Mixing more than a dash of island whimsy with a the slightly button-down vibe due in part to the island’s British roots, Barbados gives you lots of opportunity—and encouragement—to let your hair down.

Hit the beach. The west and south coasts of Barbados offer one beach after another of finely ground coral sand—take your pick. Then take a Cool Runnings Catamaran cruise, go kayaking or paddle-boarding, or just sit on a lounger and enjoy the million different shades of blue. There are also dozens of dive sites to sink your mask into, with Barbados Blue at Needham’s Point Pebbles Beach being the dive shop of choice—an excellent launching point for shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay.

Eat local. The street food trucks and rum-shop takeout counters are crowded with locals and tourists for good reason: They harbour some of the most delicious home cooking you will ever taste. The Oistins fish fry is a Friday-night highlight, with dozens of market stalls sizzling with goodness. And the lineups at Cuz’s Fish Stand in the Garrison in Bridgetown are so healthy on weekdays, he takes the weekend off. For fine dining, there’s a ton of home-grown talent, notably at Hugo’s in Speightstown, where Chef Avion Caine leans on his childhood food memories to present a tantalizing, local-flavour-infused menu. For a sexy, barefoot-chic culinary experience, head to La Cabane at Batts Rock Beach for the sunset—but stay for the coconut mojitos and fresh grilled fish.

F&B: HOW TO MAKE COU-COU

Get inside intel. Spend some quality time with Chef Michael Harrison from Island Market & Food Vibes Tour, who will take you around town to the markets, then out into the countryside to taste-test the best local cuisine at places like the iconic Village Bar and the bucolic Country View Bar & Grill.

Try the rum. Barbados is by all accounts the birthplace of rum. Mega-distiller Mount Gay dates back to 1703, when it was discovered that the molasses they had been discarding after processing the sugar cane fermented quite nicely. Traditional rum “shops,” roadside bars where people gather to watch cricket and play dominos, are scattered throughout Barbados. But you need to venture outside the fray to experience the best of the island’s rum: Make sure Foursquare Rum Distillery and St. Nicholas Abbey Distillery are both on your list. Make sure there is room in your suitcase to take a bottle home.

Catch a wave. The easy-going east side of Barbados is where locals go to relax on the weekend—or surf. A day trip to the rugged Atlantic coastline of Bathsheba will reveal stunning views and a few heritage hints, particularly if you venture into the Atlantis Hotel, which dates back to the 1880s. Make a pit stop on the patio before taking a hike along the old railway tracks to watch the surfers at the Soup Bowl, a world-famous reef break. The east side is also home to the top vegetarian restaurant in town, tucked under the palm trees at ECO Lifestyle Lodge.

ALSO ON THE EAST SIDE: THE CRANE

Cheer on the ponies. When the beach gets boring, head to the sports pitch. Cricket isn’t the only game in town, either. The popularity of polo in Barbados reaches back to colonial times, the first match being played in 1884. The Polo Club regulates four playing fields, welcoming international teams in a season that runs from January through May. Prince Charles and Prince Harry have both played polo here many times.

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THINGS TO DO: IN BARBADOS

I first tried cou-cou at Lemon Arbor Village Bar in St. John parish in Barbados. Lunch there included all kinds of traditional foods and the takeout window of this place was on fire it was so busy. I was on a food tour through the countryside with Chef Michael Harrison, who walked us through Cheapside Market, the Bridgetown Fish Market (complete with drunk fisherman giving drunk tours of their boats), Village Bar and lastly Country View Bar. It was like a little pub crawl with food lore mixed in—my two favourite things.

WHERE TO STAY: IN BARBADOS

Here is a recipe from Barbados.org.

1. In a bowl, combine 8 oz. of cornmeal with enough water to cover the meal. Set aside. 2. Cut the tops and bottoms off 3 oz. of okras and slice into rings. Place the sliced okras in a saucepan with water, one medium-sized chopped onion and salt. Bring to a medium boil for a few minutes until the okras soften. 3. Strain the okras into a bowl, setting aside the liquid.  4. Add about a quarter of the okra liquid back into the saucepan and add the soaked cornmeal. You’ll need a whisk or wooden stick to stir the cou-cou as it cooks. In Barbados, they use a flat wooden spoon known as a cou-cou stick. Stir constantly.  5. Add more of the okra liquid gradually. You can tell you’re nearly finished when the cou cou starts to bubble gently at the surface. At this point add in the cooked okra slices and continue stirring for another two minutes.  6. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tbsp. of butter.

