Eastern Caribbean Gem

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BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – The most easterly of the Windward Islands, Barbados is a coral Island, not volcanic like most of it’s neighbors known by dramatic mountains and lush rainforests. Instead, it has open, rolling countryside with fields of sugar cane, rippling in the breezes that come in off the Atlantic.
Outside the busy capital Bridgetown, the 430 square kilometers island is dotted with sleepy villages and some beautiful botanical gardens and plantations houses.

The pretty chattel houses, wooden shacks that were once home to plantation workers have become an architectural feature. Painted in primary colors and pastel shades, with intricate fretwork around the windows, they often double as craft shops.

The sheltered west coast is lined with some of the Caribbean’s most glamorous and expensive hotels whose patrons return year after year.
The islands has gained a reputation as a millionaire’s hideaway, particularly thanks to $1.5 K – a night establishments like Sandy Lane, and several smart , exclusive restaurants. Although it is increasingly influenced by the U.S, Barbados has a distinctly British feel, with cricket played on village greens and red post boxes.
The island was settled by the British in the 17th century and is still a member of the Commonwealth.

It is clean and friendly and regarded as safe, although the usual issues of extreme wealth flaunted in the face of relative poverty exists.

Despite years of colonialism Barbados has its own colorful heritage, its annual Crop Over Festival held in the summer, celebrating the sugarcane harvest, is rated as one of the best events in the Caribbean.
The jazz festival in January attracts big names such as Patty LaBelle and Ellis Marsalis, while Holders season in March, a wonderful series of outdoor classical music performances on a former plantation estate, has drawn performers including London Symphony Orchestra.

If you have only a few hours, there is plenty to see and do without leaving Bridgetown, a short walk from the center. First you come to the Pelican Craft Centre, where you can buy local crafts and art and watch the artists at work. Nearby is the Caribbean Cigar Company.

The road into Bridgetown leads down to the Careenage, lined with yachts and fishing boats. This is where ships used to have their hulls repaired or cleaned. Alongside is the restored Old Spirit Bond warehouse, which houses the Verandah art Gallery that has good exhibitions of Caribbean art. Across the pedestrianised Chamberlain Bridge, which was once a swing bridge, and through Independence Arch, is the Waterfront Cafe, where you can enjoy a lazy lunch with tasty local specialities.

Back across the bridge is National Heroes Square. At the northern end of the square the Gothic style Parliament building dates back to 1872, while nearby St Michael Cathedral stands on the grounds of the first church in Barbados, which was buit in 1665.

Broad Street, off to the left of Heroes Square, is the main shopping area. Cave Shepherd and Harrison’s are the principal Bajan department stores, if you don’t have time to leave townto shop, look for the beautifully crafted pottery from Earthworks, which is on sale in Cave Shepherd. The best of Barbados gift shops are a good bet for locally made souvenirs.

Barbados is quite an easy island to explore independently and is only 34 kilometres long, although twisting country roads make distances seem further, especailly when the sugar cane is high and views are obscured. Excursions involve many permutations of the island tour and are usually comprehensive, but the fun of exploring is lost if you travel by coach. An open sided Mini Moke is a better way to get around, and in a day trip from Bridgetown you should be able to get to the north and return via the wild scenery of the Atlantic coast. Driving is on the left, and rush hour starts at 4 p.m. However, while all roads lead to Bridgetown, progress may be extremely slow around this time, so do allow for this and also for getting lost, as the country roads are not that well signposted.

Taxis are plentiful on the island. Drivers are more than willing to do day trips. Fares are supposed to be fixed but there is no meter system, so always agree a price in advance. The island has a comprehensive bus network and the single flat fare is a bargain, but again, journeys can take a considerable time.

Driving from Bridgetown to the south coast you reach the Garrison Savannah, dating from the mid 17-th century and once the most important military location on the island. The area is packed with historic interest, with forts, monuments, military buildings and the world’s largest collection of 17-th century cannons. The Barbados Museum is also here, displaying everything from Amerindian artefacts to colonial furniture.

The west coast, dubbed the Platinum coast, is lined with smart hotels and exclusive villas hidden by trees and iron gates. Drive up Highway 1 and you’ll see that Bajan life continues regardless, among the holiday paradises. There are several public paths down to the soft white sand and you can swim from the beach in front of the Sandy Lane Hotel.

In the heart of the island are three fascinating examples of natural Barbados. The Flower Forest in St. Joseph is a pretty walking trail through lush tropical gardens. Welschman Hall Gully is a deep ravine just off the highway 2, maintained by the National trust, with a trail leading through rainforest. Look out for green monkeys and colourful birds in the trees.

Close by is Harrison’s Cave, a vast limestone cave complete with underground lakes, cascading waters, stalactities and stalgmities, all of wich can be seen from a small electric train that carries passangers through the cave network.
Horseriding, biking and hiking in the central hikelands is a good way to feel the essence of the countryside, and as for the sea,there is windsurfing, best of the east coast in the winter months, and sailing of the south coast beaches, and the waves at the magnificent Crane Beach in the southeast are perfect for body boarding. Afterwards you can relax with a rum punch on the Crane Hotel’s wonderful clifftop terrace.

Approaching the wild east coast from the north, you can see miles of tlantic rollers and craggy limestone coral cliffs all the way to Batsheba, an authentic village unscathed by time and popular with surfers. It is not safe to swim in the sea here but you can cool off in the many rock pools before enjoying a good Barbadian buffet at Bonito’s Bar and Restaurant on the shore or at the Atlantis Hotel in Tent Bay.

As you leave Batsheba, the Andromeda Botanic Gardens is a wonderful place for a rest from driving. Calming waterfalls splash gently through the gardens, dazzling with tropical blooms from all over the Caribbean, including a variety of orchids. Not far inland, off Highway 3, lies Vila Nova, an exquisite plantation house, transformed into a luxury hotel.

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