Holidays in Barbados 2022/2023

• Beautiful stretches of golden beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters
• Treasure trove of forests and sugar cane fields
• Charismatic, smiling locals
• Charming British tradition

Rightly lauded for its gorgeous stretches of powder-soft beach, Barbados holidays often top the charts for a luxury escape to the Caribbean. It’s a dreamy island that leaps off the postcards, its fringes dominated by palm-flecked sands and secluded azure bays.

But among the sun-drenched Caribbean cool, a fine thread of quaint British tradition runs deep, a trait inherited from its colonial days. The Anglican churches, red post boxes and time-honoured sugar mills that speckle its UNESCO-listed capital, Bridgetown, are pretty reminders of its past but it’s the charming locals that really leave a lasting impression.

Outside the city, sugar cane plantations and rum distilleries patchwork the rolling countryside of Barbados’ picturesque interior. But its A-grade beaches aren’t too far from any visitor’s mind. As well as its superb sands to collapse on, the unique geographical position Barbados finds itself in offers two different sides to its coast – the wild Atlantic in the east is a haven for thrill-seeking surfers and the sleepy Caribbean coast in the west is an oasis of mill-pond calm. The cove at North Point is a spectacular place to see where these two great seas meet, a natural phenomenon which mirrors Barbados’ charismatic collision of cultures.

Famed for its platinum-blonde beaches, Barbados' dreamy fringes are also where you'll find luxury places to stay. There are grand colonial buildings tucked within tropical gardens to stay in or beach resorts fringed with palms, all with which offer postcard-perfect views of the Caribbean Sea.

Barbados is a year-round holiday destination, with temperatures averaging a pleasant 28°C.

December to April marks Barbados’ dry season, where warm and dry temperatures are matched with cloud-free skies, while trade winds bring cooling breezes – the ideal winter sun escape. February is one of the best months to visit, as you can twin the wonderful weather with the vibrant street parades of the Holetown Festival, which celebrates the first settlement by the English in 1627. While May brings greater chances of rain, this is usually no more than the odd shower and with crowds thinning after the peak dry season, it can be a great time to book a holiday.

June to November represents the Caribbean’s official hurricane season but the Barbados’ easterly location means it often avoids the brunt of the cyclones. Humidity and the chance of rain is higher during this time and while the threat of tropical storms does exist, they rarely materialise into anything. If you don’t mind braving the odd shower, then visiting during Barbados’ ‘wet season’ will reward you with far smaller crowds and the colourful Crop Over Festival (August), a carnival which marks the end of the sugar cane harvest.