Barbados

Nicknamed "Little England,"
Barbados' culture, manners and architecture closely resemble those of London.

A toast to Barbados, the island which may not have invented rum but did give the drink its name ("rum-bullion") and was the first island ever to export it.

At 21 miles long and 14 miles wide and the southern most Caribbean island, Barbados is among the most developed islands. It has an amazing 800 miles of paved roadways crisscrossing the island, making it easy to explore.

The capital city and main shopping center of Bridgetown are an intriguing blend of Euro-bbean, as wooden fishing boats painted in the national colors of blue and yellow anchor in the shadow of large medieval-looking government buildings.

Something of a time warp, Bridgetown is very much a Caribbean island. Flying fish, one of the national symbols, are eaten in restaurants like hamburgers and afternoon tea is observed, even on the beaches.

One of the islands earliest settled, Barbados invented Caribbean tourism back in the 1700s, luring even George Washington to make his only overseas trip here.

Barbados offers an unusually large number of historical sites, including two of the oldest surviving mansions in the western hemisphere, great houses from the sugar plantation era, and the region's last working stone windmill.

The Tyrol Cot Heritage Village offers an inside look at the island's distinctive chattel houses, a uniquely Bajan design created by newly-freed slaves who needed to keep on the move.

Barbados' hillsides, still sugar cane rich, provide spectacular views of the sparsely settled Atlantic coast. The forests are gone, so the walks--exploring Bridgetown and the Atlantic beaches, viewing the historical sites are mostly urban, easy and educational.

The Barbados National Trust offers guided walks on weekends.

Holders Season, the annual gala, features theater and opera held outside, under the stars.

Today's Weather in Barbados

Current Conditions and 10-Day Forecast

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Barbados Background Facts & Map
Courtesy of the CIA

Arrival Briefing
What you need to know if you go

Detailed Road Map
From Skyviews

Getting Married in Barbados
No formal waiting period!

Major Attractions

Bridgetown Walking Tour
This small city holds many surprises, including a Trafalgar Square that pre-dates London's

Atlantic Coast Stops
Bathsheba, Scotland District
and Andromeda Gardens

Christ Church
Where lead coffins kept moving

Crop Over Festival
A lively five-week long summer festival

Farley Hill National Park
A favorite of English royalty
and a film location

Gardens and Great Houses
Barbados has an abundance

Gun Hill Signal Station
A former garrison

Harrison's Cave
Caribbean's largest cave and
first underground tram ride

Hiking Guides & Lodging
Becoming more popular all the time

Holders Season
The social gala of the year

Sam Lord's Castle
A pirate's rich plunder

St. Nicholas Abbey
One of the oldest buildings in the English-speaking New World

Scuba Diving
Best on its wrecks, which are large and small, deep and shallow

Turner's Hall Woods
A glimpse of how the island's woodlands appeared before they were stripped for cane

Tyrol Cot Heritage Village
A display of colorful chattel houses

Welchman Hall Gully
A jungle walk that's underground, sort of

Wildlife Reserve
Where the green monkeys roam

Stay Where Tiger Woods Was Married
& Honeymooned!
See descriptions & photos of Sandy Lane

Old Caribbean Proverb:
"Don't drink bush for other people's fever." Don't take on someone else's problems.