Barbados
is an island, a fact which shapes much of its outlook. Unlike
volcanic neighbors, however, the island has a limestone base
and coral rock underpinnings that provide its famous Platinum
Coast beaches, which is the island’s upscale tourist
heartland. Barbados also has had a long history of hospitality
because it’s been a resort island since the 1700s. Tourism
is the No. 1 industry here today, so visitors are generally
treated with great respect. Beaches along the islands north
and south coasts are picture-perfect. On the rugged east coast,
where most Barbadians or Bajans have their own homes, there’s
dangerous swimming but world-class surfing. Many visitors
come for the beaches. Popular activities there
Quick References
Barbados Hotels Online hotel reservations and reviews
Shopping Find out where to go shopping
Restaurants Where to go for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks
Attractions Info about the top tourist attractions
Barbados Tours Tours for individuals and groups
include sailing, diving and snorkeling and
sport fishing. But Barbados also offers historic plantations,
wildlife preserves, rum factories and lush tropical gardens.
The island’s interior is worth exploring for its small
villages surrounded by acres of sugarcane plantations. For
a couple of centuries, sugar was the background of the island,
making it one of the most powerful islands in the Caribbean.
If Barbados has a flavor today, however, it is British. The
island was under uninterrupted British rule for well over
three centuries. So visitors can expect afternoon tea. Cricket
is the national sport. But Barbados have no “stiff upper
lip attitude.” This is the Caribbean, mon, so enjoy.
