Why Barbados
The island is thirty-four kilometres by twenty-three and its two coasts are opposites. The west, on the Caribbean Sea, is calm, sheltered, lined with white sand and hotels; the east, on the Atlantic, is pounded by swell, with almost no safe swimming, and that is where people surf at Bathsheba.
It is the easternmost of the Antilles, which places it slightly outside the usual hurricane track without exempting it. Bridgetown and its Garrison are World Heritage listed.
The dry season runs from December to May; it is also high season and prices follow. From June to November it is wetter and it is the hurricane period, with markedly lower rates.
Entry and stay
Requirements depend on nationality. Barbados applies different regimes by country; check yours with the Barbadian authorities before booking.
No duration is quoted here, for want of an official source verified at the time of writing — 22 September 2026.
Getting around
The bus network covers the whole island at a flat fare: public blue buses, yellow minibuses and private vans share the routes, all converging on Bridgetown. It is slow but it goes everywhere.
Car hire requires a temporary local permit, issued with the rental. Driving is on the left, a British legacy, and the inland roads are narrow and poorly signed.
Money
The Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate, and US dollars are accepted almost everywhere — change is then given in Barbadian dollars.
Cards work in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; buses, small shops and beach vendors stay in cash.
Health
No vaccination is required for entry from Europe. Dengue circulates in the region; mosquito protection remains the useful measure.
Medical facilities are adequate in Bridgetown. As everywhere in the Antilles, insurance covering evacuation to a more heavily equipped hospital is still advisable.
Before you go
The country became a republic in 2021, replacing the Queen with a president: it is no longer a Commonwealth realm, contrary to what many guidebooks still say.
Wearing camouflage clothing is prohibited, including for children and on a simple beach garment. The rule is enforced and applies to visitors.
Crop Over, from June to early August, is the island's great carnival. It fills the accommodation and changes the atmosphere entirely — something to seek out or to avoid, but not to discover on arrival.