Weekend in Barbados, West Indies, one of three ways: on a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge.
Getting there: Nonstop, Saturday-only service on Delta; daily via Miami on American. Round-trip rates are $655 with a 50-day advance purchase; $755 with 14-day advance.
Trip tips: Barbados is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide and divided into subregions of 11 parishes. To help navigate an island without typical street numbers and names, visit www.barbados.org/maps.htm#.VNI7g_54r2B to view Google satellite maps highlighting attractions, beaches, nightclubs, restaurants, accommodations and more. Barbados, or "the bearded ones," is a reference thought to have originated by passing Portuguese sailors seeing the island's bearded fig tree forests. Don't miss: The beach at Bottom Bay (past Sam Lord's Castle), a round or two of golf, or an afternoon as a spectator at a cricket match (at a local park or at Kensington Oval Stadium). At press time, 1 Bajan Dollar = $2 USD.
BUDGET
Stay: Rates from $142 at All Seasons Resort are valid on stays through April 15 (code: Winter14). This 4.5-acre resort on the west coast is a 10-minute walk to hip Holetown, and minutes to a white sand beach. On-site are a freshwater pool, a breezy restaurant and hotel bar. Palm Avenue, Sunset Crest, St. James Parish, 246-432-5046, www.allseasonsresort.bb.
Eat: Find authentic Barbadian seafood such as cou cou with flying fish (the national dish), and lamb and chicken entrees at the Fisherman's Pub & Grub. This quaint spot has ocean views and live music most nights. Local beer is $1; $4.50-$10 buffet. Queen Street, Speightstown, 246-422-2703.
Experience: Built in 1727, Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill is one of the only two intact and restored sugar mills in the Caribbean. Its walls of boulders are held in place with egg-white and coral dust. Watch cane-grinding demonstrations and sample the cane juice through April; $10. St. Andrew, 246-422-7429. Nearby (and across the road from the Farley Hill National Park) is the Barbados Wildlife Reserve with shady paths through a mahogany forest; $12.50, includes entry to Grenade Hall Signal Station. St. Peter, 246-422-8826, www.barbados.org/reserve.htm#.VMlChf54r-V. Just southeast down a rugged coastline is the village of Bathsheba, a small fishing community with local rum shops, restaurants and a wide, white sand beach with dramatic rock formations.
MODERATE
Stay: The all-suite Beach View is set on three landscaped acres and just across the road from Paynes Bay Beach — a spot to see sea turtles. Tropical-style one-, two- and three-bedroom suites feature full kitchens and open living/dining areas. The hotel offers airport transfers, a rooftop bar, a bistro-cafe, and separate adult and children's pools. Rates from $311 through April 18. Paynes Bay, St. James, 246-432-2300, www.beachviewbarbados.com.
Eat: Brown Sugar is just south of Bridgetown — an ideal spot to stop for the all-you-can-eat Planter's West Indian Buffet lunch (Sundays-Fridays, $27.50). Daily dinner entrees of shrimp Creole, lobster, and much from $20-$35. Aquatic Gap, Bay Street, 246-426-7684, http://brownsugarbarbados.com.
Experience: Located near the center of the island (and one of the highest elevations), Welchman Hall Gully and the surrounding cliffs are home to more than 200 species of tropical plants, including bamboo and wild ginger. Take the steps leading to a scenic overlook and for a glimpse at frolicking green monkeys; $12 admission, including free guided tours (10:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays through April). St. Thomas, www.welchmanhallgullybarbados.com.
SPLURGE
Stay: The island's oldest hotel, Crane Beach Hotel (on the southeast coast) was once where cargo was unloaded and lifted by a crane to the top of the cliff. Guests (and other tourists and cruise ship visitors) are drawn to the world-famous Crane Beach with its powder pink sand. Nightly rates from $404 include accommodations in a one-bedroom Historic Suite with oversized windows, a large living and dining area, king four-poster bed, marble bath with Jacuzzi, and a full kitchen. Resort highlights include a spa, clifftop pool, several dining options, and Crane Village with cobblestone streets, gardens, shops and a local Wednesday market. St. Philip, 246-423-6220, www.thecrane.com.
Eat: Fisherpond Great House, built in 1635, is a plantation house and restaurant serving a colorful four-course Sunday buffet lunch with Bajan and Caribbean selections served on antique china and cutlery, and accompanied by live piano music (and a few noisy parrots). Before or after dining, stroll the tropical gardens, which are surrounded by 500 acres of sugar cane; $60. Sweet Bottom Valley, St. Thomas, 246-433-1754, http://loopbarbados.com/restaurant/fisherpond-great-house.
Experience: Bridgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved British Colonial architecture developed from the 17th century and the most complete complex of an 18th-19th-century British garrison in the Atlantic. Step back in time while visiting the buildings and individual historic sites on guided tours (various lengths) from $10-$48; www.funbarbados.com/Tours/historic_garrison_tours.CFM. Head out of town to Shark's Hole — one of the most lovely beaches on the island's southeast coast. Popular with locals (quiet during weekdays), the bay is surrounded by low cliffs and a natural reef just off shore for snorkeling with tropical fish.
