The Beaches of Barbados

Barbados, the easternmost of the Caribbean islands, is ringed by beaches of exceptional beauty, offering two very different coastal experiences. The sheltered west, the Platinum Coast, is famed for its calm, clear turquoise water and powder-white sand at beaches like Paynes Bay and Carlisle Bay, ideal for swimming, snorkelling and swimming with turtles. The dramatic east coast, facing the open Atlantic, is wild and windswept, its rugged shore and rolling breakers at Bathsheba drawing surfers and lovers of raw natural beauty. Warm, welcoming and beautiful, its shores are a year-round delight.

What you actually see

• The Platinum Coast - the calm west-coast beaches and turquoise sea.
• Swimming with turtles - the sea turtles off Carlisle Bay.
• Bathsheba and the east - the wild Atlantic surf coast.
• The water sports - the snorkelling, sailing and surfing.

When to go

December to April, the dry season, for the sunniest, driest weather, though this is the busy peak; the summer is hotter and wetter, with Barbados lying at the far southeastern edge of the hurricane belt, so storm risk is lower than much of the Caribbean. The calm west is best for swimming, the breezy east for surf.

Honest expectations

The west coast, lined with upmarket resorts and villas, is beautiful but developed and pricey, while the wild east coast has strong currents and surf unsuitable for casual swimming, so knowing which coast suits your plans matters. All beaches are public by law, even past the grandest resorts. For a gorgeous, varied and welcoming beach destination with both calm swimming and dramatic surf coast, though, Barbados delivers.

Nearby

Bridgetown, Harrison's Cave and the island's interior are within reach.