Last Updated: August 4, 2022
Jamaica Vs Barbados – Don’t Choose The Wrong Destination
When it comes to picking the best destination in the Caribbean for your next vacation, Jamaica and Barbados have surely crossed your mind. They are both stunning places that tick off everything one could want from an island escape, but you can only choose one so which should it be?
Well, it’s not an easy choice as both islands are quite similar in terms of what they have to offer but there are subtle differences when comparing Jamaica vs Barbados.
Jamaica and Barbados are quite different both in size and in their geographical location. Jamaica sits in, what one could say, the interior of the Caribbean and is a lot larger (26 times) than Barbados. Barbados is one of the outermost islands of the Caribbean meaning it takes a beating from the Atlantic, and it’s tiny compared to Jamaica.
Join me as we take a deeper look into Jamaica vs Barbados so you can pick the right island for you!
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The Beaches
When you travel to the Caribbean, it’s not to sit inside all day. The biggest appeal is the white sand beaches and the azure blue waters that lap them. With that in mind, how are similar or different are the beaches when it comes to Jamaica vs Barbados?
Jamaica
Jamaica has a huge coastline for an island nation that stretches a whopping 1,022 kilometers, and can you guess what is along it? That’s right, white sand beach after white sand beach mixed with idyllic isolated coves and some dramatic cliffs.
It would be impossible to explore the entire coastline during your stay so it’s best to stick to the top beaches on the island with bright white sands and crystal blue water washing onto them.
The most famous and one of the most beautiful beaches in Jamaica is Seven Mile Beach. It’s not quite seven miles long but it’s not far off and it sits on the western side of the island near the resort area and relaxed town of Negril.
Other amazing beaches in Jamaica include Franchmas Cove, Doctors Cove, and if you’re looking for a lively beach to have a party on, then the beaches around Montego Bay will not disappoint.
Barbados
Barbados has a tiny coastline of 97 km and when compared to Jamaica’s 1022 km, it’s pretty much 10 times shorter. The beaches in Barbados, however, are world-famous despite having much room to squash them into.
The charm of Barbados’ beaches comes from its geography. The eastern side of the island faces right into the Atlantic which means it takes a beating any time there is some swell.
This has given rise to the eastern side of Barbados having wild beaches that have been shaped by the ongoing battery it experiences. Think of white sand with driftwood and sand dunes with no development whatsoever, it’s super wile.
The western side of Barbados is home to the Platinum Coast and is hailed as one of the most idyllic spots on the planet. Imagine a postcard of the most beautiful white sand beach in the Caribbean and you have a good idea of what to expect from the Platinum Coast.
The water is calm and crystal clear, the beaches immaculate with fine white sand, and you’ll find picturesque coves dotted all the way down it. It’s a seemingly never-ending stretch of paradise that is well developed with houses, hotels, bars, and restaurants.
Verdict
It’s quite easy to pick a winner when it comes to the beach of Jamaica vs Barbados – I’d take Barbados every time, especially if it’s a beach holiday you’re after. You can spend days strolling the perfect sands of the Platinum Coast and/or take a walk on the wild side on the uninhabited beaches of the east side. Barbados has it all and while Jamaica’s beaches are beautiful, they don’t quite compare.
Ocean Activities
A trip to the Caribbean, especially to Jamaica vs Barbados, should involve spending some time in the ocean when you want a break from lying on the white sand staring out to sea. Even if you’re not a great seafarer, little time snorkeling or going on a sunset cruise is something that is always worth doing, so what’s on offer in Jamaica vs Barbados?
Jamaica
Jamaica has a lot to offer when it comes to ocean-based activities and you can do everything from kayaking, SUP-ing, sailing, snorkeling, diving, and fishing.
The deep-sea fishing off Jamaica is excellent as deep waters run close to shore which in turn brings a range of some of the most desired sport fishes on the planet into range. You’ll have the chance to catch blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dorado, and lots more. There isn’t a better way to spend a day than out at sea staring into the deep blue waiting for that exciting moment of a fish making a reel scream.
