Facts at a Glance
Area: 430 sq km (166 sq mi)
Population: 264,000
Capital city: Bridgetown (pop 7500)
People: African (90%), English, Scottish & East Indians
Language: English
Religion: Anglican (50%), Methodist, Moravian
Government: Independent state within the British Commonwealth
Governor-General: Sir Clifford Husbands
Prime Minister: Owen Arthur
Barbados is a distorted pear-shaped island lying 2585km (1610mi) southeast of Miami and 860km (535mi) northeast of Caracas, Venezuela. It's about the size of a large US city. The western coast has white-sand beaches and calm turquoise waters, while the cliff-lined Atlantic eastern coast is much more turbulent. Coral reefs surround most of the island.
Over eons the buildup of coral on sedimentary rocks has created the bulk of the island. Water permeates its soft coral cap, creating underground streams, springs and limestone caverns. The most notable of the caverns, Harrison's Cave, is one of the island's leading tourist attractions. Although most of the island is relatively flat, the interior is hilly and the northeastern area, known as the Scotland District, rises to a lofty 340m (1115ft) at Mt Hillaby.
Early settlers leveled most of Barbados' native forest for farming, and today the landscape is mainly sugar cane fields, pasture and scrubland. Small areas of native woodland remain in gullies and clifflands too steep for cultivation. One of the island's most common trees is the bearded fig tree, for which the island was named (los barbados is Spanish for 'the bearded ones'). Other trees common to Barbados are palms, casuarina, locust, white cedar, poinciana and mahogany. There are also many flowering plants and some beautiful cultivated gardens open to visitors.
A few introduced mammals are found in the wild, including mongoose, European hares, mice and rats. The island's ubiquitous green monkeys were introduced as pets from West Africa some 350 years ago. Found only on Barbados is the non-poisonous and rarely seen grass snake. The island also has a small harmless blind snake, whistling frogs, lizards, red-footed tortoises and eight species of bats. Hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the island's sandy beaches on a regular basis, and the leatherback turtle is an occasional nester. More than 180 species of birds have been sighted on Barbados. Most are migrating shorebirds and waders that breed in North America and stop over on the island en route to winter feeding grounds in South America. Only a fraction actually nest on Barbados; these include wood doves, blackbirds, bananaquits, guinea fowl, cattle egrets, herons, finches and three kinds of hummingbirds.
Barbados boasts 3000 hours of sunshine every year, and the constant air conditioning of tradewinds keeping daytime temperatures down. In January the average daily high temperature is 28°C (83°F) while the low averages 21°C (70°F). In July the average daily high is 30°C (86°F) while the low averages 23°C (74°F). February to May are the driest months. In July, the wettest month, there's measurable rainfall for an average of 18 days, while April, the driest month, averages seven days.
The original inhabitants of Barbados were Arawak Indians, who were driven off the island around 1200 AD by invading Carib Indians from Venezuela. The Caribs themselves abandoned Barbados around the time the first Europeans sailed into the region. Although the conditions of their departure are unclear, some historians believe the Spanish might have landed on Barbados in the early 1500s and taken some of the Caribs as slaves, prompting the rest of the tribe to flee to neighboring islands.
Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos stopped on Barbados in 1536 en route to Brazil. Though he had no interest in settling the island it's thought that he introduced pigs to Barbados with the intention of using them as a food source on return voyages. It was Campos who named the island Los Barbados ('the bearded ones'), presumably after the island's fig trees, whose long, hanging aerial roots have a beard-like resemblance.
Captain John Powell landed on Barbados in 1625 and claimed the uninhabited island for England. Two years later, his brother Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves. The group established the island's first European settlement, Jamestown, on the western coast at what is now Holetown. More settlers followed in their wake and by the end of 1628 the colony's population had grown to 2000.
Within a few years the colonists had cleared much of the native forest and planted tobacco and cotton. They replanted their fields with sugar in the 1640s. To meet the labor demands of the new crop, planters, who had previously relied upon indentured servants, began to import large numbers of African slaves. Their estates, the first large sugar plantations in the Caribbean, proved immensely profitable, and by the mid-17th century the planters and merchants were thriving.
