9. Catamaran Sail
Most visitors to Barbados will enjoy a scenic catamaran sail up the west coast. It makes a memorable afternoon or sunset cruise and is well worth a splurge. You can sun on the deck, sip a rum punch or two, enjoy a tasty Bajan buffet, and have a few dips in the Caribbean Sea. Most of the catamarans make a few stops so you can snorkel over shipwrecks and come face to face with the turtles.
10. Turtle Encounters
If you want to swim with the turtles but don’t want to splurge on a catamaran cruise, it is possible to find them on your own. The friendly sea turtles tend to hang out in Payne’s Bay on the west coast and, to some extent, Carlisle Bay on the south coast. It’s awesome to encounter these gentle giants underwater. They’re quite tame and let you get up close to them (resist the urge to touch, though). If you happen to be on island around May through October, you may have the opportunity to see a nesting hawksbill laying her eggs, or a hatching where the tiny turtles head for the sea. Sign up with the Barbados Sea Turtle Project and they’ll alert you when there’s a hatchling release.
