Barbados’ rugged and sparsely populated East Coast possesses some of the island’s most dramatic scenery. Crashing Atlantic waves pound deserted beaches, and lush vegetation clings to the precipitous side of Hackleton’s Cliff, the impressive limestone escarpment that slices through the parishes of St Joseph and St John.

Indeed, St John’s Parish Church, perched on the clifftop, provides great views down to the coast, and the iconic giant boulders on the beach at Bathsheba.

This sprawling fishing village has several good restaurants, which makes it a popular lunch stop for day-trippers from the other side of the island. Spreading across the hillside high above the village are the Andromeda Gardens – one of the Caribbean’s finest tropical botanical gardens.