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Why You Should Plan a Trip to Barbados

Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean chain and an independent British Commonwealth nation. It is a major cruise ship port, but also a popular vacation destination with direct flights from the US, Canada and England. Islands closest to Barbados include St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. At 147 sq. miles in size, it is not considered a very large island, but what it may lack in size, Barbados definitely makes up for in its relaxed and welcoming attitude, friendly people, beautiful scenery and the variety of activities to enjoy. Read on to see why we think you should consider planning a trip to Barbados.

Mount Gay Visitor Center, Barbados

Rum

Considered by many as the birthplace of rum, Barbados offers so many ways to learn about and enjoy this golden elixir. Ways to enjoy Barbados Rum?

1. Rum Distillery Tours

* Take the Mount Gay Rum Tour at the Visitor Center in Bridgetown to find out more about the history and the making of Mount Gay Rum, first produced on Barbados in 1703. And yes, samples are provided.

* Visit the St. Nicholas Abbey Plantation. St Nicholas Abbey rums have won numerous international awards and the public can tour the beautiful facilities located in the northern parish of St. Peter. A general admission includes a tour of the Greathouse, the plantation grounds, the syrup factory and bottling plant and a rum tasting. Read about our visit to St. Nicholas Abbey here.

*Foursquare Rum Distillery Tour. Foursquare Rum currently produces some of the finest rums around, such as RL Seale, Rum Sixty Six, Old Brigand, Doorly’s XO and of course, the Foursquare series of rums. The Foursquare Rum Distillery is located St. Phillip Parish on the southeast side of the island. The tour is free and self guided which allows visitors to take their time walking through the facility and reading about all of the rum making equipment and history. After finishing the tour, stop by the tasting room to sample a variety of their rums which cost approximately $20 for 6 samples.

2. Rum Shops:
Rum Shops, small local establishments that sell beer and rum and sometimes food, are scattered all over the island of Barbados. These neighborhood shops give visitors a taste of Barbados from rum to beer to getting a chance to chat with the locals. Catch a rowdy game of dominoes and join in while sipping on your favorite Barbados rum. A few popular rum shops? John Moore’s Bar and Braddie’s Bar are two, but Barbados is literally dotted with Rum Shops, so don’t hesitate stopping by one that you are staying close to or spot while exploring the island!

Rum Punch at St. Charles Yacht Club, Barbados

3. Rum Punch
Barbadians know rum punch. Although just slightly different at each location, the authentic recipe is generally used – one of sour (lime juice), two of sweet (simple syrup), three of strong (rum) and four of weak (water), with a dash of Angostura bitters and some freshly grated nutmeg. Balanced, refreshing and delicious. Get the Authentic Rum Punch recipe here.

Paynes Bay Beach, Barbados

Beaches

There are so many beautiful beaches on Barbados that it’s hard to know where to start. If you are looking for calm beaches that are good for swimming, focus on the calmer south and west side. The north and east side are generally rocky, incredibly scenic, and well worth a visit, but may not be as good for swimming. A few of our favorites? On the west – Gibbs, Sandy Lane, Paynes Bay, and Brandon’s, Brighton and Brownes. In the south – Accra/Rockley, Welches, Dover, Miami and Crane. North and East? Bathsheba Beach is rugged and beautiful with unusual rock formations dotting the coast, Bottom Bay is sandy with beautiful palms and turquoise water – very scenic. It’s great for walking and picnicking, but swimming is not recommended due to the undertow.

Flying Fish Sandwich at The Fish Pot, Barbados

Eats

There’s certainly no shortage of places to eat in Barbados. Delicious offerings are available from food trucks, beach bars, rum shops, Oisten’s Friday Night Fish Fry and finer dining restaurants such as The Cliff, and Champers. Typical Bajan food is infused with elements of African, Indian, Irish, Creole and British cultures. The national dish of Barbados? Cou-Cou and Flying Fish which is can be found in many establishments during the Flying Fish season. Other foods to try? Fish cakes, Cutters, Conkies and Macaroni Pie!

What to Buy in Barbados

Want to bring home something that reminds you or your wonderful vacation in Barbados? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Rum (check to see how many bottles you are allowed to return home with)
2. Bajan Seasoning and Bajan Hot Sauce.
3. Local art and handmade jewelry
4. Pottery (check out Earthworks Pottery for local, handmade pieces)
5. Sweet Bread and Tamarind Balls

A day on the water with Calabaza Sailing Cruises

Explore

Harrison’s Cave – a limestone cavern with stalactites, stalagmites and streams
Animal Flower Cave – scenic north shore stop with sweeping views
Hiking – join Hike Barbados for some of their scheduled hikes in different locations on the island
Churches – take a tour of some of the oldest churches on Barbados, such as St. James Parish Church, the oldest church in Barbados, which was originally built in the 1600’s.
Get on the water – book an excursion with a local company such as Calabaza Sailing Cruises to enjoy the sunshine, water, snorkeling and a whole different view of the island!

