15 Best Beaches in Barbados

Barbados is a popular Caribbean destination for honeymoons and romantic vacations due to its welcoming hospitality, fascinating history, delicious cuisine, and gorgeous scenery. Visitors to Barbados love the beautiful white sand beaches that ring this idyllic island, which offers the best of both worlds with Atlantic and Caribbean coastlines.

If you’re headed here to experience those wonderful Barbados beaches, you probably have some questions about which are the best beaches in Barbados for what you want to do. In this post we’ll provide a comprehensive guide to the top 15 Barbados beaches and answer questions like which coast in Barbados has the best beaches, where is the clearest water in Barbados, and what is the nicest beach in Barbados?

Barbados has more than 80 beaches, so whether you’re looking for a romantic hideaway or a great place to surf, you’re sure to find the perfect beach in Barbados for you. Read on to discover the 15 best beaches in Barbados! We’ve divided them up into categories so you can easily find the type of beach you want.

What are the best beaches in Barbados?

The best beaches in Barbados vary depending on what you’re looking for. Let’s look at what the different beaches in Barbados are best for.

Best beaches in Barbados for swimming

There are many beaches in Barbados that are perfect for swimming. Most of them are on the Caribbean coast.

1.      Carlisle Bay beaches: Bayshore Beach, Pebbles Beach, and Brownes Beach

Some of the best beaches for swimming in Barbados are the beaches of Carlisle Bay, just 5 minutes from the capital city of Bridgetown. These beaches include Bayshore Beach, Pebbles Beach, and Brownes Beach, and they all offer powder-soft white sand and incredibly calm, shallow water.

Pebbles Beach has bathrooms and showers plus watersports equipment rentals, and all of the beaches have green space and picnic tables plus restaurants nearby. These are also some of the best beaches in Barbados for paddleboarding and kayaking, Snorkeling and scuba diving is great off these beaches as well since Carlisle Bay has a marine park with multiple shipwreck reefs.

2.      Miami Beach (Enterprise Beach)

Another top beach for swimming in Barbados is Miami Beach, also known as Enterprise Beach. Located on the south coast, this beach is popular with both tourists and locals for its beautiful white sand and calm waters, making it perfect for a relaxing swim. Miami Beach / Enterprise Beach is also good for paddleboarding and kayaking.

3.       Brandons Beach

Brandons Beach is another of the best beaches for swimming in Barbados, with calm, clear water that has small waves and is shallow for a long way out. There are chairs and umbrellas for rent along the beautiful white sand, and a beach restaurant is nearby. Brandons Beach is also good for snorkeling, and you can rent kayaks and small sailboats here.

4.      Paynes Bay Beach

One more great beach for swimming is Paynes Bay Beach, with calm and shallow water, shade trees lining the white sand, and lounge chairs available. You can rent Jet Skis and catamarans here or go snorkeling along the offshore reefs. This is also a very beautiful beach and one of the best beaches in Barbados for the sunset.

Best beaches in Barbados for surfing

The best beaches for surfing in Barbados are on the Atlantic coast.

5.      Bathsheba Bay beach

Bathsheba Bay is home to the reef break known as the “Soup Bowl” that makes it the most popular Barbados beach for surfers. This can be a fun spot to come and watch the action, even if you don’t surf. There are also natural pools along the shore where you can sit and soak.

6.      Silver Sands beach

Silver Sands is another top beach in Barbados for surfing (see below).

Best beaches in Barbados for watersports

7.      Mullins Beach

A great Barbados beach for watersports is Mullins Beach, on the northwest coast along the Caribbean. This popular spot has golden sand, watersports equipment rentals, and a bar. It’s also a top beach in Barbados for sunset views. Two other top beaches for watersports in Barbados are Pebbles Beach and Paynes Bay Beach.

The best beach in Barbados for kiteboarding and windsurfing is Silver Sands Beach. The steady winds here make it a mecca for anyone who loves these types of watersports, and large waves also make it a popular beach for surfing.

Best beaches in Barbados for scuba diving

The best beaches in Barbados for scuba diving are Folkstone Marine Park & Beach and Carlisle Bay.

8.      Folkstone Marine Park & Beach

Folkstone Marine Park & Beach is a popular place to scuba dive due to a sunken ship about half a mile offshore plus coral reefs in shallower water closer to shore.  You can also snorkel these reefs or see the marine life from a paddleboard.

Carlisle Bay is perfect for scuba diving due to its offshore marine park with six shallow wrecks that are teeming with tropical fish, eels, manta rays, seahorses, and more.

Best beaches in Barbados for snorkeling

The best beaches in Barbados for snorkeling are Folkstone Marine Park & Beach, Paynes Bay Beach, Brandon Beach, Pebbles Beach, and Brownes Beach.

The most popular beaches in Barbados

Some of the most popular beaches in Barbados are Dover Beach and Accra Beach, also known as Rockley.

