21 Reasons Why a Move to Barbados is Right for You
We all know that Barbados is a fantastic place to visit, but what about living there? With our luxury holiday homes , there’s no reason you can’t have your own home from home in the sun.
If you’re thinking about moving to Barbados from the UK (or anywhere else!), here are 21 fantastic reasons why this beautiful country could be the perfect home for you.
How easy is it to move to Barbados?
If you hold a British passport, you can enjoy a range of benefits that will ease your transition when moving to Barbados. Can you just move to Barbados? Well, no, but you’ll be able to stay in the country visa-free for up to six months, giving you time to explore and settle in.
Once you’ve decided Barbados is for you, you’ll need to apply for a visa, or possibly a residency permit. Eventually, after a number of years of living in the country, it may be possible to become a citizen of Barbados.
The Barbados Welcome Stamp programme, which allows those moving to Barbados from England and other countries to work in the country for 12 months, may also be an option when you first move to Barbados.
The weather
Of course, you can’t look past the weather as the number one reason to make the move to Barbados!
Barbados has a tropical climate, with a wet season from June to November and dry season from December to May.
The temperature averages at between 21˚C and 31˚C during the dry season, with an annual precipitation of between 40 and 90 inches.
Great shopping
If you’re a bit of a shopaholic, you’ll be right at home after moving to Barbados!
The island is home to a number of great shops, whether you’re looking for clothes, interior decorations or just some great locally sourced food!
The Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown is home to big brands, such as Michael Kors, Burberry, Armani and Louis Vuitton.
On a smaller scale, you can also enjoy local farmers’ markets in the various towns around the island, such as the Cheapside Market in Bridgetown.
Stable economy
Barbados has one of the most stable political environments and economies in the Caribbean, with a low inflation rate and steady growth.
Barbados is aiming to become the world’s smallest developed country by 2025 and has strong net-zero targets for sustainability. The country hopes to achieve these targets by 2030.
Beautiful beaches
The island is home to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, such as Crane Beach, with its soft pink sands, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkelling.
Others, such as Silver Sands, are great for activities such as kitesurfing and windsurfing. Bathsheba is another beach renowned amongst surfers.
Luxurious properties
Here at Royal Westmoreland, we have a range of luxury, colonial-style properties available for purchase, or you can even create your own gorgeous villa with one of our custom-build properties.
Spectacular landscapes
While Barbados isn’t quite as hilly as some of its island neighbours, it is home to some spectacular natural landscapes, particularly Harrison’s Cave, an underground limestone cave system with crystal clear waters and towering columns.
The island is also home to the Flower Forest and Welchman Hall Gully Tropical Forest – great places to take a walk and enjoy the local wildlife and flora.
Delicious local food
The local food benefits from Barbados’ melting pot of cultures – you can taste influences from Africa, India and Britain in the local cuisine.
There are a couple of local speciality dishes such as Cou-Cou, which mainly consists of cornmeal and okra, and flying fish, which is used in many local dishes.
Local sport
If you’re a cricket fan moving to Barbados, then you’re in luck: Barbados is cricket-mad! As an ex-British colony, cricket is still the national sport and the West Indies national team often play at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
The island is also home to the historic Garrison Savannah racecourse, which hosts horse racing events throughout the year.
Infrastructure
The island has well-developed infrastructure, with plenty of roads and highways, and easy access to public transportation.
Grantley Adams International Airport is also very well-connected, with direct flights to London-Gatwick and Manchester, as well as seasonal flights to other airports around the country.
Lots of leisure activities
There’s lots to keep you busy in Barbados, from simply lounging on one of the stunning beaches to more high-octane activities, such as motorsports, go-karting and even horseback riding!
Lively nightlife
The locals love a good party and there are plenty of pubs and clubs, as well as many local rum shacks!
Harbour Lights is the most well-known club, situated right on Carlisle Bay, while Oistins Fish Fry hosts the island’s biggest party every Friday night.
Parties and festivals
Speaking of parties, the island hosts many events throughout the year, the biggest of which is the annual Crop Over festival, which has been celebrated since the 18th century.
The event comprises of fairs, parties, carnivals, market stalls, concerts and more, with numerous other events to enjoy.
Friendly locals
The people of Barbados are known for being very friendly and welcoming and are always eager to help out a stranger.
Just be sure you ask them to slow down so that you can understand the unique Barbadian dialect!
No language barrier
Because Barbados used to be a British colony, it has retained a lot of British culture, including the language, which makes it a lot easier for British visitors to get by in Barbados.
The island is also home to its own colourful dialect, which can be a little difficult to get your head around at first but becomes easier to understand as you immerse yourself in the culture.
It never takes too long to get anywhere
Because the island is so small, it doesn’t take too long to get anywhere. The farthest journey – from the top to the bottom of the island – will take around 40 minutes and you’re never much further than 15 minutes away from your nearest shop, beach or rum bar!
It’s outside the hurricane belt
One of the bigger concerns for people moving to the Caribbean is the threat of hurricanes. Thankfully, Barbados is outside the main hurricane belt and the last major hurricane to hit the island was in back in 1955.
It’s the home of rum!
The island is home to the world’s oldest rum, Mount Gay, which is also renowned as one of the best in the world.
If you haven’t already, you’re sure to find yourself developing a taste for rum if you move to Barbados!
Great for surfers
Barbados is a surfer’s paradise where waves travel thousands of kilometres along the bottom of the sea, before finally coming to rest on the island’s coral reefs.
Barbados experiences good surf almost all year round, so even if you’ve never tried it before, there’s no better place to get out on a surf board!
World-class golfing
Many people dream of being able to retire and while away their days on their local greens and fairways – and there’s no better place to do so than Barbados.
The great weather makes the island ideal for golf and there are numerous world class clubs and courses, including our very own golfing at Royal Westmoreland.
Tropical seasonal fruit
The island is home to an array of tropical seasonal fruit for you to enjoy, such as avocados, mangoes, dunks, gooseberries, golden apples, ackees, star fruit and more!
They drive on the left side!
When moving to Barbados from the UK, you won’t have to deal with the culture shock of driving on the other side of the road – and you can keep your right-hand drive car!
Contact us
Thinking of making the move to Barbados? Our extensive range of villas and townhouses offer a perfect option for people looking to enjoy everything the island has to offer.
Contact us today to discuss your new home with Royal Westmoreland.