A GUIDE T0 Barbados Introducing Barbados Picture Barbados. Are you sinking into pristine Barbados statistics white sand on the Platinum Coast, headed for Population 285,000 those twinkling turquoise waters? Cheering on the cricketers as the glorious sunshine beams Capital Bridgetown down on Kensington Oval? Wandering amongst Motto “Pride and Industry” the exquisite colonial architecture in historic Bridgetown? Currency Barbadian dollar (BBD) Wherever your mind wanders to when you picture Barbados, this mini destination guide Languages Bajan, English paints the perfect picture of this charismatic Time zones AST island paradise. Oozing laidback Caribbean charm, Barbados is a delightful combination of spectacular coastlines for sun-worshippers, brilliant green landscapes for the adventurous, and heritage spots for those hungry for culture. AVERAGE MONTHLY WEATHER GUIDE (°C) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 26 26 26 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 26 2 Greenridge Hope Spring Hall Morgan Lewis windmill Speightstown Mullins Beach Bathsheba Beach Andromeda Holetown Botanic Gardens Harrison's Cave Bottom Bay Beach Mount Gay Rum Distillery Sunbury Plantation House Kensington Oval Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison Bridgetown Oistins 3 Interesting facts It’s the birthplace of Rihanna, who uprooted There are more rum shops than churches in from Barbados to the US aged 16 to pursue Barbados (1,500 to 300). her music career. Rapper and hip-hop – pioneer Grandmaster Flash was also born in Barbados. – Measuring just 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, it is possible to drive around the tiny island of Barbados in around three hours. – More than BBD $57 million (£22.3m) of rum Flying fish is exported out of Barbados every year. Famous Barbadian rum Barbados produces the world's oldest rum: It's good luck to have a furry little Mount Gay Rum, which dates back to 1703. mongoose run across the road in front of It is also considered to be one of the best you, according to Bajan tradition. and is sold in over 110 countries. – – The grapefruit originated in Barbados. Barbados is often called ‘The land of the When first discovered in Welchman Hall, flying fish’. These foot-long fish leap from grapefruit was called the “forbidden fruit”. the water and can glide for up to 50 metres It was thought to be an accidental cross and 43mph. between sweet orange and shaddock. – – Barbados has 70 square miles of beaches – the entire country only covers 166. 4 Essential sights There’s so much to see and do in Barbados – but what are the absolute must-see sights? Mount Gay Rum Tour A trip to Barbados wouldn’t be complete without tasting the island’s most famous export: rum. Head to Mount Gay Rum – the world’s oldest rum distillery, established in 1703 – and learn all about how rum is made, from sugar cane to the coral-filtered water that’s native to Barbados. Once you’ve discovered the heritage and craftsmanship that goes into making rum, step into the garden, enjoy a traditional Bajan lunch or try a cocktail mixing session. Bathsheba Beach Bathsheba Beach Sat on the east coast, Bathsheba Beach is considered rugged Barbados at its finest. The sand may be wide and welcoming, but the water is too wild for safe swimming. On the plus side, that makes it perfect for surfers who flock here for the pounding waves. There’s also miles of untouched sand and giant rock formations to explore. Anyone heading to Barbados in Mount Gay Rum November can watch pro surfers in action at the Bathsheba Soup Bowl international surfing competition. 5 Andromeda Botanic Kensington Oval Established in 1882, Kensington Oval is Gardens Barbados’ oldest cricket ground and “the Discover over 600 plant specimens as well as Mecca of cricket” for all fans of the sport. The streams and ponds at this lush six-acre garden 28,000-capacity venue was redeveloped to the wonderland (above), considered to be one of tune of $90 million Bds ahead of hosting the the finest post-war gardens in the world. The 2007 ICC World Cup and remains the place to garden was created from scratch by renowned see some of cricket’s most important matches. horticulturist Iris Bannochie in 1954, with many Fuel the enthusiasm of aspiring cricketers with of the plants collected by Iris as she travelled a trip to see a test match involving the likes of across the globe. Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, the West Indies, England and South Africa. The original garden of Barbados also has a delightful café so you can tuck into lunch in between spotting hummingbirds, monkeys and dragonflies. Harrison's Cave This unique cave is one of the island's most famous and popular attractions – you’ll probably never see anything quite like it anywhere else. A stunning collection of stalactites hang from the roof of the cave, complemented by stalagmites poking from the ground. Meanwhile, streams of crystal- Harrison's Cave clear running water drop from breathtaking waterfalls to form deep emerald pools. 6 Must-see beaches Barbados may be compact, but it manages to cram in an impressive number of beaches along its 97km of coastline. With more than 60 beaches to choose from, it can be tough to know which sandy stretches are worth your time. Luckily, we’ve picked out five of the best must-see Barbadian beaches. Bath Beach If you just want to soak in calm Atlantic waters, then the aptly named Bath Beach is the one for you. It is undoubtedly one of the best swimming beaches on the island and the undertow that renders many east coast beaches unsafe for swimming is almost absent here. Aside from facilities and parking, this beach even has a small waterfall. Miami Beach Gibbes Beach Perfect for anyone keen to escape the rest of the world, Gibbes’ main grab is a total lack Miami Beach of commercialisation. Found towards the This south coast stretch is popular with locals northern end of the west coast, this pretty 300- and tourists alike, due to its typically calm yard stretch offers sea, sand, palm trees and waters and stunning sunset views. The western little else. Getting onto the beach isn’t obvious, end of the beach is particularly suited to kids but follow the path from the main road down but it’s easy to pass the bulk of the day here, in between local houses to be rewarded with and out of the sea. Away from the sand and sea blissful solitude. though, the beach sits just half a km from the famous fishing town of Oistins – home to the legendary Friday Fish Fry. 7 Crane Beach Situated towards the southern end of the south coast is Crane Beach. For anyone not staying at the Crane Hotel, it can be challenging to reach. As one of the island's most beautiful beaches though, it’s totally worth the effort – approach the beach from the northern end via the stepping stone rocks. The sand has a peculiar pink hue – perfect for picnics – and the sea is generally safe for swimming, but you’ll want to Brownes Beach keep an eye on small children. Brownes Beach Ideal for anyone staying in the capital of Bridgetown, Brownes is one of the largest beaches in Barbados. Consequently, this pristine wide stretch of soft white sand rarely gets crowded, while its shallow turquoise waters are just perfect for a refreshing dip. Various shipwrecks in the bay have attracted a lot of fish, so Brownes is definitely one to visit for divers and snorkellers too. Crane Beach 8 Essential experiences beyond the beach Of course, there’s a lot more to Barbados than its beaches, so what kind of memories can you create in Barbados away from the sea and sand? Hop aboard the Bajan Bus Road trip! You’ve been on a bus tour before, but you’ve Thanks to Barbados’ relatively compact size never experienced something quite like a ride (stretching for 21 miles and spanning just on the Bajan Bus. This eye-poppingly colourful 14 miles), it’s easy to cover a lot of ground in 30-ish seater open-sided bus is arguably a short space of time – that makes it perfect the perfect way to see the best of Barbados, for a road trip. You can drive around the entire stopping by some of the island’s most beautiful island with several stop-offs and still have time beaches or a variety of authentic local rum to go out dancing in the evening. Alternatively, shops. Many Bajan buses come equipped with motor to the other side of the island for a picnic booming sound systems and guides who will try on a new beach or get a history fix by visiting to get you to laugh and drink in equal measure. Arlington House – an engaging and interactive three-storey museum. Cherry Tree Hill 9 Oistin’s Fish Fry Binge on The active fishing town of Oistins on the south coast is a hub of activity on weekend nights, Bridgetown’s history especially Fridays, when hitting the fish fry at Bridgetown is packed with so many historic Oistins Bay Gardens is ‘the done thing’. The sites that you can easily spend a day working food here is sensational, with a huge range of through them all. There’s the Garrison Savannah mouth-watering chicken and seafood (tuna, – Barbados’ home of horse racing since 1845 – swordfish, lobster, marlin, mahi-mahi, flying the Matthias Church, the ruins of St Ann’s Fort, fish) dishes served in a refreshingly informal and George Washington House – the one-time setting.