Things to do while in Barbados

What to do while in Barbados? Oh, there’s so much to do! The question, really, is where to begin; and to answer that, you must decide what parts of vacationing appeal to you most. Of course, every vacation is unique, even if it’s just to the local woods for an overnighter, but people’s loves can be pretty consistent. So-what would you like to do? What kind of timeframe are you working within? Where exactly are you, budget-wise? The answer to each of these questions will affect the first question posed above. I say we just through out some generalities about the attractions of Barbados, and try in that way to cover as many bases as we can.
First, there’s the matter of food. Barbados is famous for it’s food. You have your local favorites like flying fish, and then these very fancy seafood houses where the latest European wizardry is performed on fish caught literally hours, and sometimes minutes, before, and of course there are street vendors selling spicy hot delicious greasy food everywhere you turn. But aside from the extraordinary quality of the food, there’s also the locations to consider. Barbados offers you truly spectacular views as you eat. There are restaurants with wall-to-wall windows so that diners can catch ever last ray of the sun as it glimmers goldly down. Then, up comes the moon, almost shockingly close, turning the sea all to silver. These descriptions are not exaggerated or romanticized in the least. They’re just the facts, Jack. Or, you could eat in a garden. You could sit in this enchanted garden, tumbling masses of flowers, lush green grass, flaming smoky torches, elegant waiters, cities of stars overhead, and meanwhile the menu and the wine list seem to match their surroundings in terms of sheer opulence and diversity.
Then you’ve got the beaches. So many beaches. Barbados has beaches of all kinds, for every kind of visitor, from the solitary individual who prefers to hold solitary vigils with the sea, to large noisy families who want plenty of shore to make sandcastles in and plenty of sea to splash in. For the solitary individual, there are hard-to-reach beaches that are so closed off you might as well be on another planet entirely, with perfectly white sands and towering cliffs and clear, blue-green water. No stores, no restaurants, no nothing, for miles. For the families, there are parks that provide pools in which you can wade right up to a funny sea creature for a solemn staring contest. And then, when the kids get hungry, there are family-friendly restaurants right at hand.
Barbados provides beaches for the truly adventurous souls among us as well. Miles of crashing coastline, wall-like waves, world-famous gathering places for world-famous surfers to test their skills and courage. For those of us who don’t want to get on a board but really, really enjoy other people doing so, it doesn’t cost a penny to wander up and watch.
And, of course, Barbados is loaded with museums, historical sites, stores for shopping, inns for napping, bars for shade and beer, cafes … Anything you can think of for your intellectual, spiritual, and physical pleasure, Barbados has it, or at least has something close enough to it that you’ll sigh contentedly at day’s end.
Perhaps the best approach to Barbados would be to try to have a really connecting experience with all three of the major things, that is, food, beaches, and museums/historical sites, but it’s also sometimes a very wise decision to narrow your activities down even further in order to connect, connect, connect as intimately as possible. There’s something wonderful and deeply satisfying in simply walking in a foreign country, a foreign city, a foreign beach or wood. Whatever your inclination, do yourself a favor and do some real research before leaving home. You can always change your plans, but having no plans when it comes to something as huge as an utterly alien place can lead to disappointment.