1 Day in Barbados

I’m absolutely partial to my birthplace and think it’s absolutely worth visiting! There are so many ways you can spend 1 day in Barbados, so I’ve broken down some options for various preferences and I recommend using the article shortcuts.

If you want to relax on a beach (or admire it from a nice restaurant) and have food and drinks available, check out the Beach Day Options.

Perhaps you want to book a tour or activity, but aren’t really sure which one to choose, check out the Best Day Tour Options.

Lastly, maybe you want to rent a car and self drive the island, check out the Quick Travel Tips for Self Drive Around the Island and Island Highlights Per Coast to create your own 1 day in Barbados itinerary!

Of course, if you’re a golfer you might want to play a round at Sandy Lane for your 1 day in Barbados! Or if you want to be active and you like sporty activities consider beginner surf lessons in Barbados!

Regardless of how you choose to spend your day in paradise, I hope you love your time on this beautiful island!

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Beach Day | 1 Day in Barbados

The first option for your 1 day in Barbados that we’ll talk about is a beach day! When you are arriving in paradise, it makes sense! This is great for anyone wanting to relax and enjoy a meal on or overlooking the beach. Even for this day, you’ll have options.

The Crane Beach | Pink Sand Beach

I’m going to start with my favorite, because I have family memories at this beach! However, it’s also made plenty of lists for one of the top beaches! You can visit The Crane Resort and enjoy lunch at one of their restaurants.

If you want to lounge on the beach, there is an option to rent chairs and an umbrella and as long as you are eating at The Crane Resort you can use their elevator and stairs down to the beach. There is a bar on the beach or locals selling fresh coconuts.

The Crane Resort does have pools and you should be able to use them if you eat in a restaurant (unless something has changed). You can walk down the beach, up the rocks and down the other side at low tide to enjoy a more secluded beach.

The ocean here tends to be more of a rough wave break. I love it, but it’s not for everyone. However, I grew up swimming passed the break with my dad, but if that is not something you are comfortable doing, the ocean won’t feel relaxing. Boogie boarding here could be fun, though I have strong memories of body surfing and getting balled up.

You can visit The Crane Beach without going through The Crane Resort. Overall, I think it’s worth it as a visitor to use the resort. There’s no set parking area along the road and to get onto the beach, you will have to navigate the rocks. They have added concrete steps, which has made it easier, but it’s not as easy as the elevator and stairs the resort offers.

Considerations:

• Beautiful beach and often makes “top ten beaches” lists
• The ocean here is rougher, so don’t expect calm waters
• This part of the island tends to be windy, which helps with heat
• This beach will get sargassum seaweed whenever it decides to arrive and some years are worse than others

Approximate distance from the Barbados Cruise Port: 35 minutes

Rockley Beach | Tiki Bar

For a relaxed lunch on the beach that offers bathrooms and lounge chairs, check out The Tiki Bar. The last couple times I was in Barbados I enjoyed some time here. The food is decent, but don’t expect to be blown away.

The restaurant offers lounge chairs and the ocean in this area tends to be more calm, which is nice for swimming. I distinctly remember my younger sister with a rum punch in hand enjoying the calm, clear waters here and she’s not typically a beach person.

Considerations:

• Ocean tends to be calm, which is nice for swimming
• Busier area, but I’ve never experienced it being too crowded

Approximate distance from Cruise Port: 16 minutes

Calma Beach Club | West Coast

The West Coast of Barbados is usually the calmest ocean in Barbados. I say usually, because weather can be unpredictable. However, most of the time the water is calm and I’ve only ever seen it calm.

Up the coast in Holetown is the Calma Beach Club which offers food and beach beds! Their website says sun loungers and umbrellas are first come, first served and cost $60BBD ($30USD) for two lounge chairs and one umbrella.

Considerations:

• Ocean is calm
• Not usually windy, so it can be extra hot in the Summer

Approximate distance from Cruise Port: 20 minutes

Lunch or Drinks with a View | No Lounging on the Beach Option

If lounging on the beach doesn’t interest you, consider Champers Restaurant at Rockley Beach. You get the beauty of the beach with a more upscale dining experience! Be sure to make a reservation if you choose this option!

