Brief information
The exotic state of Barbados is considered one of the most attractive for tourists in the entire Caribbean. The island of Barbados was discovered in 1536 by the Portuguese, but then for many years it fell under the rule of Great Britain. Tourists can enjoy picturesque tropical gardens, interesting sights, luxury hotels, numerous nightclubs and endless white sandy beaches.
Geography of Barbados
The island state of Barbados is located between North and South America on the island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea. Barbados is part of the Lesser Antilles. The total area of the country is 431 sq. km. Note that Barbados is outside the main Atlantic hurricane belt.
Most of the territory of Barbados is flat, only in the central part of the island there is a highland. The highest peak is Hillaby Hill in the Scottish region, its height reaches 340 meters.
Almost the entire island is surrounded by coral reefs.
Capital
According to simplyyellowpages.com, Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. More than 100 thousand people now live in this city. Bridgetown was founded by the British in 1628.
Official language of Barbados
The official language of the people of Barbados is English.
Religion
About 95% of the population of Barbados is Christian (they belong to the Anglican Church).
State structure of Barbados
Barbados gained independence in 1966, but still remains under the protectorate of the Queen of Great Britain. Those. in fact, Barbados is a constitutional monarchy ruled by a governor-general appointed by the Queen of Great Britain. The head of government is the prime minister.
According to diseaseslearning.com, the Barbados Parliament consists of the Senate (21 senators) and the House of Representatives (24).
Climate and weather
The climate on the island of Barbados is tropical. The average air temperature during the day is + 29-31C, and at night – + 24-26C.
The rainy season, when hurricanes are possible (a very rare occurrence), begins in June and ends in November. Most rain falls from August to October. The dry season lasts from December to June.
The best time to visit Barbados is from mid-December to mid-April.
Sea in Barbados
The island of Barbados is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. The length of the entire coast is 97 km. The average sea temperature during the dry season is +26C.
Rivers and lakes
As for the rivers, they are small on this island, and all of them are practically only in the Scottish region.
Culture of Barbados
Barbados is considered the cultural center of the Caribbean. This island nation annually hosts many different carnivals, festivals, street fairs, culinary, music and sports events.
Several centuries ago in Barbados, they began to celebrate the harvest of sugar cane with the Crop Over festival. Now this event is considered the most important Barbados holiday.
Other highlights include the Congaline Festival (March), Gathering Carnival (May), the Austins Festival and the Jazz Festival.
Kitchen
Barbadian cuisine has been influenced by the culinary traditions of England, Portugal, Spain and West Africa. But English culinary traditions are most noticeable. Previously, the main food of the inhabitants of this island were rice, fish and guava.
In the 1840s, the British (or rather, their black slaves) began to grow sugarcane in Barbados, which, along with molasses, corn, rice and potatoes, became the staple food of the Barbadians.
Most dishes in Barbados are prepared with English and African ingredients and local spices and herbs (marjoram, garlic, parsley, thyme, basil, paprika, black pepper and cloves).
Often in the preparation of dishes in the cuisine of Barbados, local vegetables are used – asparagus and okra. Most often, these vegetables are simply cut, and then seasoned with lemon juice and oil.
Fish is very often used in Barbadian cuisine, but this is understandable, because. Barbados is an island. Most often, locals catch tuna, perch and barracuda.
Tourists are advised to try the following Barbadian dishes: Flying Fish (fish with mustard and onion sauce), Pepperpot (spicy pork dish). “Flying Fish Cutter” (fish sandwich), “Conkies” (cornmeal with coconut, pumpkin and potatoes wrapped in a banana leaf), “Cou Cou” (cornmeal with okra along with pepper), “Bajan Macaroni Pie” (pasta with cheese and fish).
For desserts, we recommend trying cane sugar sweets, coconut cakes, Bajan cookies and lemon tart.
The traditional soft drink is Mauby, made from the bark of local trees with added sugar.
The traditional alcoholic drink is rum. The most famous Barbados rum is Mount Gay.
Sights of Barbados
There are four cities in Barbados that are interesting for their sights. These are Oistins and Bridgetown in the south of the island, as well as Holetown and Spigstown in the north. Another interesting city is St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast.
In Bridgetown, tourists can see the statue of Lord Nelson, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Fort St. Ann, the Barbados Museum, Montefiore Fountain, etc. Spigstown has one of the oldest churches on this island – St. Patrick’s Church, built in the 1630s.
In Holetown, and this is the oldest city in Barbados, there is a medieval library, as well as a museum on the site of the old fort. Every February, a festival is held in this city in honor of the first settlers who arrived in Barbados in 1625.
As for Oistins, this city is famous for the accumulation of yachts and ships. Local restaurants prepare a lot of fish dishes.
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Cities and resorts
The largest cities are Oistins, Holetown, Spigstown, and, of course, the capital is Bridgetown. All these cities can be considered excellent beach resorts.
Barbados has over 110 kilometers of beaches made of pink and white fine sand from coral reefs. Palm trees grow close to the beaches.
Top 5 best beaches in Barbados:
- Crane Beach, located on the southeast coast
- Ju Ju’s Beach, located on the west coast
- Accra Beach, located on the south coast
- Sandy Lane Beach, excellent conditions for swimming and outdoor activities
- Miami Beach, located 2 minutes walk from Oistins
Souvenirs/Shopping
From Barbados, tourists bring handicrafts, ceramics, leather goods, jewelry, Barbados rum, hot pepper sauce, etc.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09:30-15:30
Shops:
Mon-Fri: 10:00-20:00 (shop opening hours vary)
Visa
Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit Barbados.
Currency of Barbados
The Barbados dollar is the official currency of Barbados (its international designation is BBD). One BBD = 100 cents. Most local hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards and travelers checks.
Customs restrictions
You can import foreign and local currency without restrictions, but it must be declared. You can take out foreign currency as much as it was imported. But the local currency cannot be exported.
Please note that camouflage clothing cannot be imported into Barbados – we do not understand why this ban is connected. It is also forbidden to import fresh fruit and foreign-made rum.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
Embassy of Great Britain in Ukraine:
Address: 01025, Kiev, st. Tithe, 9
Phone: (044) 490-36-60
Fax: (044) 490-36-62
Embassy of Ukraine in the UK:
Address: 60, Holland Park, London W11 3SJ
Phone: (020) 7727-6312
Fax: (020) 7792-1708
Emergency numbers
311 – call the Police
411 – call the Fire Brigade
511 – call the Ambulance
Time in Barbados
Behind Kyiv for 6 hours. those. if, for example, in Kyiv it is 13:00, then in Belmopan it is only 07:00 in the morning.
Tips
Tipping in Barbados is 10-15% (some restaurants include a service charge on the bill).
The medicine
Doctors recommend that tourists who want to relax in Barbados get some preventive vaccinations (for example, against typhoid fever, malaria, rabies, hepatitis A).
Security
Tourists in Barbados feel relatively safe, because. violent crime is rare there (but petty theft and petty crime are common). We recommend that tourists in this country observe reasonable security measures, and then their vacation will not be spoiled.
