coral island of Barbados offers you more than 80 pristine white-sand beaches, including many that are recognised as the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Between the beach and the ocean, we offer unlimited ways to have fun! Add to the wealth of your travel experiences with our many island adventure watersports including jet-skiing at the ever-lively Mullins Beach, boogie boarding and paddle boarding at Pebbles Beach, surfing at the Soup Bowl and on Atlantic Shores, and high-octane kitesurfing at Silver Sands.
Visit the east coast to picnic under shady trees at Bath or Bathsheba, and beachcomb on Cattlewash, one of the longest beaches of Barbados. On the south and west coasts, a multitude of small boats offer short trips to swim with the turtles. You can skipper a Hobie Cat or kayak, try your hand at spearfishing, take a deep-sea fishing charter, or spend a day aboard a luxury catamaran, cruising crystal-clear seas like a celebrity.
Life’s a beach. Keep calm and visit Barbados.
Life’s a beach. Keep calm and visit Barbados.
BIRTHPLACE OF RUM
Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, and Mount Gay distillery - founded in 1703 - is believed to produce the oldest rum found anywhere in the world. Today's connoisseurs always appreciate a gift...
Your Barbados experience is incomplete until you've sampled our oldest and greatest export, rum. Discover the story, the mysteries and the secrets behind our finest and most celebrated spirit. Make sure to book a Barbados rum tour - you'll be glad you made the journey from beach to bottle.
Home to the oldest distilled spirit in the world-rum.
Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, and Mount Gay distillery – founded in 1703 – is believed to produce the oldest rum found anywhere in the world. Today’s connoisseurs always appreciate a gift bottle of Mount Gay Rum Extra Old. Rum is the essence of this Caribbean nation’s culture. It ignites the gossip in our bars and sometimes even binds our business deals. It is celebrated by every sector of our society.
Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, and Mount Gay distillery – founded in 1703 – is believed to produce the oldest rum found anywhere in the world. Today’s connoisseurs always appreciate a gift bottle of Mount Gay Rum Extra Old. Rum is the essence of this Caribbean nation’s culture. It ignites the gossip in our bars and sometimes even binds our business deals. It is celebrated by every sector of our society.
from farm workers to property tycoons. Barbados rum is the best rum in the world and it’s the spirit of our island culture and history.
So just say yes to that first rum punch, and you’ll soon ease into the spirit of island life. As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having rum.
CRUISE
From the moment they arrive, cruise passengers can expect a warm welcome from the people of Barbados. The cheerful ambience is complemented by musical performers, organised by the BTMI and BTPA, who entertain arriving...
From the moment they arrive, cruise passengers can expect a warm welcome from the people of Barbados. The cheerful ambience is complemented by musical performers, organised by the BTMI and BTPA, who entertain arriving passengers from the quayside. They include a steel band, dancers, singers and other entertainers.
The Bridgetown Cruise Terminal provides one of the leading port facilities in the Caribbean and is the centre for all services provided for the use of cruise passengers and crewmembers visiting Barbados. It offers more than 60,000 square feet of space. Some 20,000 square feet is allocated to shops, the remainder comprises space for the offices of Customs, Immigration, Port Health, Plant and Animal Quarantine, Post Office and the Barbados Tourism Product Authority .
There are currently 21 interior, air-conditioned shops, the majority of which retail duty-free items. These offer a wide variety of items including jewelry, perfumes, fine linen, crystal, china, arts, and crafts, souvenirs, T-shirts, exclusive resort wear, liquor, cigars and cigarettes.
There are also 19 colourful pushcarts located along the centre of the aisles where these pushcart vendors, all small, local entrepreneurs retail a range of items, particularly handcrafted objects
Just outside the main entrance of the Terminal, a brightly painted marketplace has been created with 16 courtyard shops. This area, familiarly known as the Chattel Village offers one of the largest selec tions of T-shirts and hand-made garments for all ages that can be found anywhere in Barbados.
There are also two open-air restaurants located in this area featuring well-stocked bars and local delicacies.
A concessionaire’s area located nearby allows passengers the facility to go as they please by being able to rent cars. For those on pre-booked, organized tours, a special departure area with numbered departure gates has been set up to ensure speedy handling of tour groups.
CULINARY
On this small island, we have amazing restaurants and cafés to suit every need, serving familiar international dishes and Caribbean food. Staggeringly beautiful top-notch restaurants perched on clifftops above the sea. Great food in...
Memories are made as we gather our loved ones and friends around the table to share a meal. Your Barbados travel experience will include some truly special meal-time moments to treasure forever. You're on holiday so try everything - locally caught fish, home-grown grass-fed meats, sweet plantains, rice and peas, tasty West Indian curries and rotis. Explore our delicious Caribbean cuisine.
Wake up to a Barbados menu of freshly prepared tropic fruits and juices, omelettes with your choice of filling, delicious homemade breads and pastries. Lunch and dinner can be as formal or as laid-back as you like. On this small island, we have amazing restaurants and cafés to suit every need, serving familiar international dishes and Caribbean food. Staggeringly beautiful top-notch restaurants perched on clifftops above the sea include The Cliff, Cin Cin and The Animal Flower Cave Restaurant. Beachfront shacks where the dress code is swimsuits and bare feet include Bombas, Bo’s Plaice and JuJus.
