Meet Barbados
Learn about, explore, meet Barbados.
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Why Barbados?
Some reasons why you might consider traveling to Barbados.
Barbados is an island in the Caribbean region, but which lies out in the Atlantic many miles east of the Caribbean Sea. Its nearest neighbours, some 100 miles (160 km) west, are Saint Vincent and Saint Lucia, part of the arc of the Lesser Antilles that separate Atlantic and Caribbean. Those islands look like and are a partly-submerged chain of mountains. By contrast Barbados has formed from deposits of coral and has a gentler landscape. It's fertile, and is sometimes called "Bimshire" or the "Little Britain" of the Caribbean because of its long and uniquely unbroken history of British colonisation and settlement. It became independent in 1966 and tourism is nowadays its main industry.
Locals refer to themselves as Bajans and things Barbadian as Bajan.
Bridgetown and Western Barbados:
| Bridgetown 1 The capital of Barbados and surrounding areas in Saint Michael Parish. The top attractions are the two historic areas: around the Careenage (old harbour) in city centre, and the Garrison Savannah to the south which has the George Washington House. The city also hosts Mount Gay Rum Distilleries, the Kensington Oval cricket ground, and the bases for scuba-diving and other boat-based activities. There’s little accommodation here. |
| Western Barbados North of the city are the parishes of Saint James, Saint Peter and Saint Lucy. This is the west-facing, most sheltered coast, so it’s the best for family beach holidays. Holetown and Speightstown are the two main townships, with many tourist hotels and small guesthouses along this strip. |
Southern and Central Eastern Regions:
| Southern Barbados The parish of Christ Church is a tourist strip of hotels, bars and restaurants, one long traffic jam honking its way through Rockley, Saint Lawrence (the main party zone), Oistins and Silver Sands. This south-facing coast is good both for water-based activities and family bathing. East of the airport is Saint Philip parish: this has fewer hotels, the coast trends north-east and becomes rugged and the seas are stronger. |
| Central Eastern Barbados The parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph and Saint Thomas are the least developed and most scenic part of the island. There are lush botanic gardens such as Andromeda, plantation houses eg Sunbury, and Harrison’s Cave in the underlying limestone. The hilly east coast is exposed to the full fury of the Atlantic, with big surf, and is too hazardous for casual beach and water sports. |
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