Bridgetown

Because it’s such a small island, less than three times the size of Washington, DC, visitors often find explorations to the towns and villages are well worth their time. You can start out at Bridgetown, the capital and commercial center of the island. It’s a very walk-able city of less than 100,000 residents. With ships and yachts in the background, visitors find an abundance of duty free shops and harbor-side vendors. The parliament buildings are also here. Opposite Parliament, there’s Trafalgar Square and a statute of Lord Nelson. The later was erected in 1813 and is older than the London version. If you’re hungry, fast-food vendor Chefette has five locations here which offer pizza and barbecue but also salad bars. If you want to learn something about the architectural heritage of Barbados, visit Speightstown just north of Bridgetown. It was the country’s first commercial center and has been revived and restored to its former glory. There are art galleries and beachfront restaurants. At another village, Holetown, you can see where the first English ship landed in 1625. Fitts Village is a small town that has good snorkeling and swimming as well as one of the best Italian restaurants on the island. St. Lawrence Gap with its numerous night clubs and bars is tailor-made for the late night revelers.