Barbados With Allison: Our South Coast Stay, an Island Tour and Harbour Lights
By Amy Davoli, CTA, with Allison BrownVisited May 2025 · 9 min read
Quick takeaways
- We stayed at Southern Palms Beach Club, right on Dover Beach in St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast, with restaurants and bars just steps away.
- A guided island tour is the best way to see more of Barbados: we stopped in Speightstown, then crossed to Bathsheba on the wild east coast.
- The Cool Runnings catamaran day was a highlight: open bar, a delicious lunch, two snorkel stops and sea turtles!
- The food in Barbados is soooo good, and the portions are big. Plan to share!
- Cruising? Carlisle Bay is the best-known beach on the island and the closest to the cruise port.
In May 2025, Allison Brown (one of our Travitude Travel Group travel consultants) and I spent a fantastic week in Barbados! I had been once before when our cruise ship stopped in Bridgetown, but this time we got to really settle in, explore the island and see a few resorts along the way. Here’s everything we did, ate and loved, with lots of our own photos, so you can start picturing your own Bajan getaway!
Arriving in Barbados
Barbados is an easy trip from Canada, with direct flights from Toronto taking about 5 hours. You land at Grantley Adams International Airport on the south of the island, and from there the south coast hotels are a short drive away. We were checked in and poolside before we knew it!
Our stay at Southern Palms Beach Club
We stayed at Southern Palms Beach Club, and you can’t miss it: the whole resort is pink! It sits right on Dover Beach in St. Lawrence Gap, one of the liveliest spots on the south coast. The beach is just a few steps from the pool, with soft sand, palm trees and that gorgeous turquoise water.
Southern Palms isn’t an all-inclusive resort (you can book it room only or with breakfast), and honestly that worked out great for us. With St. Lawrence Gap right outside the gate, we had tons of restaurants, bars and local spots to try every night. Our room was bright and comfortable with a balcony, and we spent plenty of afternoons cooling off in the pool with a drink in hand!
A fun fact: Dover Beach is a nesting spot for endangered hawksbill turtles, and from about April to October you might get lucky and see nesting or hatching right on the beach!
If you want a relaxed, beachfront base with lots of nightlife and food within walking distance, Southern Palms is a great pick!
St. Lawrence Gap and south coast eats
St. Lawrence Gap (everyone just calls it “the Gap”) is a strip of restaurants, bars and shops along the south coast, and it really comes alive at night. One thing Allison and I kept saying all week: all the food in Barbados has been soooo good! And the portions are large, so we were often sharing meals. Which also means we got to try more things!
Dinner at Worthing Square Food Garden
One night we found such a fun place for dinner: Worthing Square Food Garden! It’s an outdoor food hall with around 20 street food canteens and pop-up food trucks, each with their own dishes from around the Caribbean. You can try food from Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Venezuela, and there’s even a Mount Gay bar and an ice cream parlour. We went on a Monday and got there early, so it was quiet, but the food was absolutely fantastic! On weekends there’s live music too, with soca, reggae and Latin music, plus DJs and karaoke.
Amy’s tipStaying somewhere that isn’t all-inclusive? Barbados is a great island for it. Local spots like the food garden give you amazing food at a great price, and you get a real taste of the island.
Game night at Bubba’s Sports Bar
On another night, I changed our original plans and found a sports bar here in Barbados! Two Canadian girls had to catch the Leafs game, so we headed to Bubba’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Worthing. Big screens, cold drinks and hockey on a Caribbean island. Go Leafs Go!
Our island tour: Speightstown and Bathsheba
One of my favourite days was a little tour of the island, learning all about Barbados and making some stops along the way. Our first stop was Speightstown on the northwest coast, where we spent about an hour wandering. It’s a laid-back, historic little town with colourful buildings and a pretty waterfront.
We grabbed a quick drink at Fisherman’s Pub. I really wanted to try some macaroni pie, but it wasn’t ready yet! Then we stopped at PRC Bakery for a quick bite of local “snacks”: a pastry with ground beef and a pastry with strawberry. Both were very yummy!
From there we headed across the island to Bathsheba on the east coast, and what a difference! The Atlantic side is rugged and dramatic, with big waves and huge rock formations. It was hot, so we decided a cool ice pop was just what we needed at this stop!
Amy’s tipThe east coast is beautiful to see, but the water there is rough and generally not for swimming. Save your beach time for the calmer south and west coasts!
A day on the water with Cool Runnings
What a fantastic day out on the water! We booked a catamaran cruise with Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruises, and we were picked up at 8:45am and didn’t get back to our hotel until around 4pm!
