Tucked away in the southeastern region of the Lesser Antilles - directly east of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, southeast of St. Lucia, northeast of Tobago and Trinidad, and southeast of St. Lucia - Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean. With the Atlantic Ocean bordering its northern and eastern coastlines, there is no shortage of surfing, fishing and breathtaking views. In fact, the east coast is home to the world-famous surfing site known as "Soup Bowl", located in Bathsheba, which hosts national and international surfing tournaments throughout the year. Along the southern and western coasts, the calm waters of the Caribbean are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and water sports. This is where you'll find the majority of the island's hotels and resorts. Plus, the southwest coast is home to Carlisle Bay Marine Park, which features six shipwrecks and colorful marine life for you to explore.

To truly see all the island has to offer, you'll probably want to rent a car or as the locals say, "hire a car."  This is probably the easiest and most affordable way to see the island, though keep in mind you will be driving on the left side. If you are not used to this style of driving, you may want to practice in a low traffic area before venturing on to highways or the busy streets of the island's capital, Bridgetown. If you decide to rent a car, keep in mind that drivers must obtain a local driver's permit, which can be purchased from most car rental companies or a local police station.

Getting around in Barbados is fairly easy once you are used to driving on the left. The island is divided into eleven parishes, which are similar to counties and make it easy to identify where you are. Follow H1 and H1B along the west coast and keep a careful eye out for signs indicating public access to beaches. Most of the west coast is dominated by private access hotels and resorts, so your best bet for enjoying the coastline is to watch for these public access areas.

Carlisle Bay, which is just south of Bridgetown, has a lovely stretch of beach that spans from Needham's Point up to the capital. Standing at the very edge of Needham's Point you'll find the ruins of Charles Fort, which was built by the British in 1650 to protect the entrance to Carlisle Bay. The fort has been restored and now features a picturesque brick-lined cannon walk that overlooks the lapping blue ocean and displays 24 powder cannons from the early 1820s.

While in Carlisle Bay, be sure to check out the action at The Boatyard (+1 (246) 436-2622), where you'll find Adventure Beach, which offers fun beach activities like ocean trampolines, iceberg rock-climbing and a water slide. Also available for rent are Wave Runners, kayaks, glass bottom boats, beach volleyball and more. The Boatyard's oceanfront restaurant, South Deck Grill, is a great spot to stop for a bite and Sharkey's Bar is considered "the liveliest bar on the island - day or night" with weekday parties like Fat Tuesdays, Sunset Wednesdays and Friday Night Lime.

From Carlisle Bay, follow H1 north into Bridgetown, the bustling capital. While this isn't an ideal spot for tourists to be after dark, it's one of the island's best shopping destinations. Plus, the duty-free shopping means visitors will enjoy discounts up to 50% off prices you'd find back home - just make sure to present your immigration form or passport. DeCostas Mall, located in the historic Colonnade building on Broad Street, is the largest mall in Bridgetown with over 25 shops. Cave Shepard, also on Broad St., is the only department store on the island. For accessories and apparel that capture the Bajan spirit check out Ganzee, also on Broad St., which sells everything from leisurewear to Bajan spices.

Continue north on H1 to the Malibu Beach Club and Visitors Center (+1 (246) 425-9393). Here you can take a tour of the Malibu rum distillery and enjoy complimentary mixed drinks on Brighton Beach. Open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

The Mount Gay Rum Distillery (+1 (246) 425-8757, website) is located a few minutes north of the Malibu facility and is home to the world's oldest rum, which dates back to the early 1700s. Tours run hourly beginning at 9:30am-3:30pm Monday through Friday and lunch tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon and include a buffet of island fare.

Continuing up the west coast on H1 toward Holetown, you will find a number of public access beaches, including: Batts Rock Bay, Crystal Cove, Tamarind Cove, Sandy Lane Bay and others. Holetown is a lively beach in the parish of St. Thomas. It offers a number of hotels, restaurants and charming boutiques. East of Holetown is Harrison's Cave (+1 (246) 438-6640, website), which is a natural phenomenon of stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as an underground waterfall. Harrison's Cave is open Wednesday- Sunday and tours run from 9am-4pm. Prices are $20/adult and $10/child (16 years and under).

There are several more public access beaches north of Holetown, including Alleynes Bay, Mullins Beach and Cobbler's Cove. As you visit the west coast beaches, beware of the indigenous machineel trees which have a grayish trunk, shiny green leaves and bear fruit that look like greenish yellow apples. These trees, which stand about 50 feet tall, are considered the most poisonous in the world and merely touching them can result in severe skin blistering. Make sure not to brush up against them or take shelter under them during a rainfall. Also, it's not unusual to find apples strewn along Barbados' west coast beaches. While some may be harmless, accidentally eating an apple from a machineel tree can be fatal.

