Imagine lying in a hammock on a beach in Barbados right now, enjoying the sun and listening to the soothing rhythms of the sea. All of this can become a reality if you want it to.
Why visit Barbados?
Because, frankly, you don't really have a defensible reason not to visit it now. Barbados is a tropical paradise with generally warm and sunny weather. The average daily high temperature is 30°C / 86°F, and this Caribbean island gets over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. There is rainfall and showers, but they don't start until June and only last until October. Plus, they're very refreshing and much needed. And if you're a hopeless romantic, you might also find this extremely charming.
Besides, the peak season has just ended. So if you book a Barbados vacation now or by September, you can save some money and have a soothing and memorable experience. The most common place to rent a car in Barbados is at Barbados Airport.
And why now?
Still not convinced? Ok, we'll point out a few reasons in case we're dealing with a tough crowd.
Because you are a hipster
Or you want to be. Or you like them. Or you just appreciate a good beard. Let us explain. Barbados was originally called "Los Barbados", which means "the bearded ones". The first Portuguese explorers who sighted the island in 1536 saw an abundance of native bearded fig trees that looked like they had beards with their long aerial roots, so the island was named "Los Barbados". 'Barbados' actually means 'beards' in the Portuguese language.
Because you want to be a pirate
Come on, everyone wants to be a pirate, at least for a day. And what's a pirate's favourite thing to do? Yes, you guessed it - rum! The fine brand of rum called Mount Gay Barbados Rum is one of the oldest and most world-famous rums in the world. It is over 300 years old! And you won't face the same problem here as our beloved Captain Jack Sparrow with his famous "but why is the rum (always) gone?" line. Oh no, there's plenty of rum here, so drink up, my dears, yo ho! And don't do anything your mother wouldn't do.
Because of Barbados beaches!
- Crane Beach is probably the most popular beach, both for locals and visitors. Its immaculate beauty and utter tranquillity deserve the number 1 spot. The sand is pink and soft, it's like walking on cotton candy. It's perfect for everyone; families, couples, solo travellers... Everyone loves the touch of a light breeze and being kissed by the warm Caribbean sun.
- Bottom Bay Beach is a wide beach with white sand, coconut palms and hollow reefs. How about a picnic under coconut palms?
- Batts Rock Beach is perfect for long walks. The water is calm and the area is surrounded by reefs. Easy swimming and memorable snorkelling!
- Miami Beach is more crowded but still worth a visit. You can rent lounge chairs and an umbrella and buy snacks and drinks from local vendors. If you like surfing, you must visit the two great surf spots - South Point and Freights Bay - nearby.
- Sands Beach is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers. White sand and waves - what more could you ask for?
Because you want to explore and have fun
There are so many things to do and see in Barbados - adventure tours, nature tours and more!
You can also visit some of the beautiful towns and villages, such as the coastal town of Oistins, just 2 minutes from Miami Beach, or the port town of Bridgetown, both on the south coast. On the southeast coast, you have the Crane Village on the beautiful Crane Beach. The picturesque fishing village of Bathsheba on the east coast is rich in vegetation. Historic Speightstown and Holetown on the west coast also deserve your time.
Because you are a hippie
This is not just about flowers, but about the island's vegetation in general.
Cotton trees, palm trees, bamboo trees, nutmeg trees, and baobab trees (there are 2 baobab trees - the big one is planted in Queen's Park in Bridgetown, and the smaller one is on Warren's Road in St Michael). Many colourful flowers bring a warm and inviting splash of colour to the island. Very tropical and captivating.
Because you're an animal lover
This island has some funny-looking and bizarre creatures! Besides green monkeys that look pretty funny, turtles, birds, lizards, frogs, toads and the smallest snakes known to mankind, you can easily see a Mongoose. This is a weasel-like, furry animal with brown-grey fur, short legs, and a slender, long body. And very curious indeed - it will hop over to your car without any shyness. Not to be forgotten is the Flying Fish - it doesn't really fly, but it glides. It can jump out of the water and glide 30 to 50 meters, which can take up to 45 seconds - and that's at a speed of 70 km/h! And it goes great with Cou-Cou or with vegetables on your plate.
Because you like to eat delicious food
The food alone is reason enough to go there - the fresh seafood is the base of most menus, and if you love seafood, you absolutely must try their speciality, flying fish accompanied by coucou.
"Bajan" cuisine is a mix of European, Asian and American cuisine. So you can try just about anything; from seafood to scrambled eggs! Although they say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, this island proves that its cuisine is very appealing and admired and accepted by both sexes. Cheers to gender equality in food!
The bottom line, Barbados has the highest rate of repeat visitors of any Caribbean island, and that says a lot, if not everything. Will you become one of them?
