Surfing is one of the biggest attractions of Barbados. Water sports of world class wait for guests of this magnificent island. Soup Bowl surfing or windsurfing at Silver Sands have already become a legend, but this country has more to offer. Beautiful nature, crystal clean water of the Caribbean Sea, a chance to explore sunken ships and coral reefs, sightseeing and meal tours – a vacation in Barbados can be very diverse.
Various water activities are traditionally very popular with vacationers, but it doesn’t mean you need to master scuba diving or surfing. A catamaran cruise includes observation of nature attractions and sea turtles. You can also book a submarine tour, during which you will dive 50m below the sea level and explore fantastic underwater life, corals and sunken ships.
Many years ago the Careenage was a port area of Bridgetown. Nowadays it’s a popular tourist destination with numerous restaurants, souvenir outlets, bars and boutiques. As this area is well-protected from the sea, many old buildings have been preserved in their original condition. The Careenage is the best place to feel the atmosphere of Barbados two centuries ago.
As sugarcane is a primary crop in Barbados, rum making have become a tradition on the island. Tourists are welcome to see all stages of rum making during a distillery tour. Mount Gay Rum Distillery is a great place to sample different sorts of rum, participate in cocktails making or enjoy a full lunch. When staying in Barbados, check out the horse racing calendar as the island hosts many notable racing events, such as the Barbados Derby Day or the Barbados Gold Cup Day.
History and Entertainment
The first nomadic Indian tribes started to settle on the island in the prehistoric period. The beginning of the 9th century was marked by the belligerent Arawaks’ arrival to the island. Then, they managed to conquer aborigines within a very short time. In the 13th century, the Caribs reached the island and displaced early settlers. The European discoverer of the island was Portuguese navigator Pedro Campos. His team reached the island in 1536. Despite the new lands discovered, the Portuguese were quite slow to explore them. In the first half of the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors formed the colonial settlements.
As they did not found deposits of precious metals on the new lands, they had to leave them. In the first half of the 17th century, Britons came here but found an absolutely desert island. In the colonial period, vast plantations of sugar cane where slaves transferred from African countries worked were formed. During the British colonization, a lot of large settlements were formed on the island. The first liberation movements in Barbados were established in the first half of the 19th century. The island had been a British colony until 1966.
