Airport

Barbados Grantley Adams International is 11km east of Bridgetown, near Christ Church. Flight time from London is 7 hr 45 min.

Airport to City Centre

There is a regular bus service to the city, which departs every 10 minutes (journey time approx 45 minutes) and a 24-hour taxi service costing Bd$28 (journey time approx 30 minutes).

Orientation

Barbados, the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, measures only 166 sq miles but has a population of some 265,000. It has a mixed topography of flat table land, gently undulating hills and steep cliffs, all criss-crossed with an intricate pattern of gullies.

As you progress from Mount Hillaby, Barbados' highest point at 1,089 ft, in the northern centre of the island, towards the North, South or West, you will descend gently to the surrounding coastlines, crossing a series of coral steps or terraces. These terraces are former sea cliffs and represent the various levels of the ocean during the creation of the island. The land to the East drops more steeply, but the old sea cliffs are still