If fishing isn’t your thing, then Jamaica’s snorkeling might be. The greatest thing about snorkeling in Jamaica is that you can do it right off the beach, all you need are some fins and a mask.
If you swim out from the beaches of Doctors Cave Beach, Treasure Beach, Booby Cay, and Seven Mile Beach you’ll find a stunning underwater world with corals, colorful fish such as snappers, lionfish, groupers, and butterflyfish, as well as larger specimens such as rays, turtles, and even the odd reef shark.
There are also some good diving operations in Jamaica that will safely take you around a bunch of nice dive sites that feature caves, wrecks, reefs and there is even an old plane wreck. You’re likely to see similar fish and sealife but larger in size and quantity plus diving with dolphins, seahorses, and big pelagics is possible too.
Barbados
The ocean activities in Barbados are similar to those in Jamaica and they are every bit as good too. You can rent SUPs and kayaks to explore the waters, go sailing, and of course, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, and diving are on offer too.
The diving in Barbados is heaven, especially if you’re into diving around wrecks. With over 200 wrecks to choose from, you can dive on a new one every day if you want to, the best being Pamir, Friars Crag, and the Stavronikita. The wrecks are also teeming with fish of large sizes from snapper to grouper, plus they are covered in color.
The coral around Barbados is also excellent and you’ll have the chance to see dolphins, hawksbill turtles, seahorses, barracuda, and other large pelagics.
Snorkeling from the shore is a good option in Barbados too, and with some fins and a mask, plus some of your own pedal power, you can take yourself on a cool underwater exploration. But, for the best snorkeling, it’s worth hopping on a boat and being taken to one of the wrecks where the abundance of large tropical fish will blow your mind.
The deep-sea fishing in Barbados is also excellent with blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dorado, and lots more on offer. Its location on the outer edge of the Caribbean means Barbados will have some better fishing, especially if it’s a blue marlin you are after.
RELATED: Is Barbados Expensive?
Verdict
If you’re heading to the Caribbean to spend time in or on the ocean doing your favorite hobbies such as diving, fishing, and snorkeling, then Barbados is the right choice in the Jamaica vs Barbados comparison. It has everything that Jamaica has to offer but the underwater world is more pristine and it has a lot more to offer in terms of wrecks too.
Inland Activities
If you’re like me, then spending 10 days in a row on the beach or in the sea is a very real thing, and quite an ambition when on holiday, but for some of you, the lure of what’s inland on these islands is something that might help you choose between Jamaica vs Barbados.
You’re likely to find that Jamaica has Barbados beaten in this section, depending on what you like doing on land.
Jamaica
Jamaica is a big island and it has a lot more to offer than just its coastline. The interior of Jamaica is made up of the Blue Mountains with its highest peak hitting 2,256 meters above sea level. This means the interior of Jamaica is made up of lush forests on mountainsides with rivers and waterfalls trickling down them, with a spattering of fruit and coffee plantations to go with it.
If exploring some lush tropical mountains sounds appealing, and why wouldn’t it, then one of the best ways of doing it is by hiking along the 14 mile Blue Mountain Peak Trail. This trail has you weaving through the jungle, past beautiful rivers and waterfalls, all the way to the highest peak where you’ll find amazing views across the island.
Holywell National Park, a part of the Blue Mountains is a great place to go hiking through the jungle too and you can even camp there for a night too. The views at sunset and sunrise are unparalleled on the island and the stars are ever so bright on a clear evening.
If hiking the peaks and camping in the jungle sound a little too adventurous then a visit to the amazing waterfalls for the day might suit you better. Dunn River’s Falls, Secret Falls, and Reach Falls are all stunning and you can swim in the pools beneath the waterfalls too.
Another fun activity is doing a bamboo raft tour down the rivers where you’re poled through the jungle in style while seeing everything it has to offer.
Barbados
While Barbados is a lot smaller than Jamaica, there is still a lot to be found in the way of inland activities. The interior of Barbados is mostly made up of sugar plantations, rum distilleries, and botanical gardens which all either showcase the beauty or the history of the island.
The Barbados Wildlife Reserve sits in 4 acres of an old mahogany forest and is home to green monkeys along with a plethora of other local flora and fauna that are indigenous to the island. There are brick pathways that lead you around the reserve so can safely explore the stunning forest and interact with the wildlife from a distance.