Great food in Barbados is also served in fine hotel dining rooms and waterside restaurants, bijou cafés tucked away in shaded shopping malls, and of course our famous rum shops and outdoor pop-up caterers – pick the one with the longest queue (the locals know who cooks the best!). Also for those ‘need-it-now’ moments, kids and snackers will find food served island-wide 24-hours a day. Bon appetite!
CULTURE & HERITAGE
Here are some interesting facts about Barbados:
Our island was colonised by the English early in the 17th century
Before then, Barbados was inhabited by Carib and Arawak Native Americans
Transformed by the plantation system and slavery,...
The history of Barbados is unique, and we Bajans (the familiar term for Barbadians) are at ease with our past and proud architects of our future.
Here are some interesting facts about Barbados:
- Our island was colonised by the English early in the 17th century
- Before then, Barbados was inhabited by Carib and Arawak Native Americans
- Transformed by the plantation system and slavery, we were the world’s number one sugar producer by 1650
- Barbados is the oldest continuing parliamentary democracy outside England
- We achieved universal voting rights in 1943 and opted for full independence from the UK in 1966
- Our cultural roots are in the plantation slavery economy, a unique blend of West African and European
- We speak English with a distinct accent, spiced with words in West African-English pidgin called Bajan
Enrich your Barbados experience by visiting some of our amazing historical places, including Gun Hill Signal Station, George Washington House and our Parliament Buildings in historic Bridgetown. Take time to look back in time.
MEETINGS & CONFERENCES
With world-class communications, including high-speed broadband access, and excellent transportation links, Barbados offers ease of doing business. Our time zone matches cities in eastern USA and Canada, just a few hours behind central Europe,...
When business brings you to Barbados, we do our best to make it a pleasure for you. Your international travel experience starts with a brisk walk through arrivals at the modern Grantley Adams international airport; a porter will collect your bags and show you to your taxi, limousine or perhaps a waiting helicopter.
With world-class communications, including high-speed broadband access, and excellent transportation links, Barbados offers ease of doing business. Our time zone matches cities in eastern USA and Canada, just a few hours behind central Europe, facilitating international commerce and trade. And there are many business opportunities in the Caribbean, and specifically onshore and offshore in Barbados thanks to our reputation for strong fiscal regulation, democratic tradition and a stable currency. We are considered to be one of the world’s most business-friendly countries.
Take advice from the Barbados International Business Association, Barbados Business Authority and Barbados Small Business Association. We warmly welcome you to join some of the world’s most successful companies here in Barbados.
NATURE & WILDLIFE
Barbados is an unspoilt haven for some of earth's most precious creatures and landscapes. One of the best places for wildlife is the internationally acclaimed Barbados Wildlife Reserve. You can also discover the limestone...
A unique natural encounter could be one of your best holiday experiences ever. For a memorable wildlife holiday or even just an afternoon of exploring, Barbados will amaze you.
Swim with our leatherback and hawksbill turtles. Listen out for the crick-crick of our tiny, translucent whistling frogs. Witness a shoal of glistening flying fish breaking the surface to glide across a tranquil sea. Watch a cheeky green monkey munching on a stick of sugar cane. Wander through a lush natural gully, immersing yourself in indigenous tropical flora and fauna…or go wild and cross those forests on a zipline adventure!
Barbados is an unspoilt haven for some of earth’s most precious creatures and landscapes. One of the best places for wildlife is the internationally acclaimed Barbados Wildlife Reserve. You can also discover the limestone stalactites and stalagmites of Harrison’s Cave, join a half-day hiking adventure with the Barbados National Trust, and experience a riot of colour and scent in our many world-class botanical gardens.
Make sure you take time to explore. Lose yourself in the magic of nature. Find yourself in wild Barbados.
NIGHTLIFE
From world-renowned and opulent high-energy nightclubs to thriving local bars and pubs, the Barbados travel experience will reach for the stars from dusk till dawn. Sophisticated VIP venues can be tracked down across the...
If you love to party, then this Caribbean island is one of the best places for nightlife. Barbados wakes up when the sun goes down, and you'll find the best nightlife in the world beckoning. Just choose your pleasure.
From world-renowned and opulent high-energy nightclubs to thriving local bars and pubs, your Barbados travel experience will reach for the stars from dusk till dawn. Sophisticated VIP venues can be tracked down across the island, perhaps starting your evening with a cocktail at the Limegrove bar in Holetown. You could find yourself mingling with some famous faces, so dress to impress!
Less formal and hugely popular nightlife locations can be found in St Lawrence Gap for drinking, dining and live music especially on weekends. Other key venues are Mullins Beach Bar, First Avenue Holetown and Harbour Lights – check what’s on so you catch them at their liveliest. Barbados at night – our party never ends.
