Self Drive Island Tour of Barbados — A Local’s Complete Guide

• We drive on the left. If you are coming from North America this is the main adjustment. Take the first hour slowly and you will settle into it quickly.
• The roads are narrow. Particularly in the parishes and along the east coast. Take your time, pull in when you need to and do not rush.
• Watch the buses. ZR vans and public buses have a tendency to fly past regardless of how narrow the road is. Give them space and do not be surprised.
• Do not stop in the road for photographs. Pull over properly or find a car park and walk back. This causes real problems on the narrow parish roads.
• Use Google Maps. You cannot really get lost on a 34km island but Google Maps will save you time when navigating between spots, particularly on the east coast where the roads are less obvious.

Turn left at the roundabout and continue down Queen’s Street — the main street through Speightstown. It is such a pretty old town right on the sea, with lots of well-preserved colonial architecture as you drive through. Take a slow drive along the waterfront before continuing north on the highway.

Past Speightstown you will pass Port St. Charles marina followed by Port Ferdinand — a luxurious complex with a spa, restaurant and catamaran cruises. It is just stunning, worth a pause even if you are not stopping. After Port Ferdinand the road continues through Six Men’s, a small fishing village with chattel houses lining the road and fishermen selling the catch of the day from the roadside.

One of my favourite spots on the entire tour and you will see why when you get here. The contrast between North Point and the calm west coast is extraordinary — up here you are on the Atlantic side of the island and the ocean makes sure you know it.

On a good day there will be spectacular water action — waves crashing up through the rock formations with serious force. On a calm day it is still a dramatic and beautiful spot. Walk to the other side of the point for another spectacular view down the coast.

You can go down into the actual Animal Flower Cave but be careful — the waves here can be unpredictable and the rocks are slippery. Worth doing if conditions allow.

Just five minutes from Animal Flower Cave is River Bay — a small bay where the water funnels in between the rocks. You can sit and bathe at the water’s edge here but be very careful not to go out too far. The currents are unpredictable and this is not a calm swimming beach. There is a small hill beside the bay that is worth the short climb for the views back down the coast.

Cove Bay is a little harder to find — if you get lost, ask a local and they will point you in the right direction. It is absolutely worth it when you find it. Palm trees, plenty of cows and Barbados Black Belly sheep wandering around, and the kind of secluded cove that most visitors never find.

After Cove Bay you head down the east coast — rugged, wild, beautiful and entirely different from anything on the west or south of the island.

One of my favourite views anywhere on the island. Make your way towards St. Nicholas Abbey and then continue along the main road through the mahogany trees. As you reach the top of Cherry Tree Hill the east coast opens up below you — on a clear day you can see all the way down to St. Philip and Ragged Point Lighthouse. It is genuinely breathtaking.

From Cherry Tree Hill follow the winding road down towards Morgan Lewis Windmill. It is the largest and only complete windmill remaining in the Caribbean. Occasionally they attach the sails and run it — if you are lucky enough to see that it is quite something.

Continuing down the coast the first beach you reach is Cattlewash — a long stretch of wild Atlantic beach popular with locals who have beach houses here for long weekends. The currents are strong so do not swim here, but the beach is perfect for a long walk and the scenery is extraordinary.

A little further down the coast is Bathsheba — home to Soup Bowl, Barbados’ world-famous surf break. There are a few bars dotted along the beach where you can watch the surfers while drinking an ice cold Banks Beer. A perfect spot to take a proper break mid-tour.

Bath is a beautiful stretch of beach further down the east coast where — unlike Bathsheba and Cattlewash — you can actually swim. There is a lifeguard on duty which makes it a safer choice for families. The setting is lovely and it is a great spot for a picnic if you have packed a cooler.

Follow the map — you will need to backtrack slightly either way from Bath to reach these two stops but both are worth the detour. St. John’s Church is a beautiful gothic structure built in 1836 with stunning views of the east coast from the churchyard. One of the most peaceful and photogenic spots on the entire tour.

From the church head back down and follow the signs for Codrington College — the oldest theological school in the Western Hemisphere. The driveway is lined with tall royal palms and leads to a tranquil pond full of fish and ducks. A genuinely beautiful spot and completely off the radar for most visitors.

Bottom Bay is one of those beaches that rewards the effort to find it. Secluded, palm-fringed and dramatic — the sound of the waves crashing in makes it a perfect place to decompress after a full day of driving. Just be careful as it is quite isolated and the water is not calm. Snap some photographs and enjoy the setting.

From Bottom Bay head to Crane Beach just a short drive away — located below The Crane Hotel with access via a stepping stone pathway along the rocks. One of the most beautiful and well-known beaches in Barbados and a perfect way to end the tour.