In 1639, island freeholders formed a Legislative Assembly, only the second such parliament established in a British colony (Bermuda was the first). Barbados was loyal to the Crown during Britain's civil wars and, following the beheading of King Charles I in 1649, Oliver Cromwell dispatched a force to establish his authority over Barbados. The invading fleet arrived in 1651 and by the following year Barbados had surrendered and signed the Articles of Capitulation, which formed the basis for the Charter of Barbados. The charter guaranteed government by a governor and a freely elected assembly, as well as freedom from taxation without local consent. When the British Crown was restored in 1660, this charter ironically provided Barbados with a greater measure of independence from the English monarchy than that of other British colonies.
Off the record
The sugar industry continued to boom into the next century, even after abolition. Emancipation came in 1834 but failed to solve the poor living conditions of black islanders. Virtually all the island's arable land remained in the hands of large estates and most former slaves had few options other than to stay on the plantations. Those who did leave often ended up in shanty towns.
During the economic depression of the 1930s, unemployment shot upwards, living conditions deteriorated and street riots broke out. As a consequence, the British Colonial Welfare and Development Office was established, providing sizeable sums of money for Barbados and other Caribbean colonies. To counter growing political unrest, the British reluctantly gave black reformers a role in the political process. One of those reformers, Grantley Adams, became the first premier of Barbados a decade later and was eventually knighted by the queen.
Barbados gained internal self-government in 1961 and became an independent nation five years later. As the sugar industry declined after WWII, tourism steadily increased its share of the island's economy. By the early 1990s it was the largest sector, and the sugar industry was in receivership.
GDP: US$1.9 billion
GDP growth rate: 2.7%
GDP per head: US$7100
Major industries: Tourism, sugar, agriculture, fishing, light manufacturing
Major trading partners: Caribbean Community (CARICOM), UK, US
Culture
Aside from its Spanish name, very little Spanish (or other continental) influence remains on Barbados. Its position in the Windwards made the island relatively safe from invasion, leaving British culture to incubate here for nearly 400 years. The chief example of this is the Bajan national sport, if not the national obsession: cricket. On a per capita basis, Barbadians boast more world-class cricket players than any other nation. One of the game's best ever all-rounders was Barbadian native Garfield Sobers, who was knighted in 1975. Another local cricket hero, Sir Frank Worrell, appears on the face of Barbados' five-dollar bill.
Despite the British influence, West Indian culture is strong in family life, food and music. Calypso artist the Mighty Gabby, whose songs on cultural identity and political protest speak for emerging black pride throughout the Caribbean, is a Barbadian. It's not really surprising that Barbados is fertile ground for such voices since it still suffers from a history of racial segregation and discrimination by the white minority against the black majority.
The island's top event is the Crop-Over Festival, which originated in colonial times as a celebration of the sugar cane harvest. Festivities stretch over a three-week period beginning in mid-July. There are spirited calypso competitions and fairs around the island. The festival culminates with a Carnival-like costume parade on Kadooment Day (the first Monday in August).
In February, the Holetown Festival celebrates the 1627 arrival of the first English settlers on Barbados. Holetown's week-long festivities include street fairs, a music festival at the historic parish church and a road race. The Oistins Fish Festival, held over Easter weekend, commemorates the signing of the Charter of Barbados. It's a seaside event focusing on boat races, fish-boning competitions, local foods, crafts and dancing. The National Independence Festival of Creative Arts, held throughout November, features talent contests in dance, drama, singing and the like. Performances by the finalists are held on Independence Day (30 November).
Ready to rip (19K)
There are also a handful of international sporting events, including the Barbados Windsurfing World Cup, held at Silver Sands in January, and the Caribbean Surfing Championship, held in early November at Bathsheba.
Public Holidays
1 January - New Year's Day
21 January - Errol Barrow Day
March or April - Good Friday, Easter Monday
28 April - Heroes Day
1 May - Labour Day
Eighth Monday after Easter - Whit-Monday
1 August - Emancipation Day
First Monday in August - Kadooment Day
First Monday in October - United Nations Day
30 November - Independence Day
25 December - Christmas Day
26 December - Boxing Day
Visas: Visas are required for citizens from the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Pakistan, non-Commonwealth African countries and all South American countries except Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. All visitors are officially required to be in possession of an onward or return ticket.
