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Barbados travel guide
Barbados travel guide

Barbados travel guide

Visit Barbados and fall in love with Caribbean island life. Discover beautiful white-sand beaches, a cosmopolitan and historical vibe, plenty of rum and sunshine and island music wherever you go.

Things to do in Barbados

The Barbados know-how

Geography

  • Barbados is a small Caribbean island, 21 miles long
  • Bridgetown is the capital city
  • The island lies in the south east Caribbean

Eating out and tipping

  • Barbados cuisine is a mixture of African, Creole and British flavours, with fresh fish being particularly popular
  • A 10% tip is standard, but not expected in all-inclusive resorts

Health

  • Mosquitoes are most active between June and December, but we recommend bringing insect repellent all year round
  • It's perfectly safe to drink the tap water
  • Most hotels have nurses on site and you'll never be more than half an hour from a hospital

Weather

  • The weather in Barbados is tropical and sunny all year round
  • The dry season runs from December to May
  • The average daily temperature is between 24°C and 32°C

Barbados flights

  • It takes about 9 hours to fly direct to Bridgetown from the UK with Virgin Atlantic
  • Flights depart daily from London Heathrow,  Manchester and Edinburgh.
  • Barbados is 4 hours behind the UK

WiFi and electricity

  • WiFi is free across the island and in most hotels, but not as fast as in the UK
  • Electricity is 110 volts with two-flat-pin sockets

Money and entry visas

  • You don't need a visa to visit Barbados if you're a British national
  • You can spend either the US dollar or the Barbados dollar
  • Barbados has a tax on accommodation (typically 2.5% of the nightly rate) that hotels charge at check-out

Out and about

  • The Crop Over festival runs from July to August and is the largest music festival on the island
  • Barbados is home to nesting sea turtles and you can see them across the island
  • Barbados is famous for its alcoholic tipples and there are many rum distilleries and breweries where you can sample the local brews.

Getting around

  • Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road, just like home
  • Most tourists get around using local taxis or privately run shuttle buses, available from many hotels