By Ronda Racha Penrice

For an island measuring about 21 miles long and just 14 miles wide, with less than 300,000 people, Barbados makes a big impact. Because its temperature rarely dips below the mid-70s, it’s high season in the winter months, yet the summer months aren’t anybody’s idea of a ghost island. While Barbados has long been a vacation spot for many Europeans, Americans have caught on only recently. Luckily, getting to Barbados is relatively easy, especially when traveling through Miami, where American Airlines runs flights daily. Once there, getting to the action requires commuter-worthy travel time, as the bulk of the 6,800 guest rooms and numerous restaurants are located much closer to the beautiful Atlantic coast.

Cobblers Cove (pictured above), a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux, is an ideal island retreat for couples. The intimate, English country house–style boutique hotel is so popular that some of its patrons have logged in 20-plus years of visits. With a beach and 40 suites situated in its own lush gardens, charming is an understatement. Each suite has a kitchenette, a nice living area that opens into a garden terrace or balcony, and large, comfy bedrooms.

Barbados’ outstanding cuisine has earned the country its nickname as The Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, and it even has its own Zagat Guide listing to prove it. Cobblers Cove’s The Terrace Restaurant and its Irish chef Brian Porteous are very highly regarded. One bite of the Poached Lobster and Carrot Puree in Tomato Hollandaise more than explains why. But it doesn’t stop there. Champers Wine Bar and Restaurant, one of the island’s unanimous bests located in the Christ Church area, has an impressive oceanfront terrace that is only rivaled by the equally breathtaking cuisine. Meanwhile, The Mews, in Holetown, is an eclectic staple that boasts an incredibly good Thai Green Curry Shrimp dish and one of the island’s top-rated steaks.