Befitting its British ties, Barbados is a more formal (and pricey) island than most. In the best restaurants, jackets are required for dinner, and nowhere is topless or nude bathing allowed. High tea and cricket are cultural fixtures, driving is on the left, and casinos are nonexistent. Though casual outposts are hardly rare, this island is not ideal for travelers who want to lounge round the clock in bikinis and flip-flops or dance till dawn. Nor is it ideal for those who want isolation or unspoiled wilderness, for Barbados, is as populous as it is temperate and welcoming. Two hundred and fifty thousand people inhabit 300 square miles, and while much of the interior offers a serene vista of sugar fields and, to the north, rough green moors, the island’s longtime agricultural prominence entailed widespread deforestation.
Sporty travelers, however, will be thrilled with the variety of gamesmanship and recreation. Barbados boasts three fine golf courses, numerous tennis and squash courts, and, for the avid spectator, horse racing and polo. Since coral reefs hug the island on all sides, scuba and snorkeling are excellent (though marine life has not been as aggressively protected as on other islands). The underwater caves of the rugged north coast are a favorite haunt of experienced divers, while the south coast is a mecca for windsurfers, who love the heady currents of the open sea off Oistins.
Explore the capital and largest city for historical reference and even more great beaches and other activities, including the world’s oldest rum.
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados and a city with a lot of history. When the English arrived to declare the area a British colony in the 17th century they found an abandoned Indian settlement and bridge and later gave the area the Bridgetown name. The harbor became a critical port for ships traveling across the Atlantic and was heavily protected against attack from other colonizing European powers.
Visit the Bridgetown Garrison, initially constructed starting in 1705 as a British fortification, and now an internationally protected World Heritage Site. Take a guided walking tour to appreciate the historic significance of Barbados's military, commercial, and social activities of the 18th and 19th centuries. Points of interest include St. Mary’s and St. Michael’s churches, Queen’s Park, Jewish Synagogue, Heroes Square, and Parliament Building.
Walk in the footsteps of earlier world leaders by visiting the George Washington House and the Lord Nelson Monument in Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) in front of the Parliament Building.
For a lighter look at history, tour the Mount Gay Rum Factory bottling facility which claims to be the best and oldest rum in the world. It has been made in Barbados since 1703. Make reservations to enjoy taste testing on weekdays; children can participate but not drink. On Saturdays, watch the thoroughbred horses race at Garrison Savannah, where horses have been running for over 150 years.