After Champers Restaurant or in place of, you could go to The Crane Resort for a drink or meal to enjoy the view from there. Or if the rugged east coast of Barbados entices you consider Round House.

Champers Restaurant approximate distance from Cruise Port: 20 minutes

The Crane Resort approximate distance from Cruise Port: 35 minutes

Round House approximate distance from Cruise Port: 35 minutes

Best Day Tours | 1 Day in Barbados

For such a small island, Barbados has a lot of options! You can choose history, rum, gardens, caves or get an overview of the island! I’ll break down your options so you can choose what is best for you!

Catamaran & Snorkeling with Turtles

This is one of the top things to do in Barbados. You can enjoy the beauty of the west coast with an open bar. Snorkel with sea turtles and just relax on the catamaran. Barbados Catamaran Turtle Snorkel with Open Bar also offers pickup just outside the cruise terminal making it an easy excursion!

Rum Tastings

Barbados is considered the originator of Rum, since they possess the earliest recorded history. I’m sure this could be debated, but Mount Gay Rum is old.

You can easily walk to the Mount Gay Visitors’ Centre from the cruise terminal and it will take about 25 minutes on foot. However, if you want to make more of an event of it, you can book the Discover Rum Barbados Tour. With this tour you will visit Mount Gay second, but your first stop will be Foursquare Rum Distillery. When booking, be sure to have your cruise ship details handy.

If you are currently debating between a tour or self drive day, you can easily make this part of your self drive day!

Barbados Caves

If beaches and sunshine aren’t your thing or you are just looking for something really different, consider Harrison’s Cave. You can get pickup from the cruise terminal with this tour: Beautiful Barbados: Transport included Harrisons Cave Tour.

I’ve been to Harrison’s Cave and it’s very interesting! If I only had 1 day in Barbados, I’m too much of a beach girl that I’d either choose the beach day or drive around the island to see as many beaches as possible. However, if you are on a cruise and just want something different, this is a great activity to consider!

If you want to add some wildlife to the caves, consider Half-Day Barbados Caves and Critters Tour with Pick Up.

Quick Travel Tips for the Self Drive Around the Island

Barbados drives on the left side of the road, so it can seem intimidating for Americans. However, it’s not that bad! If you’ve driven in other countries or just feel confident, driving in Barbados is absolutely feasible! The self drive option gives you complete freedom to do and see what you want!

Rent a Car

My family always rents from Stoutes Car Rental. If you reserve from them, you can specify your location for them to deliver the car. There are plenty of other options if they are completely booked, but since my family always rents from them, I don’t have personal insight into other companies.

Avoid Rush Hour

Generally this is a good idea no matter where you are, but I grew up hearing Barbados has more cars than people. I can’t vouch for the veracity of that statement, but it will feel that way in rush hour!

Bajans are generally chill, so they will let you in and are overall much more gracious than I experience in the States, but you won’t get far very fast. So be sure to plan accordingly so you don’t miss your cruise!

Rush Hour: 7:00 – 8:30am & 4:30 – 5:30pm

Signals While Driving

When I drove in Barbados, few people used their actual signals, so I’m not talking about your indicators. However, there does seem to be a love for the horn. Quick honks can be saying hello to a friend or even getting your attention to let you in.

Of course, they may also flash their lights signaling to let you in, which is the same in the States. In my experience, Bajans are understanding and chill for the most part. However, if someone lays on their horn longer than a friendly amount of time, they’re alarmed or mad. An apologetic wave might be called for.

Island Time

One reason Bajans tend to be chill is they live on island time. Nothing is United States fast here. Let that go. Be chill. And just roll with it.

I don’t recommend scheduling a lot into your 1 day in Barbados, because everything will likely take longer than you think. The lunch you’ve reserved, it will take longer than you expect. Rolling into Chefette for some of the local fast food chain, don’t expect TOO fast.

Overall, just expect longer wait times for things than you would experience in the States. You are, after all, on vacation, so embrace island time!

