Barbados in February: An Ideal Itinerary

Visiting Barbados in February proved to us to be the best time to visit this island nation.  The weather was perfect – hot and not much rain.  Even though February in Barbados is considered peak season it didn’t feel too crowded nor busy while we were there.

With 5 days in Barbados, we were able to rent a car to explore all over the island and find some amazing cheap eats and beaches.  Below is our 5 day Barbados itinerary – enjoy!

5 Day Itinerary to Enjoy Barbados in February

Where to stay: Dover Beach Hotel

If you want to stay on the beach but keep to a budget, this is the perfect place to stay.  The hotel is located on the south coast of Barbados, near the popular St. Lawrence Gap.

It made a great base for us to explore the rest of the island.  There are bus stops nearby and if you choose to rent a car there is free parking available.

 

Day 1: South Coast

Relax at the beach

After a long flight to Barbados, you will likely be ready to relax on the beach!  Our hotel was near Dover Beach so we took our beach towels and laid out for a few hours.  The weather in Barbados in February is perfect for suntanning and the beaches are gorgeous.

Dinner at Irie Foods

Irie Foods is a Jamaican restaurant just a short walk from the Dover Beach Hotel.  This is where we had our first dinner in Barbados and the food was amazing!

It was so good that we actually ate there twice.  If you like hot sauce, you have to try the hot sauce here.  So good and fiery!

Catch the sunset

The sunsets in Barbados are some of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen!  In Barbados in February the sun sets around 6pm so make sure you don’t miss it 🙂

If you stay at the Dover Beach Hotel, you can lay out on the patio overlooking the ocean and gaze at the beautiful sunset.

 

Day 2: Downtown Bridgetown and Holetown

Breakfast

Enjoy a relaxing breakfast by the ocean at the Dover Beach Hotel.

If you prefer to wander outside of the hotel, take a short walk to Bliss Cafe for some fresh waffles, coffee and juice.

Explore Bridgetown

Catch the bus to downtown Bridgetown.  We rode the ZR bus into town and it was quite the fun experience!  However if you are not a fan of loud music, choose another option 😉

Once downtown, you can check out Barbados’ largest tree at Queen’s park, view the historic St. Michael’s Cathedral, and shop along Swan Street, to name a few.

Lunch at The Balcony Restaurant

The Balcony Restaurant is a great place to try some yummy, local Bajan food.  Don’t expect anything fancy, though!

This restaurant is located inside the Cave Shepherd department store in downtown Bridgetown.  Enter the department store and take the escalators up to the top floor, turn to your left and you will see the entrance to the restaurant in the corner.

Relax at Carlisle Bay

Carlisle Bay is located just a short walk from downtown Bridgetown and is surprisingly beautiful considering how close it is to the city centre.

If you are interested in partaking in some water sports, there are jet ski rentals available, snorkeling, water trampolines, flyboarding, etc. Or you can just rent a beach chair and umbrella and chill out on the beach 🙂

 

Check out the Holetown Festival

Visiting Barbados in February means you can attend the popular Holetown Festival!  This week-long celebration runs every year in mid-February.

This fun celebration showcases the culture and traditions of Barbados.  There are street parades, nightly shows, concerts, markets, and food stalls.  You can check the full festival schedule here.

We especially enjoyed the steel drums!

Want to know where to find all the attractions mentioned in this itinerary?  Read to the bottom for the full itinerary map!

Day 3: Bridgetown and the South Coast

Go on a catamaran cruise

It may seem like a touristy thing to do, but honestly our catamaran cruise was one of the highlights of our trip!  We booked with Jammin Catamaran Cruises and had a blast.  Jammin is currently upgrading their vessel so they are not taking bookings as of 2019, but there are many other great catamaran cruise companies to book with!

The staff pick you up around 7am from your hotel and take you to board the large catamaran in Bridgetown.  You will be served breakfast on board before setting off for some snorkeling!

We enjoyed snorkeling with the sea turtles and over a ship wreck.

A delicious Bajan lunch was served on board before cruising up the coast, past Rihanna’s fancy beachfront pad.

Of course, there was unlimited rum punch served onboard throughout the entire cruise.  And it was delicious!  I don’t even drink alcohol but I couldn’t resist having some of that refreshing rum punch.

Rent a car

Renting a car allows you to easily explore more of the country.  Driving in Barbados can be a little challenging if you are not used to driving on the left side of the road.  However Bajans are very courteous drivers and we found it  easy enough to drive all around with no issues.

We rented a car through Stoutes Rent A Car and had them drop it off at our hotel.  Having the rental car allowed us to easily see the rest of the sights on our 5 day itinerary.

Stoutes has an office at the airport so this made it easy for us to drop it off when we were ready to fly out.

Dinner at Oistins Fish Fry

February in Barbados is during the main fish season (December-May) and excellent fresh fish can be found at the Oistins fish market.  Friday nights is when it is most happening, with tons of locals and tourists coming out for the weekly fish fry.  It is a great place to experience the local culture, eat some delicious fish plates and enjoy the music and dancing.

If you can, try to plan your itinerary so that you come here on a Friday or Saturday.  But if it’s not possible, you can still come any day of the week, it will just be much quieter.

 

Day 4: North Coast

Watch the horses swimming at sunrise

Have you ever seen horses swimming? No?  Well you’ve got to go to Pebbles Beach at sunrise to witness this magnificent sight!

Even though we are not early morning people, it was definitely worth it to see the horses.  It was one of the highlights of our trip!

