Poking out into the Atlantic sea east of the Caribbean, the island country of Barbados is one of the last bastions of paradisal beach and alluring exoticism before opening up to the great swathes of deep blue ocean. Primarily famed for its Robinson Crusoe beaches and shallow-watered shores of pristine azure, be nevertheless prepared to discover much more to this island than meets the eye!
One of the best-developed islands in this corner of the world, Barbados is well suited to budgets of all sizes, thereby attracting visitors in hordes. Beach lovers often head to the south west coast, where some of the most built-up stretches of coastline span outwards from the capital at Bridgetown. The city itself is a great place to begin, and offers some fantastic beachside seafood dining, along with a host of bubbling nightlife joints that spill parties onto the sand after dark (don’t leave without trying the Islander’s famous rum punch!) .
Further inland the undulating terrain of cliffs and caverns opens up to allow visitors a truly unique outdoors experience. Here, most Barbados tour guides will recommend a visit to the deep Harrison's Cave, where bulbous stalactites droop to the floor accompanied with a hike around the Welchman Hall Gully Tropical Forest next door.