by If you’re looking for a holiday with nothing on the agenda but relaxation, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Barbados. A quintessential fly-and-flop destination with postcard-worthy white sands, neon waters and bougie beach clubs on the coast – it’s a year-round destination that will leave you feeling suitably recharged and recharged with Vitamin D. But where do I make the style set go now?
Where to stay
Cobblers Cove
pink cane umbrellas, palm trees and marble bars lined with woven rattan furniture — Cobblers Cove feels straight out of a glamorous 1950s Caribbean heyday.
The crowd ranges from newlyweds to those who have been attending the hotel every year for 30 years. Much loved by Brits, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll see a polo-shirted man with a cricket cap and a trusty Daunt Books bag on his shoulder, finding the best suntanner of the day.
Each of the property’s 40 rooms is a suite with indoor and outdoor living spaces, and decor is a glorious mix of chintz and tropical – a playful result of a 2019 collaboration with Soane Britain.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a small gym, a two-room spa, a well-kept shop and a restaurant. After soaking up the rays in the teardrop pool or snorkeling in the cove, pull up a chair on the ocean front veranda and order one of the exceptional Piña Coladas in time for sunset.
Book it: From £650 per night. shoemaker.com
Coral reef club
Located on a prime stretch of the Platinum Coast up a winding tree-lined drive, the Coral Reef Club is set within 12 acres of gardens bursting with frangipani and bougainvillea. Owned and managed by the O’Hara family since the 1950s, it is a Colonial-style hotel with a country club feel where the same long-time patrons return year after year.
The 88 rooms include generous cottages, suites and suites with West Indian and European touches throughout. There are two pools, a gym and a water sports center – but the real show stopper is the individual Spa with four treatment rooms, a steam room and a hydro pool.
The open air restaurant is located on the water’s edge with stunning views of the sea crashing into the Caribbean Sea. It offers extensive daily menus. However, the hotel’s proximity to some of the island’s most popular restaurants makes it a convenient place to eat.
Book it: From £868 per night for a Double Garden Room including breakfast and taxes. coralreefbarbados.com
The Sandhill
Sister hotel to the Coral Reef Club, The Sandpiper is just a short walk along the beach towards Ballinpool. A smaller hotel than its sibling, it has a very tropical feel with apartments and sparkling pools popping up amongst the fronds and foliage.
The Beach House Rooms are worth the splurge – spacious with panoramic views, private oceanfront terraces, plush king-size beds and large, modern bathrooms. In terms of facilities, there are two pools (it’s worth getting up early to bag half, half outside the swimming rooms), a small gym, two tennis courts and a water sports hut.
When it comes to food, there is one main outdoor restaurant, where the Sunday night barbecue is a highlight. It is surrounded by a decked outside dining area next to the hotel’s legendary pink beach hut, Harold’s bar. Still run by Harold himself, it has been running for many years and has a thick bible of cocktails to choose from – including the Billie Piper. Named after the woman herself who, while on holiday in the Noughties with her then husband, Chris Evans, ordered a cocktail made with rum, Tia Maria and chocolate ice cream.
Book it: From £868 per night for a Double Garden Room including breakfast and taxes. sandpiperbarbados.com
Where to eat
The Stone
The A-list-approved is a wonderful affair. Built into a steep cliff face, you’ll dine overlooking the floodlit Caribbean Sea and giant rays and tarpon hoop and slide below.
