Barbados is the Westernmost island
 of the Caribbean, but not quite the southernmost in the West Indies, 
Lesser Antilles island-chain. 



At 13 degrees north of the equator the sun is extremely hot between 10 AM - 3PM.   The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild.  The climate is moderate tropical with two seasons; dry and wet. The dry season (Dec-May) and wet season (June- Nov) gives an annual rainfall of 40-90 inches.

Barbados total land area is approximately 166 square miles & is a relatively flat island, rising gently to the central highland region  Some more undeveloped areas of the country contain tropical woodland and scrubland. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with views down to the coast.

Map of the Parishes of Barbados

Barbados is divided into eleven administrative parishes:

1. Christ Church
2. Saint Andrew      
3. Saint Lucy
4. Saint Michael
5. Saint Peter
6. Saint Philip
7. Saint Thomas
8. Saint George
9. Saint James
10. Saint John
11. Saint Joseph

In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados' capital and main city, Bridgetown. Locally Bridgetown is sometimes referred to as "The City", but the most common reference is simply "Town". Other towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church, and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint Peter.  The island of Barbados's airport is the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) (IATA identifier BGI).  The Concorde was on display at the airport when we were there in March 2008.....

  The east coast surf is rough,
 but a surfer's paradise!

A beautiful Barbados sunset
 

  Enjoying scenery near the east coast   

   Walking around Bridgetown

LINKS TO OUR FAVORITE HOTEL & CAR RENTAL

The ROSTREVOR HOTEL in St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church is a great place to stay - right on the beach & ALL rooms face the beach so no need to worry about getting a room without a view!! 

http://www.rostrevorbarbados.com/





Car rentals can be pretty pricey in Barbados, but we found the best deal on the island - guaranteed! 
FAT JACKS RENTALS
 in Christ Church  not too far from the Rostrevor Hotel.  Fat Jack ("David") is very accomodating.  
mailto:fatjacksrentals@caribsurf.com

    You will never get tired of a
 Bajan sunset!

Transport on the island is good, with 'route taxis', called "ZR's" (pronounced "Zed-Rs" not "Zee-Rs"), travelling to most points on the island. These small buses can at times be crowded, but will usually take the more scenic routes to destinations. The island also has plenty of taxis for hire, though they can be expensive. Visitors also have the option of transport by car, such as this mini-moke which we rented during our visit this past March 2008 .......

Barbados has a population of about 279,000 and a population growth rate of 0.33% (Mid-2005 estimates). Close to 90 percent of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as Bajan) are of African descent ("Afro-Bajans").  The influence of the English on Barbados is more noticeable than on other islands in the West Indies. A good example of this is the island's national sport: cricket.
We happened upon these guys playing a game of cricket out in the middle of nowhere.........

FUN THINGS TO SEE & DO IN BARBADOS:

HARRISON'S CAVE - the biggest tourist attraction & was recently renovated reopening early this year in January.  A 4-car tram takes you 1 mile down in to the caves.
 



BARBADOS WILDLIFE RESERVE - had many neat animals from roosters, native deer, peacocks, lots of turtles, iguanas, to green monkeys (which were TOO cute).
 



FARLEY HILL NATIONAL PARK - but the view from the top of the hill was so nice – overlooking the countryside & the ocean.  There were ruins remaining of an early Barbadian great house thought to have been built in 1818. 




ATLANTIS III SUBMARINE - took us 143 feet down to see beautiful coral & fish as well as a shipwreck.




 ST. NICHOLAS ABBEY - is one of Barbados' most historic landmarks - built in 1650 - is one of ony 3 remaining Jacobean Plantation Great Houses in existence in the Western Hemisphere. 




FRIDAY NIGHT (FLYING) FISH FRY
 IN OISTINS - not only was the food good but we heard some good music & saw some nice crafts. 

SUNBATHING - the white sandy beaches are perfect for relaxing, reading a book, taking a nap, & for soaking up some rays.




This photo was taken on the beach at the Southern Palms Hotel & Resort