There are scenes in Barbados that make you catch your breath, for reasons both picture-perfect – those glorious beaches! Those blue waters! – and profound. The island, located in the eastern Caribbean, is a former British colony that achieved independence in 1966. Its history is etched into the landscape, from the Georgian-style architecture in Bridgetown to the Emancipation Statue that stands as a reminder of the struggle for freedom.

We’re travelling in our rental car along the motorway, about 5km east of the capital, Bridgetown, behind lorries full of sugar cane. The roads are fringed with frangipani and palm trees, and lined with large wooden carts filled with coconuts. Bajan drivers often don’t indicate, and our nerves are soon as frayed as a pile of old ropes. We come upon a bronze statue in the middle of a roundabout, hands outstretched, broken chains hanging from his wrists. It’s the Emancipation Statue, a figurehead of Barbados, symbolising the breaking of the chains of slavery.

Barbados is a tiny island nation famous for its azure waters, powder-white sands, a moneyed elite scarfing down shrimp on yachts, and as the location where Simon Cowell spends Christmas. It’s that, and it’s different. Barbados is textured: idyllic, historic, relaxing, complicated. We’re here for a week with our three-year-old, and sometimes the landscape tilts so dizzyingly into different world views that, like a kaleidoscope rotating, it gives you vertigo. It’s rum shacks, dirt roads, hot air, the scent of hashish floating on the breeze, singing frogs in the night-time, a fondness for Chris de Burgh’s Lady in Red (yodelled at us in two hotels) and retro moments such as, when driving into a forecourt, having attendants pump your gas. It’s kind locals, stunning beaches, island time (“Soon time!”), and your pulse slowing to move in happy rhythm.

Getting There and Getting Around

Since early April, Aer Lingus has operated a temporary direct service from Dublin to Barbados, primarily to facilitate passengers from the now-closed Manchester route. The route is set to close on May 31st, but there are hopes that it may be continued if Irish interest is high enough. It’s an exciting prospect for my husband – as a former resident of the Caribbean, in St Lucia, he was a regular visitor to Barbados. It’s not long before he’s talking about favourite varieties of rum, perusing his old copy of To Hell or Barbados and enthusing about haunts such as Champers. It’s also exciting for me, a first-time visitor.

We’ve opted to go resort-hopping for the week, because although the island is small – just 34km long and 23km wide – the experience in each location is vastly different. The dramatic east coast of Barbados, facing the Atlantic Ocean with its strong swells, is primarily for surfers. The west’s Caribbean side is where you’ll find powdery beaches, tranquil waters and lavish hotels, and the south is a lively mix, offering sometimes uncertain waters, but also convivial nightlife (locals recommend Oistín’s on Fridays for its famous fish fry) and more moderately priced accommodation.

Accommodation Highlights

At the beach-fronted Sugar Bay Hotel on the island’s south coast, the hotelier has created a man-made reef, making it easy to bring kids for a dip without fearing the current. Swimming there one morning, I see tiny crabs scuttling over the reef, a fish whisking through shallow waters. There are other delightful surprises. At the swim-up bar, where we sit pink-faced after jumping on the hotel trampoline, we look up to see a monkey scarpering over the rooftop, tail dangling. The all-inclusive resort is a great base for families, with prices from €700 per night in May for an ocean front family suite sleeping five.

At the gorgeously tranquil Waves resort on the west coast, we take a five-minute water-taxi cruise (offered throughout the day) from Waves to its sister resort Crystal Cove, where we can access the kids club. Twinning sister hotels to maximise facilities for guests is a smart decision, and one several hotels on the island operate. Sea Breeze House on the island’s south coast has modern, brightly renovated rooms with captivating ocean views and a buzzy atmosphere, designed to appeal to different generations. The all-inclusive hotel is linked to its sister property O2 Beach Club, with guests allowed to access the O2 for a daypass fee.

Cultural and Historical Insights

Barbados is known as the birthplace of rum, and from never drinking the stuff in my life, I become an island convert, partly because Barbados is whack-a-mole for the stuff. When I jump on board a catamaran to go snorkelling, once sails are hoisted, never mind that it’s morning, staff serve up spritzers with gusto. Mid-snorkel, marvelling at the stingrays flapping beneath me like envelopes that have lost their sealant, I surface to discover swimmers bobbing about, supported by foam noodles, with glasses of rum punch aloft, delivered to them in the water by a Tiami Cruise crew member. Everyone is smiling from ear to ear.

Back on board, I get chatting to a Barbadian family, there to celebrate their daughter’s 26th birthday. They mention places they enjoy in Barbados, such as St Nicholas Abbey in the parish of St Peter. It’s a former sugar cane plantation that’s now a rum distillery, museum and antique railway. Theo, the family patriarch and former airport worker, thumps his chest. Tears spring to his eyes. “When I see the plantation, I know where we come from,” he says. For Theo’s son, a hotel worker and computer science student, pride in his country stems from a younger generation. Rihanna, a famous Barbadian, is captured in a monument at National Heroes Square in Bridgetown, with a note recognising her musical achievements.

People-Watching and Local Tips

People-watching is fun in Barbados. At Champers, a glorious open-fronted restaurant overlooking cresting waves, I give up on eavesdropping to embrace the marvellous scenery and exquisite food. It’s where well-heeled Barbadians go to celebrate big occasions, which tourists also love. Our server mentions in passing that although she loves her job, she doesn’t eat in the restaurant: her kids come to drop off her lunchbox. Lines of division – modern and historical, micro and macro – snake through the island. Our guide, Claudette Levi-Farnum, addresses the subject directly on a walking tour of Bridgetown to provide “the unvarnished truth”. She retraces the history of the island, starting in 1536 with the Portuguese landing. She speaks vividly about English plantation owners, the Irish who were moved to Barbados in the 17th century as indentured servants, Barbados’s status as “little England”, and the island of today. “Every Barbadian has a right to free healthcare,” she says.

We weave through the city, stepping carefully on to thin-edged pavements near a historic graveyard, and by street corners where old canons have been painted over. It’s busy, colourful and chaotic, as hawkers sell plastic footballs, itsy-bitsy swimwear and tamarind fruit, the brown curved pods with pulp that is tart on the tongue. As locals stream through streets, Claudette shows us some broken-down walls, to display how they are made from coral limestone, the stuff of the island itself. It’s another layer of history lifted and a reminder that for all we’ve learned in a week, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Enchanting, relaxing and multifaceted, Barbados is a fascinating place to holiday.

Travel Tips and Practical Advice

With prices in Barbados often sky-high – in part thanks to a reliance on imports – an all-inclusive resort is a smart move. You need a travel visa for the island: it’s free from barbadosedcardform.com (don’t be fooled by the sites that charge). Don’t wear camouflage – it’s forbidden in Barbados. But do bring swimming shoes: there are often pebbles. All the beaches are public, so you can venture anywhere. A rash vest is also a good idea to protect yourself from the sun, and mosquito spray is a must. If you’re bringing a small child on their first long-haul flight, talk to them about it a lot ahead of time. Buy some cheap aircraft-friendly toys, lots of snacks, and old favourite books and teddies for comfort. If possible, buy a blow-up toddler aeroplane bed so their legs won’t dangle. Bulkhead seats are also ideal. For all the worries about flight time, many families find the experience easier than expected.

Source: The Irish Times News