Although it's only about 20 miles long and 15 miles at its widest, this small island packs a punch with its variety of holiday activities. Swimmers and snorkelers splash in the tranquil green Caribbean waters and corals of the west coast, where most of the resorts and restaurants are found, whereas surfers and active swimmers are passionate about the blue Atlantic's surf on the east coast.

The island's breathtaking landscapes add to the joys of sporty, active vacations. The west coast takes one through many small towns, while the east coast reveals rugged, hilly shores with jumping-off points ideal for active swimmers and surfers on the Atlantic's untouched beaches.

Water sports include scuba diving among reefs and famous wrecks such as the Stavronikita, Berwyn and the Friars Craig; sports fishing for marlin, tuna and kingfish on charter boats Blue Jay and Honey Bea III; and catamaran cruises aboard Excellence or Tiami that include a Bajan lunch and snorkeling with the turtles. Other options are to party with pirates on the Jolly Roger or take a ride on the Harbor Master. There's also the annual Food and Wine and Rum Festival.

Landlubbers will want to hike the Arbib Heritage and Nature Trail's outstanding path, which received Islands magazine's 1999 Ecotourism Award. Welchman Hall Gully, located in a national park, is rich in bird life and chattering velvet monkeys. Other sites for views are Cherry Tree Hill, Gun Hill Signal Station, the cliffs near Harrissmith and Bottom Bay. Island Safari jeep tours take visitors off the beaten path. For bird's-eye views, Bajan Helicopter's Discover Barbados tours the coasts.

Garden lovers will adore Hunte's, a private gem with towering trees, exquisite flowers and quiet nooks to sit and dream. Other botanical must-sees are Andromeda Gardens, the Flower Forest and Orchid World.

Barbados is ideal for world-class sporting events and has hosted athletic championships, including the 2006 PGA World Golf Championships-Barbados World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup Finals in 2007, the ICC Twenty20 Cricket Finals 2010 and the Sentebale Charity Polo match. The golf courses are magnificent. Barbados Golf Club, an 18-hole public championship golf course, hosted a PGA European Tour and other tournaments. On the west coast, the five-star Sandy Lane resort has three golf courses. Golf aficionados have named its 18-hole Green Monkey course, designed by Tom Fazio, one of best in the Caribbean.

Royal Westmoreland Golf and Country Club, the 18-hole championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, offers contrasting challenges and stunning sea views. It's part of a $400-million residential and tourism development with clubhouse, restaurant, swimming pool, fitness center, racquet club and condos.

Club Rockley Resort's course has a nine-hole, 18-tee layout, and Almond Beach Club Resort Golf Course has a par-three, nine-hole course. There is a lot of buzz about Black Bess Plantation's plan for a new 18-hole golf course on a 470-acre development, and leading hoteliers Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts will manage the resort.

History buffs visit the George Washington House Museum (also known as Bush Hill House), a beautifully preserved plantation house, where Washington lived for two months in 1751. Outside America, Barbados was the only foreign place he lived.

Historic St. Nicolas Abbey, a Jacobean mansion built in 1660, now produces sugar-cane products with authentic antique machinery. Sugar production once dominated the economy as the largest enterprise, and vast plantation estates covered the island. The slave trade brought Africans to work the land, and the height of the industry was in 1720. This ceased in 1807, and a few years later all slaves were emancipated. Arlington House contains the Speightstown Museum with interactive installations.

Tax-free shopping is on Broad Street, Bridgetown (with a passport and departing air ticket) at Cave Shepherd, Harrison's and Madison's Duty-Free Inc. Sunset Crest sells designer clothing, Heather Harrington Jones carries handcrafted jewelry and gifts., and Earthworks Pottery sells decorative and functional pieces.

WHEN YOU GO

Barbados was voted No. 8 in the world by Trip Advisor's 2008 Travelers Choice Destination Awards in its Top 100 Destinations category. For more information, Barbados Tourism Authority, www.visitbarbados.org, or 800-221-9831. For the latest news on Barbados Facebook www.tinyurl.com/barbadosbeat and Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbadostourism.

Getting there: Jet Blue, American Airlines, Delta, US Airways and Air Jamaica serve this area.

Where to stay: Most hotels and resorts are located on the western shore's tranquil Caribbean. These include Mullins Beach, Church Point and Paynes Bay. East coast beaches Bathsheba and Cattlewash are ideal for surfers and windsurfers. South coast beaches such as Carlisle Bay, Accra Beach, Sandy Beach, Casuarina Beach, Silver Sands and Crane's are popular for body-surfing, while Needham's Point and Dover Beach attract snorkelers and swimmers.

How to plan: Package tours are available at STS Vacations, www.stsvacations.com, 866-875-4565, or American Airlines' AAVacations, www.aavacations.com.

What to do:

The Atlantis Submarine dive (90 minutes) for spectacular tropical fish, turtles and vegetation: 246-436-8929

Tall ships: 246-436-6424

Sports fishing boats: 246-439-2326

Golf: The Barbados Golf Club, 246-428-8463; the Royal Westmoreland, 246-422-4653; Sandy Lane's three golf courses, 246-444-2000; The Crane Resort, 246-423-6220 or www.thecrane.com; Almond Beach Village and Club Rockley, 246-422-4900

Heritage plantations: Sunbury Plantation House, 246-423-6270; St. Nicholas Abbey, 246-422-5357; Wildey House Headquarters/Barbados National Trust, 246-426-2421

Sugar factory: Foursquare Heritage Park, 246-420-1977

Exploring: Harrison's Cave, 246-438-6640

Gardens: Flower Forest, 246-433-8152; Orchid World, 246-433-0306; Andromeda Gardens, 246-433-9384

Wildlife: The Barbados Wildlife Reserve, 246-422-8826; Highland Outdoor Tour on horses, 246-438-8069; Animal Flower Cave, 246-439-8797

Walks and hikes: Barbados National Trust, 246-426-2421 or 246-234-9010; Welshman Hall Gully, 246-438-6671; Island Safari Tours, 246-429-5337

Sightseeing by helicopter: Bajan Helicopters, 246-431-0069

Shopping: Cave Shepherd, 246-227-1330; Harrison's, 246-431-5500; Madison's Duty-Free Inc., 246-432-2269; Heather Harrington Jones, 246-432-6318; Earthworks Pottery, 246-425-0223