Revealed: How to have a five-star holiday in Barbados for three-star prices, including hotels you can check into for under £200 a night
A friend was concerned. “It’ll cost an arm and a leg,” he said when I told him my cunning plan: to take my wife to Barbados in high season to celebrate a special anniversary.
I knew what he meant. Barbados is more expensive than Antigua, St. Lucia and other popular Caribbean destinations.
But I love this island. And instead of costing an arm and a leg, our five-night break only caused minor bruises in the wallet. But that’s Barbados in a nutshell. It is at the same time a playground for millionaires and a relaxed, unpretentious island where people with a modest income can enjoy themselves.
On our very first evening, we turned down a fashionable west coast restaurant on the grounds that a single sirloin steak cost £150, strolled around the corner and came across the popular Surfside bar, where the rum punches set us back less than a fiver.
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and were entertained by a beautiful steel band.
‘Barbados is more expensive than Antigua, St Lucia and other popular Caribbean destinations. But I love this island,” writes Max Davidson. Pictured: Bottom Bay, Barbados
The west coast resort we stayed at, the All Seasons Resort Europa, is located inland from the beach and is self-catering, which isn’t suitable for everyone.
But who minds making breakfast when you can enjoy the local flora and fauna from the balcony? The morning parade of green monkeys, hummingbirds and brightly colored bananas was a constant delight.
Affordable restaurants within walking distance, in trendy Holetown, included Zaccios and Spago, both Italian, and the Bearded Rose, a cozy cafe in the upmarket Limegrove shopping centre. All were excellent, with most mains priced on the right side of £20.
Max stayed at the All Seasons Resort Europa (above), which he says is inland from the beach and self-sufficient. “But who minds making breakfast when you can enjoy the local flora and fauna from the balcony?” he muses, recalling that the “morning parade of green monkeys, hummingbirds and brightly colored banana poppies” was “a constant delight”
Carizma, run by a British couple, is another gem, whether you’re looking for breakfast, a light lunch or a cocktail. It is located in Chattel Village, a cluster of colorful shops flanked by tropical gardens.
Further up the west coast, Speightstown is more remote than Holetown, but equally enticing. We had a cold beer and grilled tuna steaks at the Jus’ Chillin’ bar, serenaded by a local band with ear-to-ear grins.
Instead of lying on the beach all day, we rented a car to explore the area. But be warned: the roads are so potholed they look like pepperoni pizzas.
The east coast of Barbados is battered by rough waves from the Atlantic Ocean, so the beaches are unsuitable for swimming. But it’s so spectacular you’d be crazy to miss it.
A highlight was a simple lunch at the Round House in Bathsheba, which dates back to the 19th century. It was hard to know what was better: the rugged coast or the rum-soaked baked brie with walnuts. We drove back through the heart of the island and admired Hunte’s Gardens, a creation by horticulturist Anthony Hunte that has turned a narrow gully into a place of beauty and tranquility.
On our last day we drove to Crane Beach, on the southeast coast, where the Sunday lunch buffet at L’Azure is a Barbados institution. Smartly dressed local families, some straight from church, have lunch in a dramatic setting on the top of a cliff, high above the crashing waves.
A lunch for two with drinks cost us around £150 – or a sirloin steak, if you’re talking nonsense.
Don’t let chatter about which celebrities wear which bikinis, or who stays in which luxury villa and dine in which award-winning restaurant, color your view of Barbados. It’s better than that. More relaxed. More varied. And it will give you a warm welcome, regardless of your bank balance.
BOOK FOR UNDER £200
Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa near Speightstown, with 56 rooms and two restaurants. Double rooms from £156 per night (sugarcaneclub.com).
Butterfly Beach on the south coast near Oistins, with 93 rooms and two pools, has double prices from £148 per night (butterflybeach.com).
Coral Mist Beach Hotel overlooking Worthing Beach, with 32 rooms and two swimming pools. Double from £175 per night (coralmistbarbados.com).
Rostrevor Apartment Hotel near St Lawrence Gap, has 83 rooms and overlooks the beach. Doubles from £154 (rostrevorbarbados.com).