These are just a few of the reasons why we think you should plan a trip to Barbados. Who’s ready to go?!

Sunset on the west coast of Barbados

Other posts you might be interested in:
Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Thomas, USVI
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Barbados
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Kauai
Why You Should Plan to Tortola
Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Croix

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC.  All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

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St. Nicholas Abbey Rum Experience Tour, Barbados

If you’re a rum lover, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy fantastic rums on the beautiful island of Barbados. We’ve traveled many places in the Caribbean, but we felt like we were in rum heaven during our time on the island!

We had a list of distilleries to experience and St. Nicholas Abbey was certainly one of them. Their small batch rum is highly rated and currently only available for purchase at the distillery (and a few select online retailers). Located on the lush northeast side of the island, St. Nicholas Abbey offers tours that include a walk through a beautiful Jacobean mansion that dates back to 1658 – one of the few left in the Western hemishpere, the sugar plantation, and the rum distillery – including a rum tasting.

We rented a car for our time on Barbados and aside from finding ourselves hopelessly lost in Bridgetown a few times (a big thank you to the kind residents that helped us find our way), we were glad we had the flexibility to explore a lot of the island. The drive to St. Nicholas Abbey was a pretty drive, albeit a little challenging to find due to a conspicous lack of signage on the entire island. Once we got our bearings, we started to notice rolling fields of sugarcane dotted with homes and farms. As we approached St. Nicholas Abbey, a mischievous pair of monkeys ran across the road, jumping into a tree next to the road and watched as we passed.

Finally spotting a sign for St. Nicholas Abbey, we turned on to the long entry lined with Mahogany trees creating a canopy over us. We parked and strolled up to the mansion.

The St. Nicholas Abbey Mansion

We were just in time to join a tour, payed our entrance fee – Adults (13 and over): BBD $45, US $23, and joined the tour of the mansion, which was fascinating in its entirety, but we were especially amused by “the crapper”.

The mansion dining room
Living room

Next, we were taken to a beautiful shaded area between the mansion and rum tour where we were treated to a glass of rum punch.

We then viewed a short historical movie taken by the grandfather of the owner as the family left Europe and made their way to to Barbados by ship in the 1930’s and their early years in Barbados. The short movie was fascinating and gave us some insight into the beginnings of St. Nicholas Abbey.

Simon Warren leading a St. Nicholas Abbey Rum Tasting

Then, it was time to taste the rum. Simon Warren, son of owners Larry & Anna Warren who purchased St. Nicholas Abbey in 2006 in order to preserve it as a part of the island’s rich heritage, gave an informative tasting, injected with his signature dry humor, and included samples of both their award winning white rum and their 5 year old rum – made from their white rum and aged in old bourbon barrels that previously contained their longer aged molasses rums. We really enjoyed both. A sip of their 12 year molasses based rum, created from a rum base purchased from another Barbados distillery, Foursquare, to help launch the St. Nicholas Abbey aged rums, put us over the top.

The 5 and 12 year

We knew we had to take some home and purchased the 5 and 12 year, both in beautiful etched bottles that are in themselves works of art. They offer free engraving, so we had our 12 year bottle engraved.

Annabelle, the St. Nicholas Abbey copper pot still

After chatting a while with Simon, who is extremely personable and
knowledgeable about rum and the distilling process, we strolled through the expansive plantation, stopping to visit the small bottling house and then Annabelle, their copper hybrid pot/column still!

As if all of that isn’t enough to make you want to visit St. Nicholas Abbey on your next trip to Barbados, a new attraction just opened; The Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway – an exciting family attraction now part of St. Nicholas Abbey Great House Plantation and Distillery. It’s a steam locomotive journey through the plantation fields and mahogany woods culminating with the expansive highland view of the east coast of the island from Cherry Tree Hill. Read the story of the St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway here.

A walk through the St. Nicholas Abbey Rum Packaging Room, Barbados

We really enjoyed our time at St. Nicholas Abbey. Once we run out of our current stock of St. Nicholas Abbey rum, we’ll have to go back to re-stock, chat with Simon some more and check out the new train ride. Cheers!

To find out more about the tour and St. Nicholas Abbey rums, check out their website, Facebook page, and Instagram page.

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC.  All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.