Tropicana, Barbados
Also within 20 km of Holetown
- Folkestone Marine Park Dive site · 0.6 km from Holetown
- Church Point Surf spot · 0.7 km from Holetown
- The Barge Dive site · 0.7 km from Holetown
- SS Stavronikita Dive site · 0.8 km from Holetown
- Fisherman's Dive site · 1 km from Holetown
- Sandy Lane Surf spot · 1.3 km from Holetown
- Little Sandy Lane Dive site · 1.8 km from Holetown
- Barracuda Junction Dive site · 2.7 km from Holetown
Watch this spot We email you when Tropicana is worth the trip.
About Tropicana
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (266°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (86°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 27°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Holetown, 3.8 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 7 dive sites.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 12 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to UVF, direct.
See flights ORD → UVF · Skyscanner from about £280 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 55 from the airport to Tropicana.
Accommodation.
Stay in HoletownAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Holetown (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Speightstown 6 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 30 places to stay
Places to stay in Speightstown · Booking.com AdHoletown 7 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 46 places to stay · where Tropicana stays
Places to stay in Holetown · Booking.com AdBathsheba 23 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 9 places to stay
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Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Holetown · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Holetown · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Tropicana on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Tropicana does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 17, too small | 3 ft10 shollow | 144kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 15, too small | 3 ft9 shollow | 109kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 13, too small | 2 ft8 shollow | 72kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft11 shollow | 59kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 12, too small | 2 ft9 shollow | 64kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft8 shollow | 44kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft9 shollow | 46kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft8 shollow | 38kJ | offshorewind from the east, 9 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 6, too small | 1 ft8 shollow | 19kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 31°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft6 shollow | 21kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 31°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to UVF, then 2h 55 by road. About 12h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to UVF, then 2h 55 by road. About 12h 25 door to door
The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Holetown each day: Batts Rock, Church Point, Gibbs, Mullins, Paradise, Sandy Lane, Tropicana.
Rough cost
About £770–£1,435 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to UVF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £280–£580 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £70–£115 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £770–£1,435 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Holetown
- Spago Restaurant & BarItalian · 0.1 km from the centre
- Surfside Restaurant & BarCaribbean · 0.1 km from the centre
- Nishi RestaurantSushi · 0.2 km from the centre
- PepeneroItalian · 0.2 km from the centre
- Sitar Indian RestaurantIndian · 0.2 km from the centre
- Just Grillin'Caribbean · 0.3 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
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Where to stayAd
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