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The T20 Men’s World Cup 2024 has been off to a roaring start and the gorgeous venue of the Kensington Oval in Barbados has fans all over the world looking to visit this scenic island. With its UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison; magnificent coral reefs; fabulous calypso and soca music; an artistic heritage inspired by the country’s African, European and Caribbean influences; and the mixture of African, Indian, Irish, Creole and British influences which make up Bajan cuisine, Barbados will capture your heart in more ways than one.
Because of its small size, road trips are perhaps the best way to experience Barbadian culture, customs and history. Here are five road trips you should undertake to relieve your cricket fever.
The powdery beaches of Barbados’s west coast, called the “Platinum Coast,” are home to the country’s most tranquil waters and luxury villas. The 22km road trip down this pristine shore begins in the capital Bridgetown, and passes the picnic spots of Brandons Beach and Brighton beach before heading upwards to Paynes Bay, a picturesque place where visitors can snorkel with turtles and gaze at the beauty of the underwater marine environment.
You will come next to Holetown where the island’s oldest church, St. James Parish Church, was erected in 1628. A small town on the west coast of Barbados, it was eventually renamed after a small stream which provided safe harbour for ships. Here, take a stroll on the West Coast Boardwalk and check out the Folkstone Park and Marine Reserve. Divers and snorkellers can marvel at the sunken remains of the Greek ship “Stavronikita” or hop onto a glass-bottomed boat for a clear view of the reef and marine life.
Charming and tiny fishing villages dot the landscape as you move away from Holetown. Mullins Beach has panoramic sea views but you will end your trip in Speightstown—the island’s second biggest urban area—where you will find Arlington House, a 1750 colonial structure which has been restored into a modern and interactive museum.
The east coast of Barbados is in stark contrast to the west coast with its rugged cliffs, crashing waves and dramatic scenery. Start your 20km road trip in Bathsheba, where coconut trees line the bay and the people live off fishing. Its coastline attracts surfers hoping to catch big waves. The Andromeda Botanic Gardens is a haven for biodiversity and one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. It has over 600 different plant species, including over 100 species of trees.
Stop at Martin’s Bay Road for lunch at the Bay Tavern Bar and Restaurant. Take a horse riding lesson with Ocean Echo Stables where you can ride on the beaches with these majestic creatures and soak in the splendour of Martin’s Bay. Check out the nearby Clifton Hall Great House which is a fully refurbished plantation home built in 1656.
Continue southwards to Bath Beach, the St Mark’s Anglican Church, Deebles Point—a serene place from where you can appreciate Barbados’s stunning natural beauty and have the space mostly to yourself as it gets very few visitors—Kitridge Point, Peat Bay, Bottom Bay, and Sam Lord’s Castle. Finish your trip at the dunes and pine forests of Crane Beach.
The parish of Saint Lucy makes up the northernmost region in Barbados. It is the only parish out of 11 to be named after a female patron saint, Saint Lucy of Syracuse. This region has spectacular clifftops and isolated bays where swimming is dangerous due to choppy waves. Starting in Speightstown, reach the Harrison’s Point Lighthouse which can be climbed for wonderful views of the grassy hills descending to the sea. Move onto Archer’s Bay where you will find forest-covered limestone bluffs and green waters. The northernmost part of the island is Animal Flower Cave, a gorgeous sea cave hidden under the cliffs. Turn south to River Bay, one of the few places on this stretch of coastline which is safe for swimming and then head back to Speightstown to complete this 30km loop.
The south coast of Barbados is home to some of the island's best beaches, lively nightlife scene and delicious restaurants. Start your 7.8km road trip in the bustling town of St Lawrence Gap and head west towards Bridgetown. You will pass charming towns, villages and markets like the Oistins Fish Market, see the stunning beaches of Worthing and Rockley, traipse through the Richard Haynes Boardwalk, walk around the historic horseracing venue of the Garrison Savannah Racetrack, learn about Barbados’s history at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, and gaze up at the octagonal lighthouse of Needham’s Point—one of four historic lighthouses to still exist on Barbados—before ending at the Brownes-Pebble-Bayshore Beach circuit.
This 17km cross-island sojourn begins in the heart of Holetown and moves to Rock Hall, at which point the countryside of rural Barbados takes hold and the pace of life gets noticeably slower. Continue east to the famous Harrison’s Cave to check out the eerie subterranean caverns. Take a nature walk or picnic at the Welchman Hall Gully and visit the Flower Forest Botanical Gardens, a 49-acre garden on a former sugar plantation. Next, hike on the trails of Coco Hill Forest which has native woodlands and offers sweeping views down to the Atlantic Ocean. Move onto Hunte’s Gardens, a lush, tropical bower set in a craterlike depression formed by a collapsed cave. Take a detour northwards to see Cherry Tree Hill, the Morgan Lewis Windmill and St Nicholas Abbey before finally heading southwards to Bathsheba.
The easiest way to get to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) in Bridgetown is by taking a flight from any Indian city to London or New York first.
