Barbados has the most repeat visitors of any of the Caribbean islands. Once you visit and enjoy the white sand beaches, swim in the aqua blue sea and meet the people, you will see why. If you haven’t visited the beautiful coral island yet, here’s a primer to get you up to speed. Um, speed up only to slow down once you’ve arrived and are happily on “Caribbean time”.
1. Rent: Sitting outside the archipelago of Caribbean islands, Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean. It is 13 degrees north of the equator, northeast of Venezuela at 13 degrees north latitude and 59 degrees west longitude.
2. Getting to Barbados: Non-stop, non-stop flights originate from Miami (3.5 flight hours), New York (4.5 hours), London (8 hours), Toronto (5 hours) and Atlanta. Travel on Virgin Atlantic, American, Air Canada, British Airways, JetBlue, BMI, Westjet, Delta and US Airways.
3. language: The English officially claimed the island as their own in 1627 and English is the official language. With a 99.9% literacy rate, you won’t have any trouble communicating, but don’t feel bad if you can’t understand some of the locals at some point; colorful idioms and expressions dot the language.
4. History: An English colony until 1966, when the island gained full independence, Barbados is today known as “Little England” and is part of the Commonwealth. Long before the English, the Arawak and Carib Indians occupied the island. It was the Portuguese who called it Barbados (“the bearded ones”), after the fig trees that have a bearded appearance.
5. Food: Caribbean with African, East Indian, American and European influences, moderately spicy with Bajan hot sauce made with bonnet peppers. Popular items in Barbadian dishes include cou-cou (cornmeal and okra), flying fish, chicken, breadfruit, bananas, plantains, and sweet potatoes.
6.Beaches: The famous sugar white sand beaches come from Barbados being a coral island. The Caribbean islands that are of volcanic origin have dark sand beaches.
7. the shores: The west coast, called “The Platinum Coast”, is graced by the calm Caribbean Sea. The Atlantic Ocean crashes against the east coast of the island, which is much less developed as a result. The south coast is a combination of Caribbean and Atlantic waters.
8. Where to stay: The west coast offers impressive villas and resorts in the higher price ranges and the south coast offers mid-level vacation rentals at moderate prices. The east and north coasts offer some modest rentals for vacationers.
9. Badge: The Barbadian dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar two to one. US currency and credit cards are accepted everywhere on the island.
10 Weather and Hurricanes: It’s warm and sunny year-round, with an average daytime temperature of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and slightly cooler nights. Steady trade winds make warm days quite comfortable. Tropical storm season runs from June to October with fast storms followed by sunny skies. Hurricanes, which originate off the African coast and head toward the Caribbean, typically pass 100 miles north of the island. The last time Barbados suffered a direct hit was in 1955.