Overview
Barbados, the easternmost island of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles, is a coral island formed in pre-historic times by erupting volcanoes. All that activity has left modern-day visitors a 21-mile-long playground for beachgoers, scuba divers, snorkelers, golfers, fishing enthusiasts and just about anyone seeking fun. You can even go to the horse races if you so desire.
The island is mostly flat. Its rolling hills, deep rifts and gullies provide a scenic home to colorful and interesting plants and wildlife. Its west coast boasts beaches of fine white sand bordering a blue-green Caribbean sea, while the Atlantic Ocean supplies the east coast with waves that inspire surfers and other water sports enthusiasts. The constant breeze of the trade winds gives Barbados a mild and pleasant tropical climate, with average temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees.
Touring here can be done aboard historic ships, submarines, private sailboats or chartered yachts. Or, you may want to spend more time seeing the island's treasures through a dive mask. Coral reefs fringe the shoreline to provide excellent snorkeling and scuba diving amid colorful, undulating sea gardens and bright tropical fish.
Touring on land can be done by rental car, taxi, motorscooter or even on horseback. Although the island's stunning beaches are captivating, you can find many attractions inland as well. Andromeda Gardens in St. Joseph Parish, for example, with its winding paths, ponds and abundance of orchid varieties, trees and other plants is a perfect way to spend an afternoon.
In the evening, you may find visiting troupes performing opera and theater, and an annual jazz festival returns every January. Accommodations range from luxurious hotels and villas, to pirates' castles, to apartments with kitchenettes, to modest seaside cottages.
History
First occupied by the British in 1627, Barbados remained a British colony until internal autonomy was granted in 1961. The island gained full independence in 1966, and maintains ties to the British monarch represented in Barbados by the governor general. The British influence remains intact, however, as evidenced by the afternoon tea served at many hotels on the west coast, in St. James parish, and English is spoken throughout the island.
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