fbpx

Towns and Places of Interest

There are five main places of interest in Barbados that are ‘must-see’ destination points while you are on the island:

Oistins and Bridgetown on the south coast
— The Crane Village on the southeast coast, and
Holetown and Speightstown on the west coast.

Another exciting place with plenty to do and see is St. Lawrence Gap, on the island’s south coast.

Bridgetown

Bridgetown (or ‘Town’) is the capital of Barbados and is steeped in history, with many exciting places to visit and some of the best duty-free shopping on the island.

Here you’ll find the country’s landmarks in the capital – with statues and monuments to commemorate essential people and historical events in the island’s history and culture.

While you’re there, why not go and watch some horse racing at the historic Garrison Savannah. You can visit the Barbados Museum and take a tour of George Washington’s house.

Go sailing on a catamaran, eat in one of the city’s many restaurants, look around the cathedral, or take a tour of the world-famous cricket ground, The Kensington Oval.

There’s so much to see and do in Bridgetown and its surroundings. Want more information? See our Bridgetown page or click on the link at the bottom for further details.

Speightstown

Speightstown is the second largest town on the island and, again, is quite also rich in history and culture.

Speightstown is home to one of the island’s oldest churches, St. Peter’s Parish Church, first built in the 1630s.

Because it is located on the north-west coast of the island in the parish of St. Peter, it is much more relaxed than Bridgetown with fewer people.

While you’re in Speightstown, you can wish to have to wander around the shops and market stalls, have a nice meal at one of the town’s excellent restaurants, and or visit the local art gallery.

You’ll also find a supermarket and some local shops selling for all those essential household items.

Need to know more? For more information, read our Speightstown page or click on the link at the bottom of the page.

Holetown

Holetown is located on the west coast of Barbados, and although small, is quite a hive of activity and history. This town is believed to be the first inhabited on island, and there is a lot to see and do. It was in Holetown (formerly known as St. James Town) in 1627, where the first English settlers landed in Barbados.

Every year in February, there is even a weeklong Holetown Festival to commemorate the anniversary of this initial landing and the day Barbados officially became a British Colony.

In Holetown itself, there are a couple of busy shopping centers such as the West Coast Mall, Sunset Crest, and Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, which all sell everything from groceries to high-end duty-free items.

Let’s not forget Holetown beach, behind Surfside Beach Bar and Cocomos restaurant, which is quite a pleasant spot to relax, and there are also amongst some of the island’s best hotels and villas.

For the history buffs amongst you, Holetown is also home to there is a library and museum, all built on the site of an old historic fort.
For more information, see our page about Holetown and start planning your visit today!

Oistins

Oistins is a historic fishing town on the south coast of Barbados. It may be Barbados’ smallest city, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character.

Here you can buy freshly caught fish from the market and pick up some groceries from the supermarket, all in one time.

Oistins is most famous for its nightly and weekend Friday night Fish Frys, where tourists and locals alike come together to eat delicious freshly cooked fish, served with macaroni pie, salad, chips, or rice and peas.

Oistins has a big fishing community, with many fishing boats operating out of this complex. You can also feed the turtles at sunset from the jetty.

For more information, check out our Oistins page or click on the link at the bottom of the page.

The Crane Village

The Crane Residential Resort has earned its reputation as a leading luxury resort in Barbados; however, what many people don’t know is the Crane offers much more than merely luxurious accommodation.

The Crane Village is fast becoming a popular destination point in Barbados.

The uniquely designed Village is nestled amongst the beautifully landscaped Crane Resort and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean so you can get the full Crane experience in style.

The Village offers a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, and the best part is that you don’t need even to be a guest of the Crane Resort to enjoy the Crane Village. It’s open to both locals and visitors to experience all it has to offer.

Want to know more? See our Crane Village page for more information.

St. Lawrence Gap

Last but not least is the infamous St. Lawrence Gap – a hive of activity both during the day and at night.

Here you will find a lot of hotels, guesthouses, and apartments, which are all just a short stroll from Dover Beach.

Swimming here is usually quite safe, and there are plenty of water sports operators and local vendors selling goods, so there’s always something to do, see, or experience.

You will also find a couple of convenience stores in The Gap for all your essential items.

It is at night when The Gap comes alive as the streets are lined with bars and restaurants to keep you entertained until the small hours of the morning.

For more information, see our on St. Lawrence Gap page or click on the link at the bottom of the page.

Author: Brett Callaghan


Related Articles

Cheapside Market, Barbados
To truly discover some of the charms that make Barbados so unique visit Cheapside Market, a public indoor and open-air market in the island’s capital, Bridgetown.
Mount Hillaby
Well constructed roads provide easy access to spectacular photo opportunities of the Eastern and Northern shoreline. One will find the highest point – being that of Mount Hillaby.

About Totally Barbados (Edit profile)

Brett Callaghan is the founder and managing director of Totally Barbados. I specialize in writing content for the tourism industry for my island home of Barbados. I help companies build strategies to grow online businesses with SMART marketing, advertising, and social media goals.

Title