Bridgetown
Bathsheba
Surfing
Wedding
Andromeda Gardens
South Coast
Speightstown
South Point LH
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Personal Impressions Barbados was the first island I have visited in the
Caribbean. I still remember
the day in the mid-90s, when I arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport. The tourist information
operates
a counter in the atrium, where I got a complete accommodation list
including private rooms (most islands
list only expensive hotels). The friendly stuff even called a guest
house
for me and made the booking. In front of the airport is a bus station,
so no expensive taxi is needed. That's all commendable and one reason
for the success of the easternmost Caribbean island.
Barbados
is still very British and more developed than many other Caribbean
islands. It's often called the "Little England of the Caribbean"
because
of its British traditions of afternoon tea and cricket matches, which
are
blended with warm island hospitality. Whenever I come to Barbados, I
feel
like comming home. Barbados is one of the safest places in the
Americas. The South Coast is very touristic and has heavy
road traffic, but offers great nightlife. The beautiful sand beaches
here
are quiet and perfect for swimming. Barbados is a comfortable place.
Cruise ship passengers won't have enough time to enjoy the island.
= STRIEWA =
History
The
first inhabitants of Barbados were the Arawak and Carib peoples, who
arrived on the island around 1600 BC. These indigenous groups lived off
the land and sea and left behind a rich cultural legacy of art and
music.
In 1625, the island was claimed by the English, who
established a permanent settlement on the island and used it as a base
for sugar production and trade in the region. The island's fertile soil
and warm climate made it ideal for growing sugar cane, and Barbados
quickly became a major producer of sugar, rum, and molasses.
Throughout
the 18th and 19th centuries, Barbados was a center of conflict between
the European powers that dominated the Caribbean. The island changed
hands several times, passing from the British to the French and back
again, and was the site of numerous naval battles and skirmishes.
In
the 20th century, Barbados underwent a period of political and social
change. In 1966, the island gained independence from Britain and became
a sovereign nation within the Commonwealth.
Since gaining
independence, Barbados has developed into a thriving and prosperous
nation, with a strong economy based on tourism, financial services, and
manufacturing. The island is known for its stunning beaches, vibrant
culture, and warm and friendly people.
Today, Barbados is a
peaceful and stable democracy, with a rich cultural heritage and a
proud history of resilience and determination. The country remains a
popular destination for tourists and investors alike, and its people
continue to build a bright and prosperous future for themselves and
their nation.
AttractionsBridgetown
The capital of Barbados is the largest city of the island. English
settlement began her in 1628. The heart of Bridgetown is the
famous Broad Street, which runs through the city center and serves as
the primary shopping district. Here, visitors can find many shops,
restaurants, and historic buildings, including the Parliament Buildings
and Trafalgar Square, which is home to the Lord Nelson Statue.
Interestingly, this statue is 30 years older than London's Lord
Nelson's column. The
Bridgetown Port is the major port of entry for cruise and cargo ships
docking in Barbados. One must-visit attraction is the St. Michael's
Cathedral, which was built in the seventeenth century and features a
stunning vaulted ceiling and old tombs. For those interested in
Barbados' famous rum, the Mount Gay Rum Factory offers a tour through
one of the world's oldest rum distilleries. Finally, Paradise Beach is
a lovely, quiet beach that's located close to the city and perfect for
a relaxing day out.
Garrison Savannah
Between Bridgetown and Hastings lies the Garrison Historic Area, which
was the base of the British West Indies Regiment in Barbados during the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today the Savannah is home of the
Barbados Turf Club. The racing season runs for almost the entire year and
a number of thoroughbred horses and creoles run for handsome prize money.
The main event is the Sandy Lane Gold Cup, which attracts entrants from
across the Caribbean and jockeys from the United Kingdom and Canada.
Crop-Over Festival
As the name states, crop-over is the end of the harvest, a celebration
that now goes for five weeks. It is like Carnival and the most popular
and colourful festival of Barbados. Its origins can be traced back to the
1780's, a time when Barbados was the world's largest producer of sugar.
At the end of the sugar season, there was always a huge celebration to
mark the culmination of another successful sugar cane harvest - the Crop
Over celebration.
Karaoke Competitions
Karaoke is very popular in Barbados and many bars and rum shops offer
karaoke competitions. You can often find a bar featuring karaoke at any
given night of the week, although Fridays and Saturdays are particularly
popular. The contestants come from all over the island and not all can
sing, what makes the show very funny. Karaoke in Barbados carries with
it a relaxed, easy going attitude that it's impossible not to laugh. There
is even a Barbados Karaoke Championship hold in April every year.
Bussa Emancipation Statue
Bussa, (also recorded as Bussa, or Busso or Bussoe) was born in Africa
but captured and brought to Barbados to work as a slave. In 1816 he led
a slave rebellion and got killed in battle. Although the rebellion ultimately
failed, it was never forgotten. In 1985 the Emancipation Statue was created
by Bajan sculptor Karl Broodhagen and erected at the roundabout in Haggatt
Hall, St Michael. In 1999, Bussa was named as one of the national heroes
of Barbados. The statue symbolizes the "Breaking Of Chains". There is also
a national holiday, "Emancipation Day", which celebrates
the emancipation of the slaves.