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Vibe: Nicely dressed, mostly young Canadians, Americans, English and Europeans co-mingle at the Ocean Two breakfast buffet and later in the pool. Say hello to lots of young couples and honeymooners, some LGBTQ, fun-loving packs of special-occasion celebrants, a few families, some multigenerational, not a lot of kids. Everybody loves a rum punch, I noticed. The front desk is absolutely razor sharp.

THINGS TO DO: IN BARBADOS

Rooms: Traditional mahogany furniture and contemporary furnishings dress up clean and comfortable rooms, equipped with TVs, rainfall showers and furnished balconies. Some rooms have whirlpool tubs. Big one- and two-bedroom suites also have full kitchens (with big fridges) and living/dining areas—really these are like small apartments. My suite came with a little de-humidifier, which was greatly appreciated.

F&B: Ocean Two keeps it simple with just one open-air restaurant steps from the beach and pool serving a breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner. The food and beverage program is overseen by chefs who also lead the kitchens at Sea Breeze Beach House and South Beach Hotel. The restaurant and swim-up share the same bar, but the real action is in the expansive lobby lounge and onyx bar of Oasis, which runs from the front desk straight out to the pool. Swooping, pillow-laden banquettes and basket chairs lend a patio feel. A rooftop terrace and plunge pool is a good spot to watch the sun go down on your day.

TASTE TO TRY: COU-COU

Extras: Ocean Two is the perfect size, a Goldilocks medium, neither sprawling nor puny. It has its own little stretch of beach and a pool split into two sections, one long enough to swim laps. But my most favourite touch is retro: the big, metal, plush pool loungers reminiscent of a Golden Girls lanai. They just don’t make them like that anymore. A 24-hour gym works off the calories from all the rice and beans.

Off-Site: Ocean Two is steps from Dover Beach on the Caribbean Sea along the south west coast of Barbados in the busy hotel-heavy Saint Lawrence Gap area. Both the capital of Bridgetown and the airport are about a 25-minute drive away. A strip of casual restaurants and bars is just a five-minute walk away—you can stumble home.

Rate: $$$

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Vibe: At The Crane, you will meet well-heeled American, Canadian, British and European couples, groups of friends, retirees and families who have been coming back year after year for years, including the timeshare guests who make you feel at home by being at home themselves.

THINGS TO DO: IN BARBADOS

Rooms: Mahogany absolutely everywhere. Even the one-bedroom suite feels like a small condo, your two kids bunking down in the large living room. A dining room and full kitchen (fridge with ice dispenser, dishwasher, washer-dryer) is perfect for families who want to have at least a few meals in. Bedrooms have a four-poster king-size bed and a writing desk, leading into a big bathroom with two wardrobes, whirlpool bath, separate toilet, separate shower and double vanity.

F&B: The Zagat-rated Zen restaurant is the island’s go-to for Japanese and Thai food, its private booths elegant and inviting. D’Onofrio’s Trattoria bills itself as casual family dining, but I must have dined when the children had all gone to bed. It serves the best Italian food I have ever had in the Caribbean, full stop. Sun-worshipers flip-flop into the palm grove behind the beach for hearty lunch plates at The Grove Bar & Grill.

TASTE TO TRY: TRADITIONAL COU-COU

Extras: Swimming pools for days! Even the swimming pools have swimming pools. Many ground-floor suites have private pools up to 28 feet long. Corner rooms have plunge pools in the turrets on every floor and penthouse suites have 12-foot pools with rooftop garden decks. The Crane is also equipped with a full-service Serenity Spa, a fitness centre and a kids club. (Yes, there’s a swimming pool for adults only, too.)

Off-Site: The serene beaches of the east coast are a 30-minute drive north. The south coast beaches are a 20-minute drive and you can reach the beaches and nightlife of the west coast in 40 minutes. The airport is just 15 minutes away.

Rate: $$$
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