Barbados is in the Caribbean region, but out in the Atlantic 100 miles east of Saint Vincent and Saint Lucia, part of the arc of partly-submerged mountains in the Lesser Antilles that separate Atlantic and Caribbean. By contrast Barbados has formed from deposits of coral with a gentler, fertile landscape. It is sometimes called “Little Britain” because of its long and uniquely unbroken history of British colonization and settlement. It became independent in 1966 and tourism is nowadays its main industry.
Capital: Bridgetown
Currency: Barbadian Dollar (BBD)
Population: 284,6000 (2013)
Country Code: +1246
HISTORY
The first known inhabitants of Barbados were the Saladoid-Barrancoid people who arrived by canoe from Venezuela’s Orinoco Valley around 350 AD. Second were the Arawaks, arriving from South America around 800 AD; they called the place Ichirouganaim meaning “teeth”, referring to the island’s reefs. In the 13th C the Caribs arrived from South America and displaced the previous populations. For the next few centuries, they lived in isolation here.
In 1536 the Portuguese explorer Pedro Campos called the island “Os Barbados” (“The Bearded Ones”) because the long hanging aerial roots of the island’s fig trees resembled beards. Later, Spanish conquistadors seized many Caribs on Barbados to use as slaves, and many other Caribs fled from the island. However neither Spain nor Portugal settled here. The first Europeans to do so were the British from 1627 and, unlike other Caribbean islands, Barbados never passed into the control of other nations as the later centuries’ wars played out.
Early crops were of cotton, tobacco, ginger and indigo, worked by indentured labourers, mostly English and Irish. Their conditions were harsh but not slavery, and after several years labour (if they survived), they were awarded freedom, money and land – so a colony evolved. But those crops suffered competition as North American production grew. Sugarcane was introduced in 1640 and proved more profitable and reliable, but demanded heavy labour. Enslaved Africans were shipped in to meet this need, many being Igbo from what is now Nigeria. For two centuries Barbados was a slave colony, as the plantations grew and grew and bought out the other settlers. From 1833 there was gradual emancipation, through a combination of rebellions, anti-slavery movements and laws, and changing economics. The island had been utterly wrecked by the hurricane of 1831 so this was a time of re-building, leading to a pleasant harmony of style in the buildings seen today.
Barbados remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum and molasses through most of the 20th C; the labour was still hard, and employment conditions were repressive. By now 90% of the island’s people were of African descent, 10% were a British-descended squirearchy that clung onto all the wealth and positions of power, and ethnic Caribs were very few. But from the 1930s an educated black middle class fought for universal adult suffrage and gradually gained power. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Barbados never received indentured Indian labourers, though a community of Gujarati Muslim merchants would eventually settle on the island, and their descendants today form the majority of Barbados’ Muslim community.
Post-war saw social and political reforms, and mass emigration as England drew in Caribbean labour to run its hospitals and transport: London’s Hammersmith and Brixton became the new Bimshire. A “wind of change” blew through Britain’s colonies, and the first attempt at independence was to form a Federation of the West Indies. This was quarrelsome and short-lived, so it was as a separate nation that Barbados achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. In the 1980s, tourism and manufacturing overtook the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados has developed into a stable democracy with one of the highest rates of literacy in the Western Hemisphere. It does however have an uncomfortable level of sovereign debt: in 2018 the newly-elected government uncovered shady national accounting, with the true debt being over 1.7 times the country’s GDP. Your tourist spending, however modest, will be appreciated.
Locals refer to themselves as Bajans and things Barbadian as Bajan.
REGIONS
The island of Barbados has eleven parishes which can conveniently be divided into four regions:
Bridgetown. The capital in Saint Michael Parish. Two historic areas: around the Careenage (old harbour) in city centre, and the Garrison Savannah to the south which has the George Washington House. Also Mount Gay Rum Distilleries, the Kensington Oval cricket ground. There’s little accommodation here.
Western Barbados. North of the city is the west-facing, most sheltered coast with Holetown and Speightstown and many tourist hotels and small guesthouses.
Southern Barbados. 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. East of the airport are fewer hotels, the coast trends north-east and becomes rugged and the seas are stronger.
Central Eastern Barbados. The least developed and most scenic part, a lush botanic garden at 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.
GET IN
Visa. Most visitors do not need a visa for tourism.
By Plane. Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) (8 miles east of Bridgetown). Connections to North America, Europe especially Britain and Germany, and the Caribbean region. Package tour operators eg TUI and Virgin Atlantic offer flight-only tickets.
Public buses and minibuses run from a stop just outside the airport.
By Boat. There are no ferries between Barbados and the other Caribbean islands.
Many cruise ships dock.
GET AROUND
By Bus. The bus system is extensive, cheap and fast if you are headed to somewhere on the main route, but a car (or mini-moke) is the only way to see many of the out-of-the-way sights. Many drivers will hold a bus for you if they see you are from out of town, reflecting the typical welcoming spirit. Buses are run by the Barbados Transport Board (blue) and are quiet. Private operators include the yellow buses, which play very loud music, and private mini-vans (white), which are usually cramped and crowded. The two privately run means of transport are often driven very fast and recklessly. All charge the same fare (B$3.50, July 2019). Yellow buses and minivans offer change and even accept US dollars. BTB buses accept Barbados dollars and US dollars but do not give change.
By Taxi. There are also more than enough taxis to take you wherever you need to go on the island for reasonable prices. They do not use meters and it is best to negotiate the price before you get in. However, most taxi drivers are honest and you are unlikely to be overcharged. Be sure to ask the management of the hotel or the friendly locals what the going rate is for a cab ride to your destination.
