15 Fun and Unique Things to Do in Barbados

Home to some of the best beaches in the world, Barbados is a popular beach destination. While this island may be small, only 439 km² in size, there are so many fun and unique things to do in Barbados, at and away from the beach. This doesn’t mean that the well-known areas like Bridgetown are not worth visiting, it just means there is more to Barbados than you may currently know. 

Barbados has many unique and unusual natural attractions to enhance your Bajan experience. Unlike anywhere else, Barbados was one of my favourite countries I’ve visited, and I cannot wait to return. You will want to take some time to explore what this beautiful island nation has to offer. 

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Fun and Unique Things to Do in Barbados

If you are looking for what to do in Barbados that is lesser-known and fun to experience, this list of fun and unique things to do in Barbados is for you. You can spend a day or a week almost entirely crowd-free, and this guide will help you do so.

Deebles Point

Deebles Point is a cliffside in east Barbados, the easternmost point of the island. At Deebles Point, you will see panoramic views of the coastline. A unique place, it is the easternmost part of the Caribbean, and there isn’t any land east of here until you reach Africa. You will find a lighthouse, a viewing platform, and an art gallery at Deebles Point.

Attend a Rum Tour

Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, so where better a place to attend a rum tour than where it was born. There are four rum distilleries on the island: Mount Gay, Foursquare, Saint Nicholas Abbey, and West Indies. Mount Gay Rum Distillery has been making rum for over 300 years and is the oldest on the island. One of the most fun things to do in Barbados for those who enjoy rum, you can tour any of the four rum distilleries, learn about their history, and indulge in rum tastings. The most popular rum tour is of Mount Gay Rum Distillery. 

Enjoy a Delicious Seafood Dinner

Oistins Fish Market is a fish and crafts market along Barbados’s south coast. Each Friday, locals and tourists visit the market to enjoy delicious Bajan cuisine. Choose from multiple vendors; the food is prepared fresh upon placing your order. The dining section is very informal and relaxed, and there is often live music and dancing at Oistins Fish Market on weekends. 

The market is open other days of the week, but the best time to visit Oistins Fish Market is a Friday night. 

During our visit to Oistins Fish Market, we chose grilled marlin and swordfish, and it was delicious. I hadn’t tried marlin before, but I fell in love. The cost of the marlin was 25 BBD, and the swordfish cost 30 BBD.

Shark Hole Beach

Shark Hole is a beautiful little spoon-shaped beach tucked away along the southeast coast of Barbados. Protected from the waves of the Atlantic by coral reefs, the waters of Shark Hole are calm. While the name may sound scary, there are no sharks at Shark Hole Beach. This small hidden and unique beach is only 40 ft wide and a popular choice with locals. 

North Point 

North Point is a cliffside at the most northern point of Barbados. Located beside Animal Flower Cave, you can see it from within the cave. From North Point, you can see panoramic views of the ocean where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. A highlight of my trip was visiting the most northern part of an island, something I didn’t get to do during my time in Aruba. 

Bridgetown Boardwalk

The Barbados Boardwalk, or the Wickham Lewis Boardwalk, is a wooden waterfront trail in the heart of Bridgetown. Take a stroll, watch the boats, and admire the colourful buildings surrounding the boardwalk. Level up your visit by joining a walking food tour in Bridgetown.

Have a Picnic on a Private Beach

Having a picnic at a secluded beach in Barbados is a great way to spend an afternoon. All beaches in Barbados are considered public. Depending on the beach location, some need vehicles to access them, and others are pedestrian access. With no private beaches, you can search out a secluded section of a beach and enjoy a private picnic. There is nothing like that feeling of having a beach all to yourself. 

Watch the Sunset in Speightstown 

After a day of exploring, there is nothing like relaxing and watching the sunset. Located on the west coast, Speightstown has beautiful and colourful sunsets. Find a quiet spot along the beach or choose a restaurant overlooking the ocean and enjoy. The sunset in Barbados is around 6 pm each day, year-round. 

During my visit to Speightstown, I enjoyed the sunset near the pier seeing a gorgeous vibrant coloured sky. 

