Island safaris, fried fish and ‘bum bum Sally’

We don’t know each other very well, but I do know one thing for certain.

We can both agree that Barbados belongs on every travel bucket list.

The breathtaking scenery and easygoing vibe will make you want to stay forever, but since that’s probably not possible, we’ve created a seven-day itinerary for this perennial Caribbean favourite.

For my virgin visit, I had a strict agenda: I wanted a tan, to experience as many Bajan beaches as possible and to eat whatever delicacies come locally recommended.

I got two of three (I’m Irish, of course I don’t tan), and memories to last a lifetime.

Here’s the best of what I did on my first trip to Barbados, and what you should, too.

The world’s best beaches

In general, the south coast is better value than the western side of the island, with cheaper restaurants and more self-catering options.

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Car hire can push up costs but there’s a decent island-wide bus service, which is a great way of immersing yourself in Bajan life.

Still, I’m exactly slumming it.

I stay at Sea Breeze Beach House (£414 per night), a charming resort that is a great jump off point for the island’s best beaches.

Several are routinely named the most beautiful in the word.

There is Crane Beach with its pink-tinged sand, Carlisle Bay with its shipwrecks and world-class snorkelling, scenic Bathsheba with its choppy surf and Pebbles Beach, where you can often catch horses swimming in the morning.

In my view, that’s the best of them if you’re tight on time.

The hotel is expensive, but I give top marks for attentive staff and genuinely decent entertainment, from limbo contests and fire shows to Bum Bum Sally dancing, a tribute to Mother Sally, one of the most famous figures in Barbadian folklore.

You can (and you should) learn all about her at the Barbados National Art Gallery.

For more affordable options, check out Time Out Hotel on Dover Beach (from £98 per night) and Dover Beach Hotel on Maxwell Beach, from £102 per night.

The best food in the Caribbean?

Held on Friday nights, Oistin’s brings locals and visitors together for open-air grills, stiff rum drinks, and live music.

Book a table in advance and once you sit, don’t move – it gets seriously busy, but the atmosphere is electric.

Barbados is known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, with hundreds of restaurants serving everything from pickled pork to cou-cou and fried flying fish with spicy gravy—the national dish.

If you’re brave enough, you can even try dolphin.

Not that kind; it’s the local name for mahi-mahi or dorado, a flaky white fish.

It’s good, but the flying fish is better.

The food scene here is influenced by a melting pot of cultures, which means you’re guaranteed the best ingredients and flavour combinations from Africa, India and even the UK.

Even the water is good.

Barbados’ tap water is not only drinkable, it’s some of the purest in the region as it is filtered through coral limestone.

I’m told it’s something locals are very proud of.

The best time to visit Barbados for a bargain

If you travel in the British winter, especially December and January, bargains are few and far between.

Low season on the island, when prices drop significantly, tends to be from the end of April to September.

Yes, you might get a tropical shower, but days of constant rainfall are rare and you won’t find the mercury dropping below 25C.

Bridgetown’s billionaire

The superstar spent her childhood in a flat-roofed green and yellow house, accented with red trimmings and bright blue pavements.

From humble beginnings and all that.

Appetite whetted, you can dive into local flavours on Bridgetown’s highly-rated walking food tour.

Don’t miss Cuz’s Fish Stand which serves moreish fried fish sandwiches, and in general don’t leave without trying macaroni pie.

Then head to Hunte’s Garden and the charming village of Bathsheba.

Both are lovely for a leisurely stroll.

Wrap up the day with dinner and drinks in Saint Lawrence Gap, otherwise known as Barbados’ party central.

R&R

I end my trip with two days of relaxation at the O2 Beach Club & Spa (from £480), a five-star all-inclusive with thats give ‘sea view’ new meaning.

There are several rooftop restaurants overlooking the water and an award-winning spa where you learn how to make your own body scrub before being massaged on the shore.

Bliss.

If you’ve got time and energy, book on to a snorkelling tour and get up close and personal with the native turtles.

You could also try Barbados’ famous (or infamous?) monkey zipline, but perhaps that’s best left for your next visit.

I know I will return.