Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island and an independent British Commonwealth nation. Local traditions include afternoon tea and the national sport is cricket.
The Port City Bridgetown
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados and is a port city located on the southwest coast of the island. It was named for the native Amerindian Bridge that crosses the mouth of the Constitution River. This river divides Bridgetown into two.
The Barbados Garrison was the largest in the British colonies during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was established as the military headquarters for the Imperial Forces in 1780. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It includes many historic attractions.
St. Ann’s Fort dating from 1705 can be toured.
The George Washington House is a Georgian-style mansion where the first President of the U.S. stayed in 1751.
The Barbados National Armory offers a large collection of 17th century iron cannons.
The Barbados Museum traces the history of the island through exhibits and galleries. Here visitors can learn more about the island’s history. There are displays on Amerindian and African culture. The museum also features European decorative arts, a children’s gallery and a collection of antique maps, prints and paintings. The national history section offers a look at the island’s ecology, with exhibits on the flora and fauna of Barbados. There is a research library, gift shop and cafe also on the premises.
The oval green space of the Savannah was once the parade grounds and today is a popular park. There is a jogging track and a venue for sporting events and horse races.
You’ll find the impressive neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings at the top of Broad Street. These are also known as the Public Buildings and are important landmarks in Bridgetown. They were constructed of coral limestone between 1870 and 1874 to house the Barbados Parliament which is the third oldest in the Commonwealth. There are stained glass windows that depict British monarchs. The east wing is home to the Senate and House of Assembly and the west wing with the clock tower is home to government offices, the National Gallery and the Parliament Museum.
You’ll find the National Heroes Square between the Inner Basin of the Constitution River and the Parliament Buildings. Formerly it was known as Trafalgar Square and is home to three significant memorials.
The first is an obelisk-shaped cenotaph, a memorial to the Barbadians killed in the two World Wars.
The second is a bronze statue of Lord Horatio Nelson. It marks the city center and was erected in 1813.
The third is a clamshell-shaped fountain to commemorate the first piped water in Bridgetown.
St. Michael’s Cathedral is located two blocks from the National Heroes Square. It was built of coral stone in 1789. It has lovely stained-glass windows, a tower, and many arched windows.
Some of the highlights in the interior include the baptismal font, dating to the 1600s and the roof over the altar that resembles an inverted boat prow.
Nidhe Israel Synagogue dates back to 1654 and is one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. When a hurricane destroyed the original structure the new building was built in 1833. Interesting features include the marble accents and mahogany furniture. The tombstones in the adjacent cemetery date from the 1630s. In the small museum, you can find out about the history of the Jewish community in Barbados and the key role they played in the sugar industry.
Queen’s Park was once the grounds of the 18th century home of the commander of British Troops in Barbados. Today the park plays host to local festivals and event.
In the Georgian-style Queen’s Park House is a theater and art gallery. To the east of the building is a children’s playground around a giant baobab tree with a 180meter circumference.
Taking a Look at Barbados
Crane Beach has amazing pink coral sand. It is one of the most popular beaches in Barbados. Cruise ships land here. You can surf and sunbathe.
A luxury hotel overlooks the beach. It is known as The Crane and is the oldest hotel in Barbados.
The village of Bathsheba is the central point for tourist attractions on the Atlantic east coast. You can see the Andromeda Tropical Botanic Gardens and Flower Forest.
The Bathsheba Beach is also referred to as the Soup Bowl. There are large rock formations that stand up like giant mushrooms in the sea. It is a great place for surfing.
The Andromeda Botanic Gardens specialize in tropical plants from all around the world. They have a scenic location on a hillside that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Of interest are breadfruit trees and large bearded fig trees which once covered the island in vast forests. This could have interested Portuguese sailors to name the island Barbados, meaning the bearded ones. The gardens are also a great place for bird watching.
The Flower Forest is located in the hills of central Barbados. It includes 53 acres of forests and tropical flora on the grounds of a former sugar plantation. You can stroll along the well-marked trails through lush foliage. Among the highlights are lovely palms, gingers, and orchids. There is a small cafe for snacks.
Hunte’s Gardens includes ten acres of tropical plants on the lush slopes of Saint Joseph Parish. There are paths that lead into a gully where you can see terraced greenery on many different levels. You’ll delight in palms, papyrus, orchids and crotons. There are benches for relaxing and classical music fills the air.
The Gun Hill Signal Station was built in 1818 and signaled the approach of enemy ships. It lies on the highland of St. George.
On the lower part of the hill is a lion sculpture carved by a British soldier from a single boulder in the 19th century.
The Barbados Wildlife Reserve is located opposite Farley Hill. Here you’ll find shady paths through the mahogany forest that is home to deer, agoutis, tortoises, iguanas and many tropical birds.
Wild green monkey, imported from Africa by early settlers can be seen at dawn and dusk. There are many lovely orchids on display.
Welchman Hall Gully was formed when the roof of a series of caves collapsed. It is now home to over 200 species of tropical plants among them wild ginger and bamboo. There are stairs that lead to a scenic overlook and you might see green monkey frolicking in the ravine.
Harrison’s Cave is a crystallized limestone cavern with streams, waterfalls, cascades and deep pools. You can take a tour by electric tram. There are lights illuminating the impressive stalactites, stalagmites, and cascading waters. Near the cave is a visitor center that displays Arawak Indian artifacts.
St. Nicholas Abbey, with three gables that are shaped like wishbones in the Jacobean style, was once part of a giant sugar cane plantation and a small refinery. It is one of the three known remaining buildings. There are lovely gardens with rustic ruins of the farm buildings and an old windmill. The abbey has upstairs fireplaces and on the ground floor, there is a fine collection of furniture, many made from mahogany and cane. At the end of the tour you can view a family holiday film from the 1930s showing the sea voyage to Barbados from England and life on the former plantation.
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