Blog & News
Back to Listing 
Discover a Different Side of Barbados Under the Sea
From beach days and island sports to fresh fish and nightlife, build a Barbados holiday with one unforgettable direction: down.
When most people imagine a Barbados holiday, the picture is easy to create: a beautiful beach, warm Caribbean sunshine, clear blue water and a cold drink in hand. Barbados deserves that reputation, but the island offers far more than a day beside the sea. Barbados’ uniqueness isn't limited to being the only Caribbean island entirely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the only island with a tourist submarine, and it has operated for over 39 years.
Whether you come to party, explore a park, enjoy sports, taste fresh local fish or discover what lies beneath the Caribbean, every day can reveal a different side of the island. One of the most unusual experiences begins with a simple command: Dive! Dive! Dive!
A Barbados vacation without time on the beach would be difficult to imagine. The calm Caribbean waters of the west coast invite swimming and relaxation, the south coast blends beaches with restaurants and entertainment, and the rugged east coast reveals the island’s Atlantic personality.
Spend the morning beneath a palm tree, take to the water in the afternoon and leave room for a completely different adventure, because one of Barbados’s most memorable views is below the surface.
Atlantis Submarines Barbados lets visitors experience the underwater world without scuba equipment or getting wet. This underwater submarine tour begins in Bridgetown, includes a transfer to the dive site and places guests inside a real passenger submarine for roughly 40–45 minutes underwater as part of the approximately 90-minute experience.
Atlantis submersibles are certified to dive to 150 feet. Large viewing ports open onto coral formations, marine life and shipwreck scenery. Observe the colour changes in your clothing as the submarine travels through the various depths, and watch for colourful Caribbean fish such as parrotfish and snappers; other wildlife sightings vary because this is a natural marine environment. Even more enchanting are the occasional surprises, like dolphins, whale sharks, and spotted eagle rays. Don’t forget the Hawksbill turtle and green moray eels that move gracefully over the reef.
The result is an accessible adventure for anyone who wants to experience the underwater world without learning to dive.
If you love sports, Barbados offers many ways to fill your itinerary. Cricket holds a special place in Barbadian culture, from community grounds to international matches at the mecca, Kensington Oval. Atlantis Submarines is located within a brief 15-minute walk from Kensington Oval. The island also gave rise to road tennis, a fast and distinctive local sport.
Golf, polo, horse racing, sailing and motorsport add further variety. Visitors who prefer ocean sports can surf, sail, paddle or snorkel, then trade the surface for a submarine window on another day.
Not every adventure has to involve the ocean. Balance the coastline with a park, garden, historic site or nature attraction. A varied itinerary might pair a quiet morning among tropical plants with an afternoon submarine dive, or combine historic Bridgetown with the underwater landscape just offshore.
The goal is not simply to see Barbados, but to experience it from as many perspectives as possible: land, coast and sea.
For many visitors, discovering Barbados also means discovering Bajan food, and fish is central to that experience. The Oistins Fish Fry is famous for bringing food, music and community together, while restaurants across the island serve local seafood according to season and availability.
There is something fitting about enjoying fresh fish after watching tropical fish outside a submarine window. One belongs on the plate; the others are part of the show. Café Sublime offers snacks to quell your hunger before or after the submarine tour. Upgrade to the VIP service at least 36 hours before your tour to have your culinary treat served.
When the sun goes down, the island does not go to sleep. Visitors searching for things to do in Barbados at night can choose from relaxed beach bars, live entertainment, restaurants and clubs, including the well-known nightlife of St. Lawrence Gap.
There is also another way to experience the island after sunset. The Atlantis Submarine Night Dive presents the reef after dark, using powerful external lights to reveal the underwater scene in a different mood, with nocturnal activity and reef colours emerging from the darkness.
For travellers considering a night dive in Barbados, the experience offers a completely different perspective from daytime sightseeing. A Barbados submarine night tour can become a memorable beginning to an evening out or the evening’s main event.
The best Barbados holiday is built on variety. Enjoy the beach, find a party, visit a park, discover local sports and taste fresh fish. Then climb aboard Atlantis Submarines and explore the Barbados that lies beneath the surface.
Your Barbados adventure shouldn’t stop at the water’s edge.
Learn more and check current tour availability: Atlantis Submarines Barbados
Get a call back from us within 24 hours
Atlantis Submarines Barbados is located in the Shallow Draught Bridgetown, Barbados and the tour is operated on Freshwater Bay Reef which ironically gets its name due to rain water ending up on the reef.
Media Coverage of 2023 World Environment Day and Atlantis Submarines Barbados Living Classroom Program
Our tagline sums it up: 'Experience a unique underwater adventure in a real Submarine!' Atlantis Submarines specializes in making the underwater world accessible to those who don't dive by taking them underwater in a fully air-conditioned cabin. Being aboard a real, untethered, free-moving submarine in the natural marine environment can be done in only a few places in the world.
June 5th 2023, The Shallow-draught, Bridgetown, Barbados- Under the theme “Living Sustainably…Reduce Plastics Pollution to Protect our Blue Economy”., Atlantis Submarines and the Ministry of Environment reestablished its long-standing partnership focused on environmental education, for World Environment day.
The Atlantis Submarines is one of the most popular activities to do in Barbados. It is the most comfortable way to experience underwater marine life without needing any special equipment or instructions of any kind.