By Car. Renting a car is expensive, the roads quite narrow, with sharp turns, steep inclines, and are generally quite bumpy, although most are paved. Many do not have sidewalks, so there can be pedestrians. The exception is the ABC highway.
Road signs can be confusing (they often indicate the nearest two towns/villages in opposite order – i.e. furthest listed first).
By Mopeds and bikes used to explore sites not easily reached by cars but may be hazardous due to the lack of sidewalks, frequent pot holes, sharp corners and speeding local buses.
Language. The official language in Barbados is English, but the pronunciation may be high, fast and hard to follow. Bajan is a creole language based on English, Irish and West African Igbo vocabulary and expressions.
EAT. Bajan cuisine is an odd mix of spicy, flavorful treats along with traditional English fayre – fiery stews accompany beans on toast.
Flying fish lightly breaded and fried, with a yellow sauce (very hot Scotch Bonnet peppers with onions in a mustard sauce) Or the fish is steamed with lime juice, spices, and vegetables. It’s often served over coo-coo, a polenta-like cornmeal and okra porridge.
Pepperpot is a pork stew in a spicy dark brown sauce.
Cutters are sandwiches made from Salt Bread and popular fillings like flying fish, ham or cheese; “Bread and two” is a cutter with two fish cakes.
Where to eat? Street vendors offer snacks like fish cakes, BBQ pig tails, fresh coconut, and roasted peanuts.
Every Friday night on the south coast the place to be is Oistins for the fish fry. This is a town market where you buy fresh fish cooked to local recipes. Bajans dance and party there until the early hours.
For fast food, Chefette are a chain.
Drink. Rum and rum-based drinks are featured at every bar. For tours of a rum distillery, Mount Gay (the brand leader) and Southern Barbados. Banks Beer is Barbados’ own brew.
SAFETY
Barbados remains much safer but the most common are taxi fraud, robbery, and shortchanging; rape and assaults are becoming more common. Drugs are strictly illegal, sternly prosecuted, and vigorously marketed. Camouflage clothing is forbidden
Health. Your biggest risks are road safety, safety in the sea, and alcohol especially when combined with those.
Weather. Beware of the sun, Barbados is only 13 degrees north of the equator and you can burn very easily even if it’s cloudy and the sea breeze is keeping you cool.
Heatstroke. High temperatures and humidity: Headache, Nausea and vomiting, Rapid breathing, Racing heartbeat, High body temperature (40 C/ 105 F), Flushed skin, Changed mental and physical state of mind (confusion, agitation, irritability and at worse, seizures and coma)
Mosquitoes. Dengue Fever is in stark decline.
Water. Barbados water is pure and safe to drink.
Alcohol poisoning. Coupled with an increase in temperature and humidity, dehydration,
Respect. Bajans tend to dress conservatively when not on the beach. Sensitive to manners so saying “Good morning” goes a long way. Try not to discuss politics or racial issues. Talk is also important because Barbadians speak fairly fast when speaking in Creole.
Connect. Buy a local SIM card. There is patchy coverage out in central and eastern parts.
Go Next. It means flying and all with frequent flights of 30-50 min duration from BGI.
Saint Lucia – very mountainous, scenery and smelly volcanic springs.
Saint Vincent – mountainous and scenic, yet barely developed for tourism.
Grenada is good all-round. Its smaller island of Carriacou has good diving but little else.
The chain of islands continues north through Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe. To the south are Trinidad & Tobago, and mainland Venezuela.
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Barbados (Bridgetown)
NOMAD MANIA Barbados (Bridgetown)
World Heritage Sites: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
Tentative WHS
The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum (02/12/2014)
The Scotland District of Barbados (18/01/2005)
Sights (Temporarily Reinstated)
Barbados Concorde Experience
Stavronikita Wreck
Islands: Barbados
Borders: Barbados (sea border/port)
XL: North (Animal Flower Cave area)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Sam Lord’s Castle: Sam Lord’s Castle
Religious Temples:
Folkestone: St. James Parish Church
Belleplaine: Saint Andrew Parish Church
World of Nature: Barbados Wildlife Reserve
Festivals
Barbados Reggae Festival
Gospelfest
Holetown Festival
Oistins Fish Festival
Experiences
Crop Over
John Canoe
Botanical Gardens:
Bathsheba: Andromeda Botanic Gardens
St George: Orchid World & Tropical Flower Garden
St. Joseph: Hunte’s Gardens
St. Thomas: Flower Forest Botanical Gardens
Lighthouses: Ragged Point Lighthouse
Windmills: St Andrew: Morgan Lewis Mill
Beaches
Barbados Beaches (Sight)
Bathsheba Beach
Crane Beach
Paradise Beach
Caves
Animal Flower Cave
Harrison’s Cave (Sight)
Trails 2 – Hikes: Bathsheba Coastal Walk
Hospitality Legends: Barbados: The Crane
Well-being: Distilleries: Mount Gay’s Visitor Center
Cities of the Americas
BRIDGETOWN World Capital, World City and Popular Town
World Heritage Sites: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
Airports: Bridgetown (BGI)
Museums
Barbados Museum and Historical Society
Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum
Museum of Parliament and National Heroes Gallery
House Museums/Plantations
George Washington House
St. Nicholas Abbey
Sunbury Plantation House
Fisherpond House
Religious Temples
Masjid Ibn Umar
St. Michael’s Cathedral
Pedestrian Bridges: Chamberlain Bridge