Health risks: Dengue fever, diarrhea, and intestinal parasites; leptospirosis can be present in freshwater streams
Time: GMT/UTC minus 4 hours
Electricity: 110V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
Currency: Barbados dollar (B$)
Relative costs:
Budget meal: US$3-10
Moderate restaurant meal: US$10-25
Top-end restaurant meal: US$25 and upwards
Budget room: US$20-50
Moderate hotel: US$50-150
Top-end hotel: US$150 and upwards
Comfortable travel on Barbados can easily cost US$250 a day. A moderate budget will fall in the US$100-$200 a day range if you hire a car occasionally and don't party too hard. Budget travelers can get by on between US$50 and US$75 a day if they confine themselves to public transport.
You'll want some Barbados dollars for incidentals, but most larger payments can be made in US dollars or with a credit card. Hotels and guesthouses quote rates in US dollars, although you can use either US or Barbadian currency to settle the account. Most restaurants, hotels and shops accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards, and a few also accept the Discover Card. Banks are easy to find in the larger towns and major tourist areas. Most hotels add a 10% service charge.
The best time to go to Barbados is during the cooler, drier months of late winter and early spring (February to May). Keep in mind that this is also the peak tourist season when prices are higher and places most crowded.
Attractions
The capital of Barbados is a busy commercial city set on Carlisle Bay, the island's only natural harbor. It's short on must-see sights but certainly worth sauntering around for half a day. It's an architectural hodgepodge of modern and colonial, with side streets leading off into residential neighborhoods sprinkled with rum shops and chattel houses. True to the island's British heritage, there are monumental obelisks, gothic parliament buildings, and a large Anglican cathedral. More surprising perhaps is Bridgetown's distinctive 19-century synagogue; the first synagogue on this site was built in the 1600s, when Barbados had a Jewish population of more than 300.
Bridgetown's outdoor attractions include the Careenage, a finger-like inlet lined with recreational boats that cuts into the heart of the city; and Queen's Park, which has good picnicking lawns and a huge old baobab tree for shade. Military history buffs should head to the Barbados Garrison, the 17th-century base of the British Windward and Leeward Islands Command. It has a museum, fortifications, brigs and canons a-plenty. The Barbados Museum has engaging exhibits, and for a quick immersion in the island's history you couldn't do better than to spend an hour or two here. The best place to wrap up the day is to visit the street foodstalls and rum shops along the well-lit sections of Baxter's Rd, Bridgetown's 'street that never sleeps.'
It's the oldest town in Barbados, but you'd hardly know it from its modern appearance. Founded in the 1620s, Holetown is now a major cog in the island's tourism machine. You can absorb some of the town's history at St James Church, a 19th century structure that still has traces of its 17th century past, including a bell inscribed with the name of King William. Folkestone Park fronts a narrow beach where you can picnic, snorkel (there's a sunken barge nearby) when the water is calm or surf when the waves are up. There's a marine museum in the park with exhibits on fishing and boat building.
Crane Beach (22K)
This limestone coral mansion on the southern coast's Long Bay has an interesting, albeit much embellished, history. The mansion was constructed by Sam Lord who, according to legend, hung 'wrecker' lanterns off the point to lure ships onto nearby Cobbler's Reef. The ships thought they were entering a safe harbor, and when they crashed on the reef Lord purportedly went down to collect the cargo. Although there's little doubt that Lord was a scoundrel, most historians discount the lantern story as folklore. Lord's former home looks like a stately residence rather than a castle, and contains a modest collection of paintings and antique furnishings.
St Lawrence
Along the southwestern coast there's a cluster of small, low-key towns with excellent beaches that provide much of the island's low to mid-range accommodations. St Lawrence, about 15km (9mi) southeast of Bridgetown, is the liveliest, offering plenty of opportunities to boogie down or fill up on flying fish. Dover Beach, the town strand, has powdery white sand. A few minutes' walk west along the beach at low tide brings you to the towns of Worthing and Hastings, which have interesting local crafts and lovely white-sand beaches.
Off the Beaten Track
This atmospheric 17th-century plantation house is the only one on Barbados that can be explored in its entirety. The house has thick stone walls built of local coral blocks and ballast stones from the English sailing ships that picked up shipments of Barbadian sugar. The interior retains its colonial ambiance and is furnished with antiques, many made from Barbadian mahogany. The articulate guides are well-versed in local history, making this the finest plantation tour on the island. Buses from Oistins stop at the house gates.
