Information
Country: BarbadosContinent: North America
Barbados, North America
Overview
Barbados, a sun-soaked jewel in the Caribbean, boasts powdery white beaches, a deep, storied past, and a culture alive with music and color.It’s a place where you can stroll past ancient stone walls, take in sweeping mountain views, and dive into the buzz of modern cafés and galleries.Here’s a quick look at Barbados: it’s the easternmost Caribbean island, set in the Atlantic, covering about 430 square kilometers-roughly the size of a small city-and its capital, Bridgetown, sits on the sunny southwest coast; the land is mostly flat with rolling hills, rising at Mount Hillaby to 340 meters, and its past stretches from the Arawaks to the Caribs before the British claimed it in 1625 and turned it into a colony two years later.For more than three centuries, it stayed under British rule.On November 30, 1966, it broke away from the United Kingdom and became a parliamentary democracy.Decades later, on the same date in 2021, it shifted to a republic with Dame Sandra Mason sworn in as the first president.English remains its official language, heard in markets buzzing with conversation.People in Barbados often speak Bajan, the island’s own lilting dialect.Most residents are Christian, with Anglican churches drawing the largest congregations.The Crop Over Festival bursts with music, dancing, and bright feathered costumes, while the Holetown Festival marks the island’s first settlement.Calypso, soca, and reggae keep the streets alive, especially during parades.The Barbadian dollar, tied to the U. S. dollar, fuels an economy driven by tourism, sugarcane’s legacy in agriculture-now expanded to rum and other crops-and offshore finance.Visitors come for its many draws, especially the soft white beaches that meet clear turquoise water.Barbados entices with soft-sand escapes like Crane Beach, the dramatic Atlantic waves of Bathsheba, and the gentle turquoise waters at Mullins.Step back in time at the Garrison Historic Area-its old stone barracks tell stories of British colonial life-or wander through the 17th‑century St. Nicholas Abbey and the George Washington House, the only place he visited beyond U. S. shores.Nature lovers can drift through Harrison’s Cave, where cool underground streams wind past glittering stalactites; stand at the island’s northern tip in the spray of Animal Flower Cave; or stroll beneath orchids and palm fronds in Andromeda Botanic Gardens.Taste Barbados in flying fish and cou‑cou, the tang of pickled pork in pudding and souse, or crisp fish cakes dipped in peppery sauce, all paired with a splash of Mount Gay Rum, distilled here for centuries.The island’s tropical warmth lasts year‑round, with dry skies from December to May and rains, sometimes heavy, between June and November.Arrive by air at Grantley Adams International or by sea through Bridgetown’s busy cruise port, then get around by bus, taxi, or rental car.It’s the birthplace of Rihanna, the pride of cricket legends like Sir Garfield Sobers, and home to one of the world’s highest literacy rates-a place where sun, sport, history, and culture meet in one unforgettable journey.
