Where to stay in Barbados for any budget

Barbados is shaped roughly like a triangle or arrow pointing north. The accommodations are mainly around the edges and can be categorized by the type of beach.

On the east side of Barbados is the colder Atlantic Ocean. In the parishes of St Andrew, St Joseph and St. John you will find the communities of Cattlewash and Bathsheba, and off the shore of Bathsheba is the Soup Bowl which is where the surfing competitions are held. St. John's historic parish church has wonderful views of the coast.

Central Barbados (St George and St. Thomas Parishes) are where you will find Gun Hill Signal Station, Harrison's Cave and Welchman's Hall Gully

On the west coast are the calmer warmer waters of the Caribbean. In the parishes of St Peter and St James are Speightstown and Holetown. The oldest church in Barbados is St. James in Holetown. Just north of Holetown is Folkestone Marine Park and Museum

In between St. Peter on the west and St. Andrew Parish on the east are attractions such as St. Nicholas Abbey which is a Jacobean plantation house (and not a religious institution), Grenade Hall Signal Station, and Farley Hill National Park

Bridgetown also on the west coast is the capital of Barbados with much of the shopping is here in St. Michaels Parish. The Barbados Museum and the town of Garrison are on the edge of St. Michael's Parish. The Barbados racetrack is opposite the Barbados Museum. The Mount Gay Rum Visitors center is on the north side of town. Bridgetown is also where the cruise ship terminal is located. Barbados has several kinds of buses, but the bus routes fan out over the island and either start or end in Bridgetown.

The parishes on the south (St. Phillip and Christ Church) include the airport and many of the smaller hotels and apartments. The beaches here are good for body surfing. Oistin's has a fish fry every Friday

The north end of Barbados (St. Lucy Parish) includes the Animal Flower Caves. This parish is fairly isolated.