A lovely pile of ballast blocks (25K)
About 20km (12mi) northeast of the capital sits the Flower Forest, 20ha (50 acres) of tropical flora and meandering paths on a former sugar estate where you can learn the name of virtually every plant on Barbados. The garden has sweeping views of the Chalky Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. A few kilometers south of the Flower Forest is Welchman's Hall Gully, where a trail winds through the island's only remaining rainforest. Nearby Harrison's Cave is a fascinating network of limestone caverns with stalactites and stalagmites, subterranean streams, pools and waterfalls. A battery-powered tram enters the cave, stopping en route to let passengers examine the more impressive sites, such as the huge domed cavern known as the Great Hall.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve
This small free-range zoo, about 25km (16mi) north of Bridgetown, has meandering paths through mahogany woods filled with scurrying green monkeys, sluggish red-footed turtles and a caiman pond. There's also a small aviary with macaws and cockatoos, as well as uncaged peacocks and pelicans. About a kilometer farther north are the 17th-century St Nicholas Abbey, one of the oldest plantation houses in the Caribbean, and Francia Plantation, which has formal gardens and is surrounded by fields of vegetables.
Activities
Barbados is blessed with beaches and has good swimming, snorkeling and diving. Some of the island's prettiest beaches and calmest waters are along the western coast; top spots include Paynes Bay, Sandy Bay and Mullins Bay. The southwestern side of the island also has fine beaches, including Sandy Beach near Worthing, and Dover Beach, just south of St Lawrence. On the southeastern side is Crane Beach, a scenic stretch of pink-tinged sand that's popular with bodysurfers but rough for swimming. The eastern coast has dangerous water conditions, including rocky shelves and strong currents, suitable for only the most confident swimmers.
Silver Sands surf shack (23K)
The western coast of Barbados has reef dives with soft corals, gorgonians and colorful sponges. There are about a dozen accessible shipwrecks, some - such as the Berwyn in Carlisle Bay - lie at good snorkeling depths. The island has excellent windsurfing conditions from November to June at Maxwell and Silver Sands, and good surfing at the Soup Bowl, South Point and Rockley Beach.
The Barbados National Trust leads weekly guided hikes in the countryside on local history, geology, flora and fauna. You can also arrange horseback riding along the beach at Mullins Bay.
Barbados is easiest to get to from the North American mainland. American Airlines, Air Canada and BWIA (based in Trinidad) operate services that connect Barbados to New York, Miami, Toronto and Montreal. BWIA also has flights to London, Frankfurt and Zurich, while British Airways just has flights to London. Within the Caribbean, LIAT operates daily flights between Barbados and Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent. BWIA also has flights between Barbados and several nearby islands. In season, a steel band and complimentary rum punch greet arriving passengers; an airport departure tax of B$25 is the island's kiss good-bye.
About 500,000 cruise ship passengers arrive in Bridgetown's harbor each year. There's a passenger/cargo boat linking Barbados with St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Venezuela. Because of Barbados' easterly position and challenging sailing conditions, it's well off the main track for most sailors and there's no local yacht charter industry.
The best and cheapest transport option on Barbados is the bus. There are three kinds of buses: government-operated public buses, which have the most extensive routes; a privately operated minibus system; and route taxis.
Now boarding (9K)
Renting a car is another good way of getting around. None of the island's many car rental agencies is affiliated with a major international rental chain, so just call to book a car and someone will swing by your hotel to pick you up. Temporary driving permits are required; they can be obtained for a small fee through your rental agency. In Barbados, you drive on the left.
Taxis are also available and fares are fixed by the government. However, vehicles are unmetered so establish a fare in advance, especially if you hire a taxi for a sightseeing tour. Bicycles can be rented in Hastings and Maxwell.
Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport is on the island's southern coast, 16km (10mi) southeast of Bridgetown. Few car rental agencies have booths at the airport but most will pick customers up. Otherwise travelers have a choice of catching a taxi to their destination or simply walking out onto the road and catching a local bus.
- The Barbados Garrison and Its Buildings by Warren Alleyne and Jill Sheppard is a well-written little book describing the many historic buildings that comprise the Garrison area.
- Local historian FA Hoyos has written two acclaimed biographies of major Bajan figures: Tom Adams and Grantley Adams and the Social Revolution.
- Henry Fraser, president of the Barbados National Trust, wrote Treasures of Barbados, a history of the island's architecture.
- The acclaimed novel, The Castle of My Skin, is Bajan author George Lamming's take on growing up black in colonial Barbados.
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