Richard Haynes Boardwalk

The Richard Haynes Boardwalk is a 1.2 km boardwalk that connects two beaches, Sugar Bay and Rockley Beach. Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, you will find the boardwalk scenic. Richard Haynes Boardwalk is popular with turtles trying to lay their eggs, so they can often be spotted at night on the boardwalk. There are multiple restaurants and bars along the way to stop at if you want to have lunch or enjoy an afternoon.

Animal Flower Cave

Animal Flower Cave is a natural sea cave within a cliff in north Barbados, one of the most unique places on the island. Within the cave is a natural pool that sits above sea level. You can tour the cave with a Bajan guide and swim in the pool. There is also a restaurant that serves local Bajan cuisine for lunch and features cliffside views. Animal Flower Cave is a unique place to visit in Barbados and makes for a fun experience, especially if you get the cave all to yourself. 

Self-Guided Island Tour

One of the best ways to see all of Barbados is to rent a car and drive around the island. Renting a car will allow freedom to see more of Barbados in less time and on your schedule. Being a small island, it won’t take you more than a day to visit all four coasts; it would take approximately 3 hours to drive about 100 km around the perimeter of Barbados. 

Visit popular attractions or find hidden gems along the way on your road trip. You can rent a car from Grantley Adams International Airport.

Ride the St. Nicholas Abbey Steam Train

St. Nicholas Abbey is a 400-acre estate in the hills of St. Peter that includes a sugar cane plantation, distillery, and heritage railway. At the heritage railway, you can ride a restored steam locomotive. The train ride takes you around the property, around a lake, through the woods, and provides views of the coastline; the ride lasts for approximately 1 hour. You won’t find anything else like it on the island, making it a unique thing to do in Barbados.

Snorkel or Scuba Dive with Shipwrecks

One of the most fun things to do in Barbados is snorkel or scuba dive in Carlisle Bay. Snorkelling in the bay was a highlight of my trip. Within Carlisle Bay, there are six shipwrecks, all at various depths between 12 m and 55 m. You can head from the shore if you own gear or take a tour boat to snorkel or scuba dive with the shipwrecks. 

During my trip, I snorkelled and saw three shipwrecks. You can also spot sea life such as turtles, starfish, and many kinds of fish.

Eat Fish Cutter Sandwiches from Cuz’s Fish Stand 

Fish Cutters are a popular Bajan dish, and the best place to try one is from Cuz’s Fish Stand; they are legendary for theirs. What is a fish cutter? A fish cutter is a fish sandwich made on salt bread and topped with lettuce, tomato and cheese. You can add mayo, Bajan hot sauce or an egg to it also. 

You will find them in a small shack in Carlisle Bay beside the Hilton resort. While the fish shack may not look like much from the outside, the food is fresh and delicious. You will smell the aroma of freshly grilled fish when you get near the shack. Locals and tourists travel across the island for their fish cutters; Cuz’s Fish Stand has the best fish cutters in Barbados. 

During my trip to Barbados, we had fish cutters from Cuz’s Fish Stand twice, as they were so good we had to return. You won’t want to miss eating here on your visit to Barbados.

Swim with Turtles

Swimming with turtles in Barbados is one of the most fun and memorable things you can do on the island. Turtles love the shores of Barbados, and you can find them at many of the beaches. The best beaches to swim with turtles include Carlisle Bay, Dover Beach, Alleyne’s Beach, and Drill Hall Beach. 

When swimming with turtles, please do not touch or feed them. You can swim without a tour, or you can join a snorkel tour on a catamaran to swim with the turtles. Turtles are my favourite sea animal; it was incredible to swim with them. It will be a highlight activity of your Barbados trip. 

What is Unique to Barbados?

Barbados may be small, but there is still plenty of unique things to do. You can experience everything from snorkelling with shipwrecks to exploring caves and exploring the ocean in a submarine. Some things that are unique to Barbados include: it is the birthplace of rum, it is below the hurricane belt so weather stays more pleasant throughout the year, and it has some of the purest water in the world thanks to its coral limestone that acts like a filter. With one of the highest repeat visitor rates in the Caribbean, see what this amazing island is all about for yourself.

And there you have it: 15 unique things to do in Barbados during your trip. This beautiful island offers more than beaches, although the beaches are a must-visit. You can add all these activities to your Barbados itinerary or choose to visit a few of them.

Hope this information helps you find fun and unique things to do in Barbados. 

Happy travelling!