Our excursion included round-trip transportation, an open bar, a fantastic lunch, 2 snorkel/swim stops, lots of music, laughs and incredible service. The boat was wonderful, clean and modern. Lunch was a delicious fresh salad, potato salad, macaroni pie (finally!), fish, chicken and rolls, with more than enough for everyone. Banana bread was served before lunch, and carrot cake later.
For those who know me, I only braved the water for a minute to cool off, but I love sailing on the water, and that never gets old to me! I even had some turtle sightings from above! Fantastic company, and I would highly recommend them. You will not be disappointed!
Book your Barbados excursions
Catamaran cruises, island tours, dinner shows and more. Browse our favourite Barbados experiences below, or ask us and we’ll help you choose!
Harbour Lights dinner show
Allison and I also spent a night at Harbour Lights, the famous beachside dinner show on Carlisle Bay just outside Bridgetown. The evening includes transportation from your hotel, a barbecue-style dinner, an open bar with local drinks and a big, colourful Caribbean show with a live band, stilt walkers, fire eaters and limbo dancers. It’s a super fun night out and a great way to experience a bit of Bajan culture!
We really enjoyed our experience at Harbour Lights! The food was great and plentiful, and the drinks flowed. The entertainment was non-stop and tons of fun! At the end of the show they encourage everyone to get up and dance, so be ready to show off your moves!
Amy’s tipBring a little cash for tips and any extras, and wear comfortable shoes. You’re on the beach, and you’ll probably want to dance!
Touring Mango Bay on the west coast
We also spent a day touring Mango Bay, a small all-inclusive resort in Holetown on the west coast (the “Platinum Coast”). With only 67 rooms, it has a really intimate, relaxed feel, and the beach is beautiful, with calm, clear water that’s perfect for swimming.
The all-inclusive plan covers your meals and drinks, plus afternoon tea, and there are non-motorized water sports right on the beach, like kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling. Holetown’s shops and restaurants are just a short walk away too.
Mango Bay is a lovely choice for couples or anyone who wants a quieter, all-inclusive beach stay on the calm west coast!
Barbados by cruise: Carlisle Bay
My first visit to Barbados was as a cruise port, and if you’re stopping here on a cruise, Carlisle Bay is the place to go! It’s the best-known beach in Barbados and the closest to the cruise port in Bridgetown, so you can spend more of your day on the sand and less of it in a taxi. The water is calm and turquoise, and you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas right on the beach. Carlisle Bay is also known for snorkelling, with shipwrecks and sea turtles just offshore.
Amy’s tipBarbados is a stop on lots of Southern Caribbean cruises. Ask us which sailings visit, and we’ll help you plan the perfect beach day in port!
My Barbados tips
- Pick your coast: the south coast (St. Lawrence Gap) is lively and fun with lots of restaurants, while the west coast (Holetown) is calmer and more upscale.
- Get out and explore: an island tour shows you so much more, from Speightstown to the wild east coast.
- Eat local: try the macaroni pie, the pastries and the street food. And share plates, because the portions are big!
- Book a catamaran day: it was one of our favourite days of the whole trip.
- Money: US dollars are widely accepted, and the Barbados dollar is pegged at 2 to 1 with the US dollar.
Dreaming of Barbados? Allison and I would love to help you plan it, whether it’s a beach week on the south coast, an all-inclusive on the west coast or a cruise that stops in Bridgetown. Message me for a quote for your preferred travel dates!
FAQs
Where did Amy and Allison stay in Barbados?
They stayed at Southern Palms Beach Club, right on Dover Beach in St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast of Barbados, with restaurants and bars within walking distance.
Is Southern Palms Beach Club all-inclusive?
No. Southern Palms is booked room only or with breakfast. With St. Lawrence Gap right outside, there are lots of restaurants and bars just steps away.
What is the best beach near the Barbados cruise port?
Carlisle Bay is the best-known beach in Barbados and the closest to the cruise port in Bridgetown, with calm turquoise water and beach chair rentals.
What is included at the Harbour Lights dinner show?
The Harbour Lights dinner show includes transportation from your hotel, a barbecue-style dinner, an open bar with local drinks and a Caribbean show with a live band, stilt walkers, fire eaters and limbo dancers.
Is Mango Bay an all-inclusive resort?
Yes. Mango Bay is a small, 67-room all-inclusive resort in Holetown on the west coast of Barbados, with meals, drinks, afternoon tea and non-motorized water sports included.
How long is the flight from Toronto to Barbados?
Direct flights from Toronto to Barbados take about 5 hours.
