Barbados

Barbados is the 'Little England' of the Caribbean, but not so much so that the locals have given up rotis for kidney pies, or rum for bitter ale. Bajans, as the islanders call themselves, are as West Indian as any of their neighbors, and have tended to appropriate rather than adopt English customs. You'll notice this the first time you check out a local cricket match, since the gentlemanly English game has a totally different rhythm here. Nonetheless, there are old stone Anglican churches in every parish, horse races on Saturdays and portraits of Queen Liz hanging on plenty of walls.

Tourism is big business on Barbados, and most visitors who come to the island are looking for that comfortable mix of the familiar peppered with just enough local flavor to feel 'exotic.' So if you're looking for a Caribbean island with plenty of amenities, watersports and nightlife, Barbados fits the bill. Travelers wanting to explore undeveloped areas and get off the beaten track should start looking for another island.

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.

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.

Events

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).

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.

Cost

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.

When to Go

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.

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.

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.

Getting There and Away

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.

Places to go in Barbados

Bridgetown
Holetown
Sam Lord's Castle