Barbados cruise port: what to do in 4 hours
Your ship is in port for 4 hours or so? Once you subtract getting off, the way back and a margin before all aboard, you have roughly 2 to 3 hours to enjoy. This is what a 4-hour stop makes possible.
Best use of 4 hours
- Historic Bridgetown (2 h, 5 min away): The neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings, National Heroes Square and the Careenage with Chamberlain Bridge, part of the UNESCO-listed old town. Broad Street has the department stores; Cheapside market is near the Princess Alice bus terminal.
- Mount Gay rum tasting (2 h, 5 min away): The visitor centre of the old rum brand is on the Spring Garden Highway, minutes from the ship. Tours explain the blending and end with a tasting. Book a time slot, especially on busy days.
- George Washington House and the Garrison (2 h, 10 min away): The house where the young George Washington stayed in 1751, beside the Garrison Savannah parade ground and racetrack. Small museum and tunnels under the house.
- Carlisle Bay beaches (3 h, 10 min away): Browne's Beach and Pebbles Beach line a sheltered bay just south of town, with calm, clear water and beach bars renting loungers. The easiest swim from the ship.
- Harrison's Cave (3.5 h, 30 min away): An electric tram takes you through a limestone cave with stalactites, streams and pools in the middle of the island. Often combined with a short island tour.
- Catamaran with turtles and shipwrecks (4 h, 10 min away): Sail along the west coast to swim with green and hawksbill turtles, then snorkel over the shallow wrecks in Carlisle Bay. Lunch and drinks are usually included. The most popular excursion in Barbados.
- Crane Beach (4 h, 35 min away): A cove of pink-tinted sand below cliffs on the south-east coast, with real Atlantic waves. Strong swimmers will enjoy it; families are better off at Carlisle Bay.