Barbados Travel Planner

Barbados is a tropical island of 430 square kilometres located in the western Atlantic Ocean just east of the Caribbean. It lies northeast of Venezuela, with It’s closest island neighbours being Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines to the west and Trinidad and Tobago to the south. Barbados is a part of the North Atlantic submarine mountain range and is mainly composed of limestone coral with a mainly low lying landscape which rises to higher altitudes towards the central region of the island.

The island’s early history dates back to around 350 AD when it was settled by people arriving by canoe from Venezuela, who were then displaced by Arawak people of South America around 800 AD. The Arawak were in turn displaced by the cannibalistic Caribs in the 13th century, who lived on the island until the mid 1500‘s when marauding Spanish conquistadors took many of the inhabitants as slaves, decimating the islands population in just a few years. The British formally settled the island in 1627 and planted extensive sugar plantations worked primarily by slaves from West Africa. Through a long process of rebellion, social and political reforms, Barbados was the first country to abolish the slave trade in 1834 and became totally independent from the UK in 1966.

The Barbados of today is still often referred to as the “little” England because of its long history as a British colony and its many fine examples of colonial architecture. These icons from the past, along with an infusion of English customs and culture comfortably rub shoulders with classic calypso rhythms, famous rums and a laid-back “island time” demeanour. More than 110 Km of world class palm fringed sandy beaches, washed by warm and clear turquoise waters, a wild and rugged east coast popular with surfers, countless shore-side bars and restaurants, spectacular scenery and rock formations and a warm and friendly population make Barbados one of the most romantic and naturally beautiful places on Earth.