Top 10 Reasons To Live In Barbados 

Walking on the powdery sand as the ocean’s whitewash tickles your toes is like being transported to an untouched new world. Paynes Bay, one of island’s most scenic west coast beaches, is highly rated by locals as one of the best swimming spots for serenity, sea and sand. You can even enjoy watersports like jet ski, sea bobs, paddleboarding, glass bottom boats or opt for relaxing family time.

If adventure is more your style, surfing world-class barrels on the rugged eastern coastline is a thrill. Bathsheba and Cattlewash give you spectacular views of the famed Scotland District, giant boulders parked offshore and cool rock pools at low tide. Unique geological features like these make the east coast truly special.

From boulders on beaches to jet skis rippling across the glassy sea, Barbados is home to some of the most breathtakingly beautiful beaches. And, thanks to Apes Hill’s elevated position bestride the west and the east, you can easily pop down to the sandy Barbados beaches on either edge of the island. 

If there’s one thing Bajans know how to do, it’s party. Whether it’s lavish cocktails or a chilled evening with rum mixes and live reggae, the island delivers whatever you’re looking for on a night out. 

When it comes to Barbados’ nightlife there are two main areas to choose from.

St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast is one of our favorite picks - a one-way street filled with a curated mix of restaurants serving a selection of mouth-watering dishes, clubs with top-class DJs and fully stocked bars offering live performances from local reggae, calypso and alternative bands.

Another hot spot is 2nd Street, located in the heart of Holetown on the west coast - famous for lush clubs and fine dining restaurants. Expect impeccable bottle service from start to finish if that’s your fancy, and a medley of international music to tickle your earbuds. 2nd Street really turns up on Friday nights and attracts locals and visitors alike.

The highlight of nightlife is the fact that Barbados is one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean, so you can enjoy a night out with family or friends without much worry. So, feel free to roam and soak up the culture by night.  

Barbados has the perfect year-round climate where you can have fun outdoors anytime of the day, any season. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the eastern sea breezes blow all your cares away.

From Apes Hill, your vantage point is two-fold. You can overlook the sparkling Caribbean Sea and strips of white sandy beach to the west, or turn to the east and absorb the powerful salty ocean breeze flowing over verdant treetops.

Living in Barbados comes with the advantage of stunning sunsets over the west that are nothing shy of a painting, and sunrise in the east is an unforgettable sight. You’ll be in a great position to appreciate both from Apes Hill.

Another reason for living in Barbados is the thriving marine culture including sailing, deep sea fishing, catamarans, swimming with endangered sea turtles, exploring shipwrecks and snorkeling reefs. 

A catamaran cruise is undoubtedly one of the best sea experiences on the island. It’s an unforgettable day of swimming in crystal waters, sunbathing, meeting green turtles and exotic fish inside shipwrecks, and topping it off with rum punch or cold local beers while sailing.

The quality and quantity of sea-based activities are a big reason why people choose to move to or visit Barbados.

Anyone who travels with a family, children, or aging parents knows a simple commute is the best commute. Flying to Barbados is highly convenient and accessible because major airlines offer direct flights to the island from major international cities such as New York, Toronto, London, Panama, and Amsterdam. If you’re visiting other Caribbean islands, Barbados is often your first stop anyway.

If you do business in any of these international locations and need to pop back and forth, you’ll be grateful for the ease when living in Barbados.

There is little red tape to enter, and tourist visas are commonly granted for up to six months with extensions. There is also a very successful Welcome Stamp program for those interested in residing here while working remotely.

With a broad range of traditions left over from British and African history, Barbados has a blended story to tell. You’ll see British colonial buildings, Indian mongooses scampering through canefields and giant African Baobab trees. There are exciting historical discoveries hidden in the everyday.

Thanks to exposure to visitors from all over the world, Barbados welcomes people from all walks of life and has an appreciation for new cultures. This is proven as friendliness lies in the heart of every local as you’ll always be greeted with a genuine hello and smile when living in Barbados.

Barbados also continues to build strong connections globally with countries such as the United Kingdom, Ghana, China, Jamaica, Guyana, United States, to name a few. No matter where you relocate to Barbados from, it will always feel like your home away from home!

Barbados excursions have a lot to offer. It’s the ideal destination to enjoy countless activities with your family and friends. 

Go way underground into the island’s treasure trove ‘Harrison’s Cave’, zipline through the trees or indulge in an island safari – an offroad adventure in fearless open back land rovers. You can also take in the rich rum production heritage at St. Nicholas Abbey or Mount Gay by booking tours there. 

You can even dip down to the ocean floor in the highly rated Atlantis Submarine. Here, surrounded by tropical marine life, you can view our historic shipwrecks up close.

We couldn’t make a top 10 list and not mention that Barbados is home to the most elevated and sustainably designed golf course in the country. 

At Apes Hill, you can play the championship par 72 course, but you might be distracted by the natural backdrop your first go-around. At 1,000 feet above sea level, this course is the most elevated in the country. It’s routed with the front 9 offering splendid west coast views, and the back 9 throwing you into history, overlooking the east coast on a route scattered with ruins, limestone boulders, rock formations, breadfruit trees, agave, thorny bougainvillea, groves of palm trees, and bearded fig trees. 

For a quicker and more casual day of play, you also have the opportunity to enjoy a laid back Par 3 course with the family. 

If you want to experience the true hospitality of Barbados – it begins with meeting over a meal. 

Stop in a rum shop for ‘bread and two’ (a bun with fish cakes) or a fish cutter (a bun with fried flying fish). Or book an exceptional dinner on the west coast prepared by skilled, internationally trained chefs. With so many options, you can take a culinary tour of the globe while in Barbados. 

Barbados is also home to very talented mixologists who will delight you with extravagant rum cocktails. Thanks to a rich rum history (this is the country that invented rum, after all) you can also enjoy rum flights or rum tastings when living in Barbados. We recommend touring a distillery or having a look at the Rum Vault from Colony Club - a private room with 150 rums that offers dinners and pairings. Or, take your pick from this list of our favourite bars in Barbados.

Finally, if you’re thinking about moving to Barbados as a family and weighing up your pros and cons for the kids, Barbados has an excellent school system with an astoundingly high literacy rate – one of the highest in the world.

Your family will recieve a high quality of education from nursery up to university, so if you relocate with a family, you can enroll your children in multiple school systems from public to private, from Caribbean system which mimics the British GCSE system to the international baccalaureate, and even the Cambridge system.

Have we convinced you to give living in Barbados a go yet? From the vantage point of Apes Hill, you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world. Let’s talk about finding a home here.

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