With Quaint Markets and Luxury Boutiques, Barbados Holidays Are a Shopper’s Delight

It may be a small island at just 14 miles wide and 21 miles long, but Barbados makes its size a distinct advantage to its visitors. Take your driving licence with you and hire a mini moke, and you will have found the most popular and fun way for visitors to explore the island. Bear in mind that the mini moke offers no protection so you will get dusty and it if rains, then you will get wet!

One of the main attractions of the island is the fact that Barbados is a tax free haven. During your Barbados holidays you will certainly want to head to the capital of Barbados, which is Bridgetown and it is here that you will find a wealth of tax free shopping opportunities.

Broad Street is the main shopping and commercial area and has something for everyone ranging from departments stores to jewellery stores where branded watches are the most popular buy. Also in Broad street is the Pelican craft centre where you can see both regional Bajan art as well as pick up some local handicrafts and Barbadian souvenirs to take back home to the UK. Delight your friends and family with some local Bajan produce such as the locally manufactured rums which are Mount Gay and Cockspur or to warm up those cold winter nights, buy some hot pepper sauce which is served with pretty much everything in Barbados.

On the southern coast road of Barbadosyou will find Coconut Walk shopping centre; this is on a much smaller scale than other centres though it offers a good choice of surfing goods. Moving along on the coast road you will come across the Quayside centre in Rockley where you can pick up some local foods and souvenirs.

If you prefer to be outside in the sunshine rather than in departments stores during your Barbados holidays then you will be pleased to know that you can shop and tan at the same time at St Lawrence Gap where there are street sellers selling a good choice of both leather and jewellery items. Chattel House Village is also a good place to pick up some souvenirs by way of T-shirts and towels.

Put your your mini moke into third gear and drive to the centre of Barbados, the hilly region of St. Thomas, where as well as satisfying your shopping urges at Earthworks pottery you can cool off and visit Harrisons cave.

Our last suggestion for shopping and souvenir-buying certainly won’t appeal to everyone; the weekly Oistins Fish Market is your chance to grab a more unusual souvenir. As well as freshly caught local fish you can also buy from the market some unusual and some may say ‘tacky’ souvenirs which are Puffer fish light shades. Everyone has heard of Puffer fish and they have been caught and blown back up to create a dried light shade. As you can see, Barbados offers shopping for all tastes!