9.      Dover Beach

Dover Beach is a lovely stretch of white sand fronting turquoise waters just a short drive from the capital city of Bridgetown. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance with water views, making this a great spot for a leisurely lunch.

10.      Accra Beach (Rockley Beach)

Accra or Rockley Beach is beautiful white sand beach with shallow water, lined by a shady park that’s a busy spot for local vendors selling crafts and local cuisine.

Two other popular beaches in Barbados are Mullins Beach, for its watersports rentals and sunset views, and Alleynes Bay.

11.      Alleynes Bay beach

Alleynes Bay is a popular afternoon hangout, as people gather at the famous Ju Ju’s Beach Bar to socialize and wait for the stunning sunset.

What are the most romantic beaches in Barbados?

The most romantic beaches in Barbados are Bottom Bay Beach, a secluded spot on the Atlantic coast; Drill Hall Beach on Needham’s Point; and Gibbes Beach.

12.      Bottom Bay Beach

Bottom Bay Beach offers breathtaking scenery with cliffs on three sides and palm trees lining the long stretch of white sand. You reach the beach via stairs in the cliffs. There is an offshore reef that keeps the vivid blue water from being too rough, but you’ll want to be careful swimming here. You can explore a cave at the north end of the beach, and you can also walk out along the cliffs for some spectacular views. This is a great spot for a romantic picnic; you can even buy fresh coconuts from local vendors.

13.      Drill Hall Beach

Drill Hall Beach is a quiet spot just past the lighthouse on Needham’s Point, which is at the southern end of Carlisle Bay. The sugar white sands are lined with palm trees, perfect for lounging under. This is also a good surf spot, as waves can be large here. There’s a small restaurant on the beach perfect for a romantic meal.

14. Gibbes Beach

Gibbes Beach is a pristine, secluded spot along the northwest coast, offering a strip of golden sand between the turquoise Caribbean and green palm trees. It can be hard to find, which means you may have it to yourself; park on the road and follow the path between houses to get to this romantic stretch perfect for nature lovers. This beach also offers wonderful sunset views.

What is the nicest beach in Barbados?

It’s hard to choose the nicest beach in Barbados since so many of the island’s 80 beaches are superb. You really can’t go wrong with any beach you visit on Barbados. However, top choices for nicest beach in Barbados are Bayshore Beach, Pebble Beach, Brownes Beach, Dover Beach, Brandons Beach, Paynes Bay Beach, Crane Beach, and Gibbes Beach.

What is the most beautiful beach in Barbados?

All of the beaches in Barbados are absolutely stunning, but one of the most beautiful beaches in Barbados is Bottom Bay Beach. This beach is known for its dramatic cliffs, white sand, swaying palm trees, and turquoise waters—it’s definitely worth a visit!

15. Crane Beach

Another of the most beautiful beaches in Barbados is Crane Beach, along the vivid blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. The sand on this beach has a pink tinge, and it’s lined with lush foliage, swaying coconut palms, and tall cliffs.

Which coast in Barbados has the best beaches?

The answer to this question depends on what you want to do. Beaches on the eastern side of the island front the Atlantic and have powerful waves perfect for surfing plus rugged scenery. Beaches on the western side of Barbados line the Caribbean, offering calmer waters for swimming, snorkeling, and paddleboarding.

What to pack for beaches in Barbados

When you visit Barbados beaches, be sure to pack a sun hat plus sunscreen with a high SPF—the Caribbean sun is very strong and you don’t want to get sunburned. You should also bring insect repellent to prevent any bug bites; this is a tropical island, after all!

You’ll also want to bring a beach towel, plenty of water, and perhaps some snacks, especially if you’re going to a beach that doesn’t have restaurants or shops nearby. And if you’re planning on doing any watersports, you might want to wear a rash guard.

A waterproof bag is always a good idea to bring to the beach, to protect valuable items from getting ruined by water.

What part of Barbados is best to stay?

The best part of Barbados to stay depends on your personal preferences, but the most popular parts of Barbados to stay for most visitors are the west and south coasts.

The St. Lawrence Gap area on the southwest coast of Barbados is one of the main centers of action on the island. This area has top shops, restaurants, and nightlife venues, plus a range of hotel and resort options. The beach in this area is also splendid.

Along the western coast, St. Michael parish features the capital city of Bridgetown as well as the gorgeous beaches and dive park of Carlisle Bay, making this a great place to stay in Barbados if you want to be near attractions as well as the water.

A quieter area to stay in Barbados is St. Philip parish to the southeast, home to the spectacular Bottom Bay and Crane Beaches.

Now that you’ve learned all about the top 15 beaches in Barbados, are you ready to plan your trip? If you’re looking for tips on where to stay in Barbados, check out our article about all-inclusive resorts in Barbados. And if you’re going to be honeymooning in Barbados, our article “How to Plan Your Honeymoon in Barbados” has plenty of useful info.

We hope we answered all your questions about the best beaches in Barbados and making the most of your visit there. If you have any other questions, please let us know in the comments!