When you arrive at your car, the valet will take your car out before ushering you in for a cocktail in the blinging bar upstairs. Downstairs you’ll find an impressive glass-fronted kitchen where you’ll watch chefs whip up miso-glazed octopus and cacio e pepe truffles before being pulled out to your seat on the oceanfront balcony.
thecliffbarbados.com
The Fish Pot
Located in the small fishing village of Saint Lucy, the Fish Pot is housed in a small 17th century fort and is a beachside restaurant on the water’s edge. It has an informal interior – think rustic wooden floorboards and striped sashes – and, as the name suggests, the specialty here is fresh fish. The lobster risotto is a favorite on the island, but there are also many meat and vegetarian options.
fishpotbarbados.com
Local & Co
On average, Bajan restaurants import more than 85% of their ingredients, so it feels like a real win when you come across Local & Co. Opened during the pandemic by chef Sophie Mitchell, who has cooked at some of London’s best Michelin-starred restaurants, this spot is at the forefront of the island’s slow food movement. With not a fillet of Scottish salmon in sight, the team ferments, pickles, preserves and cooks with local produce and the results are excellent. The coconut Caribbean shrimp curry or the double aged burger with bacon jam are highly recommended.
thelocalbarbados.com
Chefette
Fast food might not immediately spring to mind when escaping an island, but it would be remiss to skip the island’s fast food chain, Chefette. No beef burgers here, it’s all about the spicy island roti, crispy golden fried chicken and tall rum and raisin ice cream. Be sure to go hungry.
chefette.com
Lone Star
On the site of a former garage from the 1940s, Lone Star is a restaurant and boutique hotel with the feel of the best Mediterranean beach club. Offering luxury at its best, diners spend all day ordering ice buckets of Champagne with snapper ceviche and club sandwiches. Reserve a table for lunch and you won’t leave until well after sunset.
thelonestar.com
What to do
Beach clubs
The west coast is dotted with luxurious beach clubs ripe for a day of sun and (magnum of) roses. The Sea Shed on Mullins Beach has white lounges and impeccable service with staff in polo shirts, khaki shorts and white trainers taking care of you.
Fit in a day at La Cabane too. Right on the water, the farm-to-table food and cocktails are as good as the views and when dusk falls, DJs often take to the decks. Technically not a beach club but a restaurant-cum-beach bar instead – it’s definitely a spot you can still spend the whole day in.
seasedbarbados.com; lacabanebarbados.com
Austin Fish-Fry
Although an established tourist spot, Oistins should not be disturbed on a Friday night. The island’s fish market comes alive with rum punch bars, food vendors and street dancers looking to party the night away. With so many fish joints to choose from, it’s best to ask the locals where to eat – Pat’s, Uncle George’s and Chillin’ and Grillin’ are likely to come up.
Fishing
If fishing in the tropics is on your bucket list, Barbados is one of the best places to try it, whether you’re an avid angler or a first-timer. With more than 500 species of fish, you can fish from the shore or out, but the latter is a real experience. Spirit Reel Fishing Charters offer the most luxurious vessel on the island and the deep sea voyage is a true adventure. Going out to the Caribbean, you can catch anything from Wahoo to Mammoth Baracudas under the guidance of the expert team. One thing is for sure? Even the most stoic stomachs are unlikely to be immune to the swelling so anti-sickness tablets must be taken.
4 hour trips start from £630 for six people. reelspiritfishingbarbados.com
Silver Moon Cruises
A day trip aboard one of Silver Moon Cruises’ luxury yachts is a great way to see another stretch of the coast. Meeting at the port outside Bridgetown, you’ll spend the morning soaking up the sun on a sprawling deck, snorkelling with turtles and visiting the island’s famous shipwrecks before being served a feast of Bajan favorites such as black clams, mahi-mahi , macaroni pie and black-. eye peas and rice. Of course, ice-cold rum punch additions will also add to the day.
Shared trips from around £115 per adult. silvermoonbarbados.com
Driving Rihanna
Mega fans aside, it’s probably not worth going out of your way to do but if you’re near Bridgetown, a trip to Rihanna Drive is a little career. Formerly known as Westbury New Road, the singer lived there until she was 16, and you can visit her lime and yellow childhood home before heading into one of her local bars for a beer Banks was ice cold.
How to get there – and get around
British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Barbados from £489 per person, including taxes and fees; ba.com/Barbados
It is well worth renting a car while on the island. Drive-a-Matic rentals start from around £32 per day and you can pick up your vehicle from the airport. carhire.tv
