Savvy tourists know that the best people to ask for advice about where to go and what to do on holiday are the locals. So I did the same, starting with Tony Lord, a surfing instructor.

He has always been in love with the sea and used to hang around surf shops as a child, hoping to borrow a board. He did a two-year masonry and tiling course after leaving school before joining the crew of a deep-sea fishing boat.

The birth of his daughter, Tonika, encouraged him to give up a job that took him away from home for days on end and become an instructor.

His favourite beach is his local one at Silver Rock, close to the most southerly point of the island and where conditions are good for all forms of surfing and for novices as well as experienced watersports enthusiasts.

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“I took Tonika into the water when she was a little baby and had her on a surfboard before she could walk,” he says. “Now at six, she’s a pretty competent surfer.”

Being in the sea is his favourite off-duty activity and, if he is not surfing, he will be spearfishing.

He also finds time for partying with friends and, like many locals and tourists, heads for St Lawrence Gap for a session from 10pm until 2am before heading home for a rest and then back to work. His favourite places are the Reggae Lounge and McBride’s, which features reggae, rock and salsa nights from Wednesdays to Fridays, with a “time-warped 1970s and 1980s” dance party on Saturdays.

The Brits on holiday are no strangers to Lord, because every year he heads to London for a break, fitting in a little surfing in Newquay, Cornwall, or this month seeking a kitesurfing qualification at the Extreme Academy, Weymouth.

Chef’s appetite for fast cars

Unless he is in charge of the kitchen for breakfast and lunch at Cobblers Cove, guests will find chef Dwayne Greenidge, right, slicing fruit to order at a table in the Terrace Restaurant or advising on the tastiest midday meal. He will also be happy to discuss his favourite places on the island. “After the heat of the kitchen, I love to get to the beach. Mullins, a few minutes’ walk away, is perfect,” he says. “I plunge into the blue sea for a long swim and then chill out on the sand. There’s a handy bar as well.”

On Sundays he heads to Bushy Park on the opposite side of the island for the popular but less-heralded Barbadian sport of car rallying. “From a small boy, I have been fascinated by fast cars and the rallying is really good, with drivers from England, Ireland and other Caribbean countries taking part.”

What dish does the chef recommend? “Coconut shrimp in a tempura butter, which gives it a unique taste, and I serve it with a citrus salad and guava dip.”

Family feasts are more fun

As soon as he had passed his driving test, Randy Hallett borrowed his father’s taxi to pick up tourists from the airport to earn money to go clubbing. Now 40 and married with three children, he prefers nights out with his family.

“I eat out occasionally with my taxi service’s corporate clients so I know many of the island restaurants. My 13-year-old daughter’s favourite is Brown Sugar, for the authentic Bajan buffet. My wife and I enjoy the seven-course menus for B$75 (£20) at Muscovado at the Hotel PomMarine [see story right]. It’s good value and the staff are enthusiastic. On the east coast, Bonito is a good place with great views and reasonable prices.” Hallett’s 15-year-old son is more interested in fishing than fine food and the two of them try their luck late in the day from rocks near The Cliff restaurant, followed by a midnight beach picnic.

His tips for new tourists on the drive from the airport? “Visit Harrison’s Cave, the Flower Forest and the east coast and have a night out in St Lawrence Gap.”

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