Bathsheba
Bathsheba is the jewels of the wild, rugged East Coast and the main
fishing village in the parish of Saint Joseph. The beach is studded with
large coral boulders; one big bolder is known as Bathsheba Rock.
Bathsheba is known as the Soup Bowl because of its foaming surf. Steady
big Atlantic rollers break in cascades of foam and make Bathsheba one of
the best places for surfing in the Caribbean. The beach attracts surfers
from all over the world. Many local and international surfing championships
take place here every year.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens
Not far from Bathsheba are these well-kept botanical gardens. A stepping
stone path leads you through the various plants and trees. The highlights
of the garden and walking paths are charted out in a flyer that is available
at the ticketing center.
Barbados Weddings
A beach wedding is very popular nowadays with many couples. Getting
married in Barbados is very easy as there is no required waiting period
or minimum length of stay. Legal weddings can even be performed on the island for cruise ship passengers
within a few hours. Many hotels offer
great packages for couples who want to get married. Couples can choose
from many venues like on a boat, in a church, under a cool shade of a tree,
breezing sea cliff or in the soft white pinkish sandy beaches. After the
matrimonial ceremony itself couples can enjoy their romantic honeymoon
in the white sandy beaches.
Harrison's Cave
Located in the centre of Barbados, Harrison's Cave is a natural phenomenon,
unique to the tropical world. The cave was naturally formed by water erosion
through the limestone rock. This limestone cavern has beautiful stalactites
and stalagmites. An underground tour displays numerous caverns, calcite
formations, and crystal blue waters form magnificent pools and waterfalls.
One main area of the caves is a huge cavern, termed "The Great Hall", measuring
over 100 feet in height. A comfortable tram takes visitors through
the underground tunnels. The cave was opened as a tourist attraction in
1981. The entrance fee is quite high.
Farley Hill National Park
The Farley Hill is a Scenic Lookout, which is set in the garden
of the old Farley Hill Great House. The structure built in 1818.
The lookout
on top of the hill offers a great view of the ocean, sugar cane fields
and wild areas.
Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station
This signal station is the finest of six signal stations built after
the major slave revolt in 1816. It was used for communication across the
island and offers amazing views. Below the signal station is a tropical
forest of mahogany, whitewood, dogwood and silk cotton trees. Barbados
Green Monkeys live here.
Wildlife Reserve
Take a self-guided tour through the little Wildlife Reserve, which
is located in a natural mahogany wood across the road from the Farley Hill
National Park in the northern parish of St. Peter. The most animals are
free to leave the reserve; they are not tame! Only snakes you won't see
freely roaming the park.
You'll see here:
• the Barbados Green Monkey;
• birds of different species including flamingos, parrots, parakeets,
pelicans and peacocks;
• reptiles including iguanas, snakes (in cages), big land turtles and
tortoises;
• non-native animals including agoutis, armadillos and caimans.
Welchman Hall Gully
The Welchman Hall Gully was created by the collapse of limestone caverns.
It is located in the middle of the island and was once part of a plantation
owned by a Welshman over 200 years ago. It was this man who first developed
the gully with exotic trees and an orchard. There is also a large nutmeg
walk, an exotic and native palms section and an ornamental section to the
gully. Clove, nutmeg, banana and fig are among the 200 species of tropical
plants and trees.
St. Lawrence Gap
Saint Lawrence Gap, sometimes just called "The Gap", is located on
the South Coast of Barbados between Oistins and Worthing. It is a one mile
stretch of road and famous for its lively nightlife and fine restaurants.
It is a hive of activity morning, noon and night as it backs on to Dover
Beach which is a busy hotel area. The Gap makes Barbados to the party island
of the Caribbean. The bars and clubs offer different types of entertainment
from Rock, Reggae, Calypso, Rhythm & Blues to Salsa with live music
and karaoke. Many street vendors selling a variety of goods and sometimes
bother the tourists.
Speightstown
Located at the north-west coast of Barbados, Speightstown is one of
the islands major towns. Once one of Barbados's busiest ports, Speightstown
had fallen into disrepair. Much of the character of Speightstown can be
found in its colonial architecture. The historic buildings date back
to the early settlement of Barbados.
Sam Lord's Castle
Sam Lord's Castle is a beautiful Georgian mansion built in 1820 by
the notorious buccaneer Samuel Hall Lord. Unfortunately a fire in October
2010 destroyed the historic building. Sam Lord's Castle was located on
the south-east coast on a white sand beach and used as a Resort.
Light Houses
Barbados has four historic lighthouses: Ragged Point, South Point,
Harrison Point and Needhams Point. Ragged Point Lighthouse from 1875 is
located on a bluff above the Atlantic about 2 km northwest of East Point,
the easternmost point of the island. South Point Lighthouse from 1852 is
located near the southernmost point of the island. Needhams Point Lighthouse
from 1855 is located at the south end of Carlisle Bay, southwest of Bridgetown.
Harrison Point Lighthouse from 1925 is located at the northwesternmost
point of the island, about 8 km north of Speightstown.
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Jet Skiing
Garrison Savannah
Crop Over
Karaoke
Harrison’s Cave
Sunset in Worthing
Bussa Statue
East Coast
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