West Indian influences and colonial history meld in the bustling capital, Bridgetown. To soak up some of the island's history, head to the Barbados Museum.
When the sun goes down, it's not necessary to experience Crop Over, the summer festival, to get the full rum-fuelled carnival experience - that happens any night in the capital.
Just a short walk from the cosmopolitan kitchens of Bridgetown's restaurant-lined harbour are the smoky stalls of Baxter's road - the 'street that never sleeps', where yellowtail snapper is fried and wrapped in banana leaf and washed down with locally distilled beer.
Activities on Barbados are plentiful, ranging from surfing, diving and yachting, to land-based adventures such as hiking and horse riding.
A handy way to get the most out of the island is to hire a beach buggy and create your own itinerary. Roads are excellent and the interior landscape rolls prettily with smatterings of rainforest and old plantation houses to explore.
Beach life is, naturally, the biggest draw to Barbados. On the west coast are the idyllic glossy-brochure sands, where most of the 5-star hotels can be found. The eastern coast is worth visiting for its more isolated, wilder shores, especially at Crane Beach.
Another worthwhile stop is the Andromeda Botanical Gardens whose mass of exotic trees and flowering plants are tended by a busy army of humming birds.
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