No Private Beaches

There are no private beaches in Barbados! So if you’re on a beach you don’t have to worry about being on private property. With that being said, some entrances are private. If in doubt, ask a local, but there are plenty of beaches with parking areas clearly indicated so I can’t imagine this being an issue.

Planning Your Self Drive

Depending on the amount of time you have for your 1 day in Barbados, you’ll want to be strategic.

If there are one or two things that really stand out, prioritize those and be flexible with the rest of your day. Trying to plan minute by minute could be rough and things may take longer than you planned.

If you want to circle the island, I don’t recommend long lunch stops or long tours at various stops. To circle the island is feasible, but if you start adding a one hour stop here and two hour stop there, you’ll have to start making a lot of adjustments.

There’s no right or wrong approach, but a little flexibility will go a long way regardless!

Island Highlights Per Coast

Let’s circle the island now and I’ll highlight various places to stop. You can tailor this however you want and fit your interests and preferences. This is not a specific itinerary, rather it’s highlighting what you can see on each coast. You will need to pick and choose and make it your own!

I have driven around the island myself, but it wasn’t my first time in Barbados when I did it. However, Barbados is a small island so if you just want to drive and make very short stops, you can circle it in a day easily.

If you want to take a dip in the ocean at the beginning or end of your drive, it doesn’t matter if you start by heading north along the west coast or start along the south coast as both offer calm waters good for swimming.

I’ve added google maps links to each spot, so you can easily bookmark and see where they land.

South Coast Highlights

Bridgetown is a relatively short walk (25 minutes) from the cruise terminal, so if you want to include this in your day, you can add it to before or after the driving portion.

Cuzz’s Fish Stand – I recommend Cuzz’s Fish Stand if you can fit it into your day (or check out Caboose on the West Coast). It’s open for lunch or early dinner, but it’s worth a mention. I will randomly crave the fish cutters (fish sandwiches) from Cuzz’s!

Pebble’s Beach – Follow directions to the fish stand which is on Pebble’s Beach as the parking is easy here, which is helpful! Swim in Carlisle Bay and if you have snorkel gear you might encounter a sea turtle!

Rihanna’s Childhood Home – very close to the port, so this is an easy stop before or after your day around the island!

Garrison Savannah – As you start driving, you’ll likely pass the Garrison, but unless a horse race is happening there won’t be much going on.

George Washington House – If you like history, consider George Washington House as Barbados is the only other place George Washington lived outside the United States.

Rockley Beach and Miami Beach – If you’re interested in any beach stops for a quick swim the South Coast is full of options! You can head to The Tiki Bar on Rockley Beach and grab a drink if you want. Just note that as you head further east, the water conditions change.

Silver Sands Beach, Silver Rock Beach and Long Beach can be filled with windsurfers and kitesurfers during the windy months (which spans most of the year). They don’t tend to be calm waters so some wouldn’t prefer these beaches for swimming due to the conditions, but it can be fun to visit and watch the surfers.

Foursquare Rum Distillery – If you want to make a rum stop, this is one of your options.

The Crane Beach – My favorite beach (for nostalgia and obvious beautiful reasons) is on the southeast of Barbados. While I like swimming here, it’s not calm so I wouldn’t recommend it for most people. You can visit just the beach and will have to navigate rocks from the road. Or you can have a meal or drink at The Crane Resort.

Foul Bay and Bottom Bay are also beautiful! You can also wander over to Shark Hole or the cliffs to take in the views.

If you are in this area around lunch, consider The Crane Resort and enjoy the views. For a more casual option, consider Cutters of Barbados and try a flying fish cutter!

East Coast Highlights

Codrington College is a beautiful place to stop and explore for a bit. The grounds are really beautiful!

St. John’s Parish Church. A popular church to visit. Also for any Outerbanks fans, this was one of the filming locations for the show.

Hackletons Cliff – There was some viewpoint I stumbled upon when driving around the island and I am not sure if this was it. It does seem like it is, but my photos and memories of this viewpoint are better than what I see on google. Could be worth a stop, but my memory isn’t confirmed. Maybe on my next trip to Barbados I can test it out.