Another major attraction in Barbados is Harrison’s Cave which you explore via a tram. The cave is huge and made up of limestone which creates some fabulous natural architecture and there are also streams and pools along with stalagmites and stalactites that are amazing to see underground.
There is also a plethora of botanical gardens in Barbados that showcase some incredible plants from all over the world. One of the best to visit is Hunte’s Gardens, but they are dotted all over the island so you’re never very far away from one.
Other fun things to do are to hop on the old steam railway for a taste of history and take a tour of the Mount Gaye rum distillery and taste some of Barbados’ most famous rum.
Verdict
While Barbados has some great things to do when you stray inland from the beach, it doesn’t quite compare to what’s on offer in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. If you’re looking for an island with more of an adventurous side away from the sea, then Jamaica has Barbados beaten.
That being said, there is more than enough to explore in Barbados if you’re looking for a few days off the beach to rest your tan before topping it up again.
The Food
I love traveling, not just for the wonderful things I’m going to see, but also for the wonderful foods I might get to taste. If a beautiful place can also throw in some delicious food, then life is going to be pretty hard to beat, so let’s take a look at Jamaica vs Barbados and their respective food scenes.
Jamaica
One of the most famous Jamaican cuisines is their jerk spice mixture which is a blend of herbs and spices that is added to chicken, pork, or fish before it hits the hot grill of a BBQ. Jerk is said to have come about via slaves who ran away into the Blue Mountains and created a spice mixture to put on their food before always cooking it over an open fire.
Jerk is made up of a whole range of different things and everyone has their own special blend in Jamaica but the basics include allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, scallions, thyme, garlic, and ginger.
When grilled the jerk seasoning really brings whatever it’s lathered on to life and it’s something you have to try while in Jamaica.
Another national dish from Jamaica and one that is traditionally eaten for breakfast is saltfish and ackee. Ackee is a bit like lychee and it came to Jamaica from West Africa during the slave trade. It’s cooked up and served with salted grouper (rock cod) that is caught fresh off the shore of Jamaica.
Saltfish and ackee is one of Usain Bolt’s favorite breakfasts. The flavor might be a little intense for breakfast though as saltfish is quite punchy, so maybe try it for lunch or dinner.
Being by the sea, you’ll also have access to amazing seafood while in Jamaica so think fresh fish and delicious sauces to go with them as well as shellfish too.
Barbados
Barbados is also home to some amazing local cuisine and being a Caribbean island nation, you’re right to think of a mixture of seafood and spice served up beachside with a tot of local rum on the side.
One of the most famous dishes and the one that’s the national dish is Cou-Cou with Flying Fish. This is a kind of curry-based dish made with ginger, spices, and scotch bonnet peppers. The flying fish are filleted, seasoned with salt and lime, and then fired up in the rich blend of spices and herbs.
The cou-cou side of the dish is made with a mixture of okra and cornmeal to make a kind of polenta and when served with the stew, it all comes together to create a taste sensation.
Another traditional dish that is akin to the Jerk found in Jamaica is Barbados’ Pepperpot. If you’re out at a restaurant on a Sunday this is going to be on the menu and it hails from the roots of the indigenous people who first called Barbados home.
Pepperpot is pretty much a spicy beef and/or pork stew that is cooked up with vegetables, herbs, spices, and coconut milk. It’s cooked for days at a time, being reheated each day to let the flavors build up. The meat is tender as can be, it falls apart in your mouth, and the flavors are to die for!
On the menu will also be fresh swordfish, tuna, lobster, prawns, crab, and more seafood, so if fresh seafood is what you’re after, don’t worry, Barbados has you covered.
Jamaica vs Barbados – The Verdict
Jamaica vs Barbados, have you managed to pick one yet? Barbados is certainly more up my street as I love spending time in the ocean snorkeling and fishing plus it has enough great food and other things to do that will keep me entertained.
If you’re looking for a little bit more culture and a lot more to do outside of the beach and ocean, Jamaica will probably suit you better.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
