Barbados On and Off the Beach

Like every Caribbean island, Barbados empties out during the summer, then crowds return for the season starting in late October or November. Rent a car so you can easily explore the island

The Food Game Plan

If it’s scene cuisine you’re after, look to the west coast: Beachfront Lone Star is great for Sunday lunch and rubbernecking Brit regulars like Simon Cowell; newish Cin Cin by the Sea has staying power, if the cult-like veneration of their pork buns is any indication; and the chic crowd all seem to wind up at Italian hot spot Daphne’s. To my mind, though, no meal compares with those at The Cliff, where chef Paul Owens has turned out elevated Caribbean since 1988 (try the fillet of dolphin – mahimahi – and open ravioli of shrimp). It’s undeniably pricey, but the view of the lighted cove below is worth it.

For casual options, Kit Kemp likes Good Choice Chinese, in Holetown. If you have a few hours to kill, she adds, go farther south to Lobster Alive, a nondescript shack on the beach, for evening jazz.

If you’re up in the northwest near the parish of St. Lucy, stop in at the Fish Pot, set on the water in a seven­teenth-century fort. In season, it’s the place to try the Bajan specialty of grilled barracuda with drawn butter.

At night, if you’re in the south and not feeling Oistins again (which is in the town by the same name), head to Cafe Luna, on the roof of the Little Arches Hotel, for a solid Bajan three-course menu, including flying fish with coconut shrimp.

The beaches to hit

Barbados is where the Caribbean and Atlantic collide, and the west coast gets most of the love, with stunning turquoise beaches behind practically every hotel. Take your pick (strictly speaking, there are no private beaches in Barbados), but I have a soft spot for Paynes Bay (near Sandy Lane); its quiet surf feels made for swimming and snorkeling.

Most locals will tell you to venture farther. Though hardly secrets. Accra Beach. Dover Beach, and Brandons offer relative seclusion from the crowds and street vendors. There are several surf schools in the area, but deAction Shop & Beach Apartments in Silver Sands is ground zero for the island’s beach sports scene.

And you absolutely have to stop at Bathsheba on the east coast, one of the top surfing spots in the world.

The water is too dangerous to swim in, but the tide pools are perfect for cooling off. Park at the nineteenth- century Round House Inn and Restaurant up the hill, a good spot for an afternoon drink.

Other Stuff to Do

If you’re into snooping around his­toric homes, you’ll love the Barbados National Trust’s open houses each Saturday during the season.

Up north in St. Lucy, the Animal Flower Cave, so-called for the oxidized green and brown forma­tions that look like lizards and turtles, is worth exploring. Or, if the only holes you’re interested in are on a golf course, Barbados has several world-class ones, including three at Sandy Lane, where you might spot one of the famous green monkeys.

This being “Little England,” polo remains hugely popular, attracting top international teams from January through May. There are four polo fields on the island, with the Barbados Polo Club in Holders Hill (the former family home of Johnny and Janet Kidd) and the ever-expanding Apes Hill Polo Club in St. James the most popular for lessons and watch­ing world-class events.

Where to Stay

Any conversation about hotels in Barbados inevitably comes back to Sandy Lane, the pink-accented, Happy Ward-designed neo-Palladian grande dame that has defined luxury on the island since 1961.

When I first went there in the early aughts, the place had stumbled a bit, but the sprawling 300-acre estate regained its footing after a renova­tion and remains the place of myth: the airport transfers in the house Bentley; the opulent rooms; the solici­tous service at its four restaurants.

Conjuring the romance of the island’s British past (ceiling fans, wooden balustrades, curated miscel­lany), the family-owned 88-room Coral Reef Club sits on 12 manicured acres. The beach club is the most pleasant on the coast – everything you need within reach, without the crowds of the bigger hotels.

A little farther up, the 40-room Cobblers Cove is chic and discreet.

I highly recommend staying in Camelot at the Great House, a suite in the former private residence that anchors the property. Another favorite, more geared toward cou­ples and small families, is Little Good Harbour, with its whitewashed stone cottages, top-notch spa, and one of the best restaurants on the island, the Fish Pot. If you’re looking to avoid the hustle of the west coast, the rugged east coast has one iconic mainstay, The Crane, on a world-famous beach. Built in 1887, it’s a little big for some tastes, but it’s hard to fault the rooms or the rambling environs – there’s a reason fashion photographers have used it as a backdrop for decades.

Renting a villa may be the best way to experience life as a local, and there’s never been a better time, as there are a number of empty grand estates that owners are opening up. Sir Paul Altman, of Altman Real Estate, has some of the best options, including historic plantation homes and beachfront properties.