SHOPPING
Barbados offers you a glorious diversity of shopping experiences, and some of the best shopping in the Caribbean. Our island is renowned for duty-free shopping - you can buy expensive jewellery and designer goods...
Barbados offers you a glorious diversity of shopping experiences. Exquisite local craft and international designer brands are all here, and the duty-free shopping makes your favourite label that much more affordable.
Exquisite local crafts and international designer brands are all here…
Barbados offers you a glorious diversity of shopping experiences, and some of the best shopping in the Caribbean. Our island is renowned for duty-free shopping – you can buy expensive jewellery and designer goods with discounts of 30-50% compared with Europe, the USA and other parts of the world. It’s easy to claim your savings – just present your passport and travel documents at the point of sale.
Barbados offers you a glorious diversity of shopping experiences, and some of the best shopping in the Caribbean. Our island is renowned for duty-free shopping – you can buy expensive jewellery and designer goods with discounts of 30-50% compared with Europe, the USA and other parts of the world. It’s easy to claim your savings – just present your passport and travel documents at the point of sale.
There are many different shops in Barbados. Choose bustling downtown locations such as Broad Street and Swan Street in the centre of Bridgetown, and cheerful suburban shopping centres such as Sheraton Mall and Sky Mall, or even indulge your luxury spending habits all the way up to world-class shopping experiences available in our new Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown.
For local shopping culture, immerse yourself in some bustling markets. You’ll have to wake up early to join discerning housewives as they select exotic fruit and vegetables at Cheapside Market, and ask for fresh fish to be filleted on the slab at one of our many famous fish markets. There are also several farmers’ markets offering farm-to-fork sustainability and organic produce, along with unique arts and crafts which make perfect gifts and keepsakes to take back home. Barbados is a haven for shoppers – everything is here and priced to entice.
SPORTS
Throughout the year, there's a busy calendar of world-class sporting events across our island. Cricket is our passion and you'll find it played by amateurs on the pastures and beaches of Barbados and by...
Our island offers all the sports you know and love, along with a climate that favours year-round outdoor action. Whether you decide to participate or spectate, Barbados sports will extend and enrich your Caribbean holiday experience.
Throughout the year, there’s a busy calendar of world-class sporting events across our island. Cricket is our passion and you’ll find it played by amateurs on the pastures and beaches of Barbados and by international celebrities on the manicured grounds of the Barbados Cricket Association’s Kensington Oval. We can also claim a sport that’s all our own – road tennis in Barbados is growing in popularity here and overseas.
Sports holiday enthusiasts flock to our island to play golf – Barbados is home to several courses designed by world-leading architects. Visitors also come on sports vacations to ride our waves – the Bathsheba Soup Bowl is an international surfing destination.
Experience horse racing in Barbados at the historic Garrison Savannah, and join the jet set for an afternoon at exclusive polo clubs around the island. Motorsport enthusiasts head over to Bushy Park Racing Circuit, and sailors raise full canvas to compete in our annual round-the-island race.
Choose Barbados for the most popular and action-packed sports in the Caribbean.
WEDDING & HONEYMOON
This is the perfect place to say "I do" and our island offers some of the best honeymoon places in the world. It is very easy to get married in Barbados as there is...
Get ready to be swept away by the travel experience of a lifetime. What could be more romantic than a wedding in Barbados?
It’s your big day, so choose every detail of getting married in Barbados – your romantic getaway can include a beachside ceremony at sunset with spectacular views as the backdrop to your special moments, or a tropical garden wedding in a sea of colourful blossoms. Invite all of your family and friends, or maybe make your union a small and intimate event. Everything you need for a perfect wedding is here on our cherished Caribbean island.
This is the perfect place to say “I do” and our island offers some of the best honeymoon places in the world. It is very easy to get married in Barbados as there is no required waiting period or minimum length of stay. Application for a marriage license must be made by both parties in person at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Discover how to get married in Barbados by exploring our Wedding & Romance guides. We hope this information will help you to plan and prepare your dream wedding.
WELL BEING
The boutique clubs and spas of Barbados increase this balance and harmony, setting you free from the stresses and strains of daily routine and the obligation of being tied to the grid. We offer...
Heal your mind, body and soul with the warm touch of Barbadian white sands under your feet and a gentle tropical breeze playing across your brow. Our palm-fringed beaches, fruit punch cocktails, gin-clear seas and steel drum bands are sure to soothe your cares away during your Barbados experience. And at dusk, you'll witness the serene beauty of our everyday miracle as the sun slips into the sea on our western horizon.
The boutique clubs and spas of Barbados increase this balance and harmony, setting you free from the stresses and strains of daily routine and the obligation of being tied to the grid. We offer you a VIP pass to some of the most luxurious and best spa resorts in the world where you can rejuvenate in nutrient-rich plunge pools, indulge in a massage or hot tub experience, and receive the pampering you deserve to look and feel your very best.
No matter what brings you to our famous Caribbean island, your perfect combination of relaxation services will be just an appointment away. We’ve got the best spa vacations. Come discover our world-class luxury spa resorts and hotels – indulge in your escape and restore your calm. Take all the time you need.
