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Before I get involved with the island let me encourage you to visit Barbados as the diving is worth the trip especially if you enjoy wrecks of which there are plenty.
Barbados holds the distinction of being the farthest out into the Atlantic of all the Caribbean chain of islands. It’s a small landmass with the distinction of being something a little over 23 miles of bumper to bumper traffic jams twice a day. I had the dubious pleasure of experiencing four lanes of parked cars stretching for miles in the afternoon homeward “rush”. However, if you can pick your times of day to wander out and miss these times, then the traffic is reasonable. If you rent a car or go taxi (renting is definitely far cheaper than taxis) you’re going to have the same wait sitting in a car going nowhere. just allow for the time and you’ll be okay. The island itself has a few interesting sights but as a whole is fairly mundane and one afternoon of touring will see everything. Be sure to bring plenty of cash or a big credit card. Barbados is one of the most expensive islands of the Caribbean. This is partly due to it’s relative isolation which increases the cost of acquiring just about everything. One restaurant has their own plane to fly in seafood (lobsters) as this is their only way to secure a reliable supply.
Restaurants abound on the island and cover the entire world’s gamut of cuisines. You have to try the “national specialties of which there are two - Flying Fish and Mac and Cheese. Yes, Mac and Cheese is a special dish as every restaurant has it’s own special, secret, recipe. You can find just about anything you want but don’t expect cheap unless you’re going to spend your time at MacDonald’s. A lobster dinner that would be $20.00 on most islands will run $50.00 on Barbados. I had a lobster dinner back in Tennessee for $32.00 and was just as tasty as theirs. There is one good place to go for excellent food and reasonable prices and that is where the locals go and take their families. It’s called Oistens Market and it is a collection of open air restaurants with 20 or more “stalls” with local cooks and cuisine. The food is fresh and flavorful since it is next door to the local fresh fish market. You can try a different cook’s style every night if you choose.
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