What to do on Barbados

Barbados has lots to see and do with its championship golf, great water sports, historic sights, unique caves and great shops.

GOLF

Barbados has four excellent 18-hole championship golf courses.

Sandy Lane has two Tom Fazio designed courses and the course at Royal Westmoreland, a Robert Trent Jones Jr., is the best on the island. Also open to the public, The Barbados Golf and Country Club.

SCUBA DIVING

Barbados is a great place to dive with its miles of coral reefs and underwater wrecks full of ocean life.

The Marine Reserve (an underwater park protected by legislation from destruction or damage from careless divers) is four miles long and includes reefs from Sandy Lane to Colony Club.

CAVES

The Caves are located near the parish of St. Thomas and are a natural phenomenon.

First located in 1795, the caves were then forgotten until Barbadian Tony Mason and Danish speliologist Ole Sorensen "rediscovered" them in 1976. In 1981, Harrison's Cave was opened to the public.

MANSIONS

Barbados is the home of two of the three remaining "Jacobean Mansions" left in the Western hemisphere. St. Nicholas Abbey in St. Peter and Drax Hall in St. George. Both of these architectural sights are known as part of the "Seven Wonders of Barbados".

NIGHTLIFE

The big resorts on the West Coast offer plenty of bars, live music outlets, beach parties and restaurants.

The Coach House, Paynes Bay, St. James, is a 200 years old English pub, with a beer garden. Starting at 9pm on most nights, there's live music-everything from steel bands to jazz, pop, and rock.

John Moore Bar, on the waterfront, Weston, St. James, is full of neighborhood locals and a few tourists who come for the laid back atmosphere near the sea.

In Bridgetown, Baxters Road starts partying after 11 p.m. and doesn’t end till morning.

Enid's is a popular spot on Baxter Road, locals come at 3 a.m. for the fried chicken.

Boatyard Bar & South Deck Grill, Bay Street in Bridgetown (tel. 246/436-2622), is busy with a young crowd dancing to a DJ on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Right off the beach, Boatyard also offers a small menu of fish, chicken and burgers.

Harbour Lights, Marine's Villa, Lower Bay Street, is a great place for dancing, drinking, and singles. Music is always playing till the early morning and some nights the party moves out onto the beach. Live bands on the weekend make this a favorite of tourists.

On the South Coast, Cafe Sol, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, serves up margaritas.

The Plantation Restaurant and Garden Theatre, Main Road (Hwy. 7), St. Lawrence, Christ Church, is the island's main showcase for dinner theater and Caribbean cabaret. It's a true tourist joint, but provides great entertainment. Every Wednesday and Friday, dinner is served at 6:30pm, followed by a show at 8pm.

The Ship Inn, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, has local bands performing nightly and is a favorite spot for regulars and tourists alike.

The best sports bar is Bubba's Sports Bar, Rockley Main Road, Christ Church.

SHOPPING

Duty-free shops have two prices listed on items of merchandise: the local retail price and the local retail price less the government-imposed tax.

You can find deals on items such as cameras, watches, crystal, gold jewelry, bone china, cosmetics and perfumes, and liquor (including locally produced Barbados rum and liqueurs), along with tobacco products and cashmere sweaters, tweeds, and sportswear from Britain. At times you could be saving up to 50% off US pricing.

If you purchase items made on Barbados, you don't have to pay duty.

Highland Pottery, Inc. is worth a visit for some of the islands quintessential pottery.

In Bridgetown, Bridgetown Harbor has 20 duty-free shops, 13 local shops, and many vendors.

Articrafts, Norman Center Mall, Broad Street, has a collection of Bajan arts and crafts.

Colours of De Caribbean, the Waterfront Marina (next to the Waterfront Café, on the Carenage), has some original hand-painted and batik clothing, all made in the West Indies, plus jewelry and interesting objects.

Cave Shepherd, Broad Street, is the largest department store on the island and the best place for duty-free merchandise. There are branches at Sunset Crest in Holetown, Da Costas Mall, Grantley Adams Airport, and the Bridgetown cruise-ship terminal. You will find perfumes, cosmetics, fine crystal and bone china, cameras, jewelry, swimwear, leather, men's designer clothing, crafts, liquor, and souvenirs.

Harrison's, 1 Broad Street, has six stores with duty free merchandise like china, crystal, jewelry, leather goods, and perfumes.

Little Switzerland, in the Da Costas Mall, Broad Street, offers a great selection of watches, fine jewelry, Mont Blanc pens, and Waterford, Lalique, Swarovski, and Baccarat.