(Akiit.com) Breathtaking landscapes, stunning beaches, and vibrant cultures continue to amaze the over 30+ million visitors to the Caribbean year after year. From luxury villas on the beach in Barbados to affordable adventure trips and festivals, each destination gives travelers its own unique culture and appeal. Here are the top things to do in Barbados, Caribbean.
Golfing in Paradise
Barbados has been constantly becoming a reputable destination for golfing, as it offers a number of great golf courses for many enthusiasts. If you’re planning to go on an exclusive course, check out Apes Hill and Royal Westmoreland, which are exceptional. The lavish Sandy Lane is a quiet and fancy resort, home to three best golf courses in the island. The Green Monkey Course, The Old Nine, and The Country Club Course.
Sporting Events
Barbados’ sporting scene is rife from tennis, polo, football, cricket to Golf. Sporting events in Barbados take place around the whole island. Because of its year-round warm weather, the island is regularly chosen to host different sporting events and many sports enthusiasts visit Barbados because of its annual sporting events. During these events, Barbados is perfect for families visiting the island, with a fantastic central location and giving a thoroughly worthwhile alternative to the beach, and watching the horses at the Garrison Savannah will surely enjoy by everyone.
Platinum Coast Beaches
Platinum Coast is located along the west of Barbados, north of Holetown. This spectacular Platinum Coast named mainly because of its shimmering sand. When visiting Barbados, you shouldn’t miss this amazing place with a premier stretch of shoreline and is an exquisitely beautiful area that is well worth the visit. This coast is a home to a variety of beautiful beaches and villages. You can stroll along to Six Men’s Bay to watch local fisherman bring in their catch of the day. You can also pack up a picnic and go to Batts Rock Beach at night.
Crane Beach
Crane Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Barbados having beautiful and pink coral sand. Tourists, cruise ship visitors, and locals alike visit Crane Beach to sunbathe on the soft sands, play in the rolling surf, and relax at the luxury hotel overlooking the beach. If you’re staying near Bridgetown, the capital, you can enjoy the beautiful shores of Carlisle Bay, where numbers of sunken wrecks and maritime relics make famous shallow water dive sites.
Bathsheba
The quaint village of Bathsheba is the most popular place for the tourist on the Atlantic east coast. The Flower Forest and Andromeda Tropical Botanic Gardens are just nearby. Also known as the Soup Bowl, at Bathsheba Beach, large rock formations stand like gigantic mushrooms in the sea. It’s instagrammable-worthy and perfect for photographs and surfing. However, the strong current undercurrents can be dangerous for swimming. There are few luxury hotels around the beach if you want to escape the tourist crowds and stay along this picturesque stretch of coast.
Parliament Buildings, Bridgetown
The Parliament Buildings and National Heroes Square are two of the most amazing neo-Gothic-style structures now designated as UNESCO protected properties. These two buildings were built of coral limestone between 1870 and 1874. The buildings on the east side feature stunning stained-glass windows depicting British monarchs, and it houses the Senate and House of Assembly, whilst on the west side building, with the clock tower, can visit the Museum of Parliament and National Heroes Gallery. These places are the best way to learn more about the history of the island from the early days of settlement to its Independence.
Hunte’s Gardens
Crafted by an avid horticulturist, Anthony Hunte, Hunte’s Garden is composed of ten spectacular acres of tropical plants on the lust slopes of Saint Joseph Parish. Some of the species you can see here are papyrus, palms, crotons, and orchids. Plant lovers and green thumbs can enjoy on strategically placed benches and marvel at the gardens.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens
Andromeda Botanic Gardens is famous in the world not just for their collection, but also for their picturesque location on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic. It specializes in tropical plants from all over the world. Some of the rare species here are the breadfruit trees, succulents, and palms. Other interesting species to see here are the large bearded fig trees, which once covered the island in a vast forest. This garden is also a great place for bird watching.
Gun Hill Signal Station
Built in 1818 and used as the signal of the approaching enemy ships and for the safe arrival of the cargo ships, the Gun Hill Signal Station gives stunning vistas across the entire island. On the highland of St. George, the station lies. On the lower part of the hill, you’ll see a lion sculpture cared by a British soldier in the 19th century.
Welchman Hall Gully
Welchman Hall Gully was formed when the roof a series of caves collapsed. Also, its surrounding cliffs hint at the stunning landscape and plant diversity that must have greeted the island’s first settlers. It is now protected by the Barbados National Trust and now home to more than 200 species of tropical plants, including bamboo and wild ginger.
Harrison’s Cave Tour
Features waterfalls, cascades, deep pools and streams, Harrison’s Cave is a crystallized limestone cavern. Most tours will let you watch first an educational film related to the Harrison’s Cave, then tour you on a one-and-a-half-kilometer route via electric tram. It has a stop to walk to a waterfall plunging to a deep pool below. It’s amazing to see the lights illuminating the stunning stalagmites, stalactites, and cascading waters. At the visitor center near the cave, you’ll see Arawak Indian artifacts.
Staff Writer; Paul Shaw