Bathsheba (pronounced Bah-sheh-buh) is beautiful and rugged! If you wanted to swim, you would need to look for rock pools to dip in. Otherwise, this side of the island is more for surfing!

Soup Bowl is a famous surfing spot in Barbados.

Cattlewash is another beach to enjoy the views of this rugged coastline.

Round House is a good spot in this area to consider for lunch.

Hunte’s Gardens – If you love a beautiful garden, this is a stop for you! I’m definitely appeciating flowers more in my life and I love it! Plus gardens always make me think of my Gran.

Cherry Tree Hill is a good stop for views and you can buy a fresh coconut with or without some added rum while you take in the views.

North Coast Highlights

St. Nicholas Abbey and Steam Railway – This can be a beautiful and interesting stop to consider. I’ve walked the grounds and did the rum portion with my sister and her husband. I haven’t done the train, but sounds like it could be a cool experience.

Animal Flower Cave & Restaurant – Even if you don’t want to explore the cave or eat at the restaurant, this area is beautiful and worth a short stop. The water hitting cliffs is mesmerizing. I’ve seen a relatively calm ocean up here and also an intense ocean with waves rolling in. Both were beautiful!

Harrison’s Point Light House – Some do make this stop, but I would proceed with caution. I’ve been here on one trip to Barbados, but my uncle didn’t want me visiting solo. Overall, it’s not maintained and not really an official recommended stop.

West Coast Highlights

Fish Pot – For a meal or drink with a view, consider Fish Pot.

Heywoods Beach – A good beach to have a swim. West Coast is usually calm, but there are rocks, so keep that in mind.

The Caboose – I haven’t been here yet, but my brother has and confirmed it was good. Though anywhere with a fish cutter is a win in my book! An abandoned boat turned into a fish cutter stand.

Mullins Beach – Another good beach option for a swim. Again, be careful of the rocks, but the water is usually calm.

Gibbes Beach– Just a bit further south of Mullins, this is another good spot to consider for a quick swim.

Folkestone Marine Park & Visitors’ Centre – I’ve never been here, but it’s on my list next time I’m in Barbados. I have snorkeling and diving in my sights. Reviews mention snorkeling and facilities a lot. Could be worth a stop if you want a beach with some amenities.

St. James Parish Church is considered the oldest church in Barbados with the first wooden version built in 1628.

Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park– If you wanted to explore the caves, head inland a bit to Harrison’s Cave! While I think these are cool to visit, I wouldn’t prioritize this for 1 day in Barbados, unless you geek on this kind of thing of course!

Limegrove Lifestyle Centre – A stop for the serious shoppers.

Holetown Chattel Village – This is a cute area for souvenir shopping.

The Tides Barbados – Fine dining with fine views.

Batts Rock Beach – And yet another slice of paradise to consider for a swim.

Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery – This is another good rum stop to consider! It’s about a 6 minute drive from the cruise terminal so it could be a good first or last stop for your 1 day in Barbados self drive tour.

Mount Gay Visitors’ Centre – Arguably the most iconic rum! And it’s a quick drive from the port.

My Suggested Self Driving Loop of Barbados

To start, it’s worth noting I’m an ocean girl through and through, so I’m a big fan of coastal views and beaches. Since this is my suggestion, it’s worth noting my personal preferences so you can understand where I’m coming from. I’ve added a couple of alternatives throughout this example, but overall, I’d choose beach and coastal views over rum or wildlife for my 1 day in Barbados.

This suggested day itinerary is also not conducive to being at any one spot for long. I do account for an hour lunch, but depending on where you go it could easily take longer! You’re on island time, remember?

My Suggested Loop

If you’re an early riser and this is an available option, I recommend heading to Pebble’s Beach between 5:30 am and 7 am to swim with the race horses. There may be days this doesn’t happen, but this beach is about a ten minute drive from the Port, so worst case is you enjoy a lovely morning swim.

For the non early risers, head out around 8:30 or 9AM to avoid morning rush hour and enjoy breakfast from the cruise.

