Barbados


Barbados Destinations Guide

For more than three centuries Barbados was a British colony and retains something of a British feel: the place names, the cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches, and even a hilly district known as Scotland.

The people of Barbados, known as Bajans , take great pride in their tiny island of 430 square kilometres

Tourism plays a major part in the country’s economy and revenues have been put to good use. The infrastructure and public transport are first-rate and there is no sign of the poverty that continues to bedevil some Caribbean islands.\

Where to go
Chief among the island’s attractions are its old plantation houses – places like St Nicholas Abbey and Francia , superb botanical gardens at Andromeda and the Flower Forest , and the military forts and signal stations at Gun Hill and Grenade Hall . The capital, Bridgetown , is a lively place to visit, with an excellent national museum and great nightlife in its bars and clubs

When to go
For many visitors, Barbados’s tropical climate is its leading attraction – hot and sunny year-round. The weather is best, however, during the high season, from mid-December to mid-April, with rainfall low and the heat tempered by cooling trade winds. The peak season also brings the biggest crowds and the highest prices.

Getting around
The bus system in Barbados is excellent, with blue government buses and yellow, privately owned minibuses running all over the island. Fares are a flat rate of B$1.50. Buses run roughly every half-hour between Grantley Adams International Airport and Bridgetown, stopping at or near most of the south coast resorts en route. Services to the resorts on the west coast are less frequent.

Food & Drink
Fresh seafood is the island’s speciality: snapper, barracuda and dolphin fish, as well as fresh prawns and lobster. Most popular of all is the flying fish – virtually a Bajan national emblem.

For snacks , you’ll find cutters (bread rolls with a meat or cheese filling), coconut bread, and more substantial rotis (flat, unleavened bread wrapped around a filling of curried meat or vegetables); all are widely available.

Rum is the liquor of choice for many Bajans. Hundreds of tiny rum bars dot the island, which are an integral part of Bajan social life. On the coast, you’ll find fewer places that cater specifically to drinkers but, all-inclusives apart, most hotels and restaurants will welcome you for a drink even if you’re not staying or eating.

Barbados Destinations Guide

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