Barbados
When
Dec to April
Price
From 2 400€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
5 nights
Ideal length
Barbados's west coast, with calm waters protected from the Atlantic swell, has been home since 1703 to the Mount Gay distillery, the world's oldest still-operating rum brand, in a region that claims to have invented the spirit in the 17th century from surplus molasses of the local sugar industry. This coast, nicknamed the "Platinum Coast" for its upscale resort complexes, also concentrates the island's finest white-sand beaches, sheltered from the trade winds that sweep the east coast.
The Mount Gay distillery, whose earliest documents attest to production dating back to 1703, claims the title of the world's oldest still-operating rum brand, an assertion backed by uninterrupted trading records spanning over three centuries. Barbados itself disputes with other Caribbean islands the title of rum's birthplace, a 1651 document already describing a local spirit called "kill-devil" distilled from sugar production residues.
Barbados's west coast, nicknamed the "Platinum Coast" for the concentration of upscale residences and hotels lining it since the 1960s, benefits from naturally calm waters protected from the Atlantic swell by the island's very shape, offering optimal swimming conditions year-round. This Caribbean-facing side, more sheltered than the east coast, attracted a wealthy British clientele as early as the 19th century, laying the foundations for an upscale tourism that endures today.
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A Platinum Coast Villa
An elegant villa on Barbados's west coast, a private pool facing a calm sea, a short distance from the Mount Gay distillery.
A Beachfront Boutique Hotel
A boutique hotel directly on a west coast beach, an indoor tropical garden, rum tastings organised on site several times a week.
Other trips built in the same spirit — more to draw inspiration from.
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4 nightsBarbados: The Wild East Coast and Oistins
A wild Atlantic coast battered by waves, then the weekly gathering point for fishermen and fried flying fish
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