The next major town north of Holetown is Speightstown, in the parish of St. Peter, which is known for its excellent swimming and snorkeling conditions. If you're an art lover, the Gallery of Caribbean Art (+1 (246) 419-0858, website), located on Queen St. in the Northern Business Center, is worth a visit. It exhibits paintings, sculptures and photography from the region's finest artists. Hours are weekdays 9:30am-4:30pm and Saturdays 9:30am-2:00pm.

Take H1B to the northern end of the island where you'll find the parish of St. Lucy. This is the least touristy area of the island and is famous for its natural beauty with attractions like The Animal Flower Cave, located at the northernmost tip. The Animal Flower Cave is the only accessible sea cave on the island and inside you'll find water pools filled with colorful sea-anemones, which the locals call "animal flowers". The Animal Flower Cave is open daily from 9am-4pm for and guided tours cost a small fee of approximately $2. For more information call +1 (246) 439-8797.

As you make your way around to the northeastern side of the island, H1B intersects with H1C and connects with H2 near St. Lucy's Church. Take H2 to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve (+1 (246) 422-8826, website), which is home to a broad array of wild animals, including a tribe of 26 Barbados Green Monkeys. The park is open daily from 9am-5pm (the last admission is at 4pm) and the best time to catch a glimpse of the Green Monkeys is around feeding time at 2pm. Ticket prices cost $11.50 for adults and $5.75 for children ages 12 and under. Ticket prices include admission to Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station attractions, which features tours of the island's original signal station and access to hiking trails through Grenade Hall Forest.

As you continue on your way, you'll notice that the east coast of Barbados is far less populated than the west coast and is known for its breathtaking views of the rugged Atlantic coastline. Continue on H2 south (a.k.a. the East Coast Road), stopping to admire the views at Cattlewash Beach and check out the surfers at the "Soup Bowl" in Bathsheba. Just below Bathsheba you will find the Andromeda Botanic Gardens perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean. Spanning over six acres, the gardens contain hundreds of species from all over the world. Call +1 (264) 433-9384 for details.

South of Bathsheba, H2 turns into H3, which you can follow along the coast to other public access beaches like Martin's Bay and Bath. Southeast of Bath is the East Point Lighthouse, located at Ragged Point which is the easternmost tip of the island. On a clear day, you can admire the view all the way up the coast from this spot. Follow H4B as you wrap around to the southern coast of the island. Bottom Bay, Crane Beach and Foul Bay all have public beach access. Turn on to H6 and head towards the island's fishing capital, Oistins.

Before reaching Oistins you'll come across the marine aquarium at Ocean Park (+1 (246) 420-7405, website). The park features 26 aquariums with marine life from the Caribbean and around the world. You will find everything from stingrays and barracuda to Amazonian Red Belly Piranhas and Black tip reef sharks. The park's summer hours are Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, winter hours are daily 10am-5pm including Sundays. Ticket prices are $17.50 for adults, $10 for children under 12, and free admission for children 3 years of age and younger. You can save 20% if you purchase your tickets online

Continue southwest on H6 until you reach Oistins. Here you'll find an open air fish market, which is open daily and offers fresh selections of dolphin, kingfish, sailfish, barracuda, tuna, red snapper, chub and, of course, the fish of the island: flying fish. Be sure to come back on a Friday evening for the weekly "Friday Night Fish Fry," which features Calypso music, local artisans, rum punch drinks and a variety of Bajan fish dishes. The festivities begin at 6pm and you can expect to pay about $7 - $10 per plate.

Just south of Oistins is one of the most popular beaches in southern Barbados. Its real name is Enterprise Beach but it has become known as Miami Beach over the years because, as the locals will tell you, it's great for bodysurfing and body watching. While it remains relatively uncrowded during the weekdays, it is a popular destination for locals on the weekends.

On the very southern tip of the island, you'll find Silver Sands beach, which is most well-liked amongst windsurfers, especially during the island winters when the trade winds create the perfect conditions for the sport.

Travel along H7 to complete the loop around the southern end of the island. You'll find that this area has dozens of public beach access points and is one of most touristy areas of the island. Beach chair and umbrella rentals can be found on most southern beaches. End your day at St. Lawrence Gap, located off H7 in St. Lawrence, where you can enjoy Happy Hour as you watch the sun set over the bay and choose from several superb restaurants for dinner.