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| Welcome to Barbados on the Paradise Islands website. The island lies almost a hundred miles east of the main chain of Caribbean windward islands and some 1,600 miles southeast of Miami. It's a coral island and relatively flat compared to most of the neighbouring windward islands which are volcanic. The island is 21 miles long by 14 miles wide (166 square miles) and boasts 70 miles of white sandy beaches. |
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| Barbados is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean region with over a million annual visitors; half of the tourists are cruise ship passengers arriving at the harbour in Bridgetown (the island's historic capital). The warm tropical climate attracts most visitors to the island in the winter months from December through to May when the average daily high temperature is around 28 degrees Centigrade (83 degrees Fahrenheit). The winter is cooler and dryer; July is usually the wettest month. June to October is the hurricane season; particularly September and October which are also the most humid months. Not surprisingly, Christmas and Easter is the peak tourist season. |
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| The island is known as "Little England" due to it's long 341 years of British colonial rule. The British landed in February 1625 at Holetown on the west coast and remained until independence in November 1966. Many Caribbean Islands changed hands several times; Barbados being somewhat more remote avoided the French, Danish and Spaniards who were busy fighting over the rest of the Caribbean. |
| Today the island retains some of it's colonial heritage including many English place names, driving on the left, roundabouts (instead of traffic lights) and afternoon tea. The main tourist area is located on the more sheltered west coast and the east coast can be wild and windy. |
| Travel guide, holiday, vacation and cruise guide to Barbados in the Caribbean. All text and images are Copyright Paradise Islands org. All photographs on this Caribbean travel guide website are obtained with the permission of the owners and come from various sources including tourist boards. |
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Quick Facts
Capital
Bridgetown
Main Airport
Grantley Adams
International
Main Port
Bridgetown
Language
English
Currency
Barbadian
Dollar
Government
Independent
Island Size
166
Square Miles
Population
285,000
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West Coast
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East Coast
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Bridgetown
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Holetown
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Harrison's Cave
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Cruise Port Guide
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