Having a rental car makes it super easy to get here early in the morning no matter where you are staying.

Try some fish cutters for breakfast

While you are in the area, head to Lefties beach shack for a local breakfast!  He opens early so it is perfect for a meal after watching the horses swim at sunrise.

These tasty sandwiches are made with fluffy Bajan salt bread, fried flying fish and lettuce.  You can choose to have cheese or a fried egg added on top as well.

You can find Leftie on Pebbles Beach, halfway between the Hilton Hotel and the Radisson.  Just look for the blue and green shack.

Animal Flower Cave

After breakfast, drive to the northern point of the island to Animal Flower Cave.  It gets its name from the sea anemones (“animal flowers”) inside the cave.

When visiting Barbados in February, you may even get the chance to see some whales from here!  Such a fantastic sight.

However, at this time of year the waves can be quite rough and there is some chance the cave can be closed.  When we went in mid-February, the cave was initially closed when we arrived in the morning.  The local guide asked us to wait about an hour until the waves calmed a bit before he felt it was safe to take us down.

Arriving at Animal Flower Cave in the morning is ideal because it is much less crowded.  When we arrived at 9am we were the only ones there!

Beware that the rocks are very slippery once inside the cave.  I wore flip flops but definitely would have been more comfortable in some water shoes. Depending how rough the water is in February, you may not be able to swim in the pools inside the cave.  The water was definitely too rough when we were there so we were not allowed to swim.

The waves in February came all the way into the cave, which made for a scary moment when a huge one came crashing in.  The guides are very good about watching the waves and ensuring you do not stand too close to the edge so make sure you follow their direction!

Other than the cave tour, you can also take in the beautiful views of the rugged coast from up top!

Tour St. Nicholas Abbey

A short drive from Animal Flower Cave is St. Nicholas Abbey.  Here you can tour the impressive Great House, rum distillery, steam mill, plantation museum and formal gardens.

Tours run on the hour from 10:30am-3:30pm and tickets are BBD $45.  Note that they are closed on Saturdays.  You can check current ticket prices and hours here.

The tour includes a complimentary rum punch (or fruit punch if you prefer).  This was actually the most delicious rum punch we tasted in Barbados (and we tried a lot of rum punch!)

If you are looking to purchase some local rum, this is the place to do it.  The gift shop sells rum bottles which you can have personally engraved at no extra charge!  In addition to rum, the gift shop also sells brown sugar, molasses, rum cake, jellies and more.

Lunch at Fisherman’s Pub

This casual seaside restaurant is located in Speightstown.  It is a great place to sample many local favorites at a good price.  Our favorites were the fish cakes, macaroni pie and coucou.

The ocean views are very nice, but when visiting Barbados in February the waves can be quite rough.  In fact they were so rough when we were there that all the windows were covered so we could not enjoy thew view from indoors.

However there is limited outdoor seating available on the side of the restaurant, so if you are lucky to snag one of the tables you can still enjoy the beautiful views.

 

Barbados Wildlife Reserve

Head back inland to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve.  This is a great place to quietly wander the 4 acres of mahogany forest and view the many freely roaming animals.

You will be able to see all kinds of animals, such as green monkeys, maras, iguanas, caimans, deer, red-footed Barbados tortoises, agouti, all kinds of birds and snakes (enclosed!)

Admission is BDS$30 and hours are 10am-5pm.  If you would like to witness the animals at feeding time (which we recommend!), plan your visit to be there around 2pm which is feeding time.

Afternoon Tea at Sandy Lane Hotel

Indulge in a little bit of luxury and head to the exclusive Sandy Lane Hotel for some afternoon tea.

Dining in the open air terrace is a lovely way to relax after a busy day of sightseeing.  And the food is absolutely delicious!

Tip: Bring a decent change of clothes to change into if you head here after visiting Animal Flower Cave and the Wildlife Reserve.

After eating here, we were so full we didn’t even need dinner that evening!

Day 5: South coast and east coast

Bottom Bay Beach

Hop in the car and drive yourself to the most stunning beach you probably will ever see!  The perfect white sand and turquoise waters of Bottom Bay truly make it feel like you are in paradise.

What’s even better is the beach is usually not very busy at all!  It is the perfect place to lay out, soak in the sun and watch the palm trees swaying in the breeze.

Tip: Bring some water and snacks!  There are no food facilities here.

Lunch at Bay Tavern

Head up the east coast to take lunch at Bay Tavern, a local favorite.  This casual seaside establishment serves up delicious local fare and fresh seafood, all at a good price.

 

Hunte’s Gardens

Head inland a bit to the fabulous Hunte’s Gardens.  This picturesque garden is located within an old gully, lovingly created by horticulturist Anthony Hunte.  Plant enthusiasts will love meandering through the paths and gazing at the array of tropical flowers, trees and foliage.

Even if you are not a plant lover, it is still a mesmerizing place to wander and spend a peaceful afternoon.

Concorde Experience

Note: This attraction is currently closed but check their Facebook page for the latest updates for reopening!

The Barbados Concorde Experience is located at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

If you were never fortunate enough to have gotten the chance to fly in a Concorde airplane before, here is your chance to see it up close!

The tour takes you inside the plane where you will get to see inside the cockpit, sit in the seats, view the replica meals, complimentary gifts, etc.  You will learn all about the impressive features of the Concorde.

If you are at all interested in aviation, this is a fascinating museum to visit and a great way to pass some time before your flight!

Itinerary Map

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