If you’re a Rihanna fan, start with Rihanna’s Childhood Home, which isn’t far from the port.

Port of Bridgetown to Rihanna’s childhood home ~ 4 minutes

From there I recommend stopping at Foul Bay or Bottom Bay and The Crane Beach! The Crane is my personal favorite, but it also consistently makes lists for the best beaches. The other two mentioned are also beautiful and more secluded than The Crane these days. If you want some rum, consider a stop at Foursquare Rum Distillery because it’s on the way!

Rihanna’s Childhood Home to Foul Bay ~ 34 minutes

Foul Bay to The Crane Beach ~ 4 minutes

Lunch Considerations

Depending on how fast you are moving and whether you stopped at Foursquare Rum Distillery, you would be by The Crane around 11AM. If you are hungry, consider lunch at one of the restaurants at The Crane Resort, but if you’re not hungry yet, consider lunch at Round House in Bathsheba.

No time for a longer lunch or you’re only hungry for a snack? There is the Barbados fast food chain, Chefette, at six cross roads. Or consider Delon’s Roti & Bar. I haven’t been but reviews praise the roti and welcoming service. I absolutely recommend getting a fish cutter from Caboose or Cuzz so you’ll want to have a little room in the afternoon!

Codrington College is beautiful, but if you can only pick one visit St. John’s Parish Church. Outerbanks filmed here if you happen to be a fan of the show!

The Crane Beach to St. John’s Parish Church ~ 17 minutes

Make your way to the rugged Bathsheba and if you’re ready for lunch, consider stopping at Round House.

St. John’s Parish Church to Bathsheba (Round House) ~ 14 minutes

After lunch drive up the coast a bit to Cattlewash for more views of this rugged coastline. Swimming on this coast isn’t recommended, but if you can find a pool in the rocks, you can have a dip to cool off.

Bathsheba to Cattlewash ~ 4 minutes

Cherry Tree Hill is up next which is a quick stop for views and I recommend getting a fresh coconut!

Cattlewash to Cherry Tree Hill ~ 15 minutes

Make your way to Animal Flower Cave & Restaurant. The views are beautiful even if you don’t do the cave. However, Barbados Wildlife Reserve should be the next stop if you are an animal lover! Especially if you time it right for feeding (2PM according to the internet).

Cherry Tree Hill to Animal Flower Cave ~ 20 minutes

Cherry Tree Hill to Barbados Wildlife Reserve ~ 7 minutes

Whether you stop at The Caboose (Northwest Coast) or at Cuzz’s Fish Stand (Southwest Coast) before you head back to the boat, a fish cutter is a must! It’s basically a fish sandwich, but this tops my list when I’m in Barbados! You can’t get salt bread in the States and the fish is delicious!

Animal Flower Cave to The Caboose ~ 22 minutes

Animal Flower Cave to Cuzz’s Fish Stand ~ 51 minutes

We’re now near the end of your day! After this you will probably need to return to the port or an area near the port. If you didn’t stop long for lunch or got through the stops quicker, consider snorkeling (or swimming) at either Folkestone Marine Park & Visitors’ Centre or Pebbles Beach (by Cuzz’s Fish Stand). For just a quick dip consider Gibbes Beach, which is on the way back to the Cruise Terminal sitting just south of Caboose.

Caboose to Barbados Cruise Port ~ 35 minutes

If snorkeling or swimming is high on your list, start your day with it and do this circle in reverse. Just remember rush starts around 4:30PM so it’s better to be closer to the port than further.

I put swimming at the end so you are wet from swimming in Animal Flower Cave or snorkeling toward the end of your day. However, just edit as needed to ensure you get to do the things you want!

If you do this in reverse, the South Coast is full of beaches for an end of day swim as well.

The Ultimate One Day Barbados Itinerary

I know I’m partial, but I do think Barbados is worth more than one day, however, if you’re on a cruise you are only able to get a taste! Pick your style with this guide and enjoy this beautiful paradise!

Hopefully your taste of Barbados will have you wanting more, but regardless I hope you enjoy your 1 day in Barbados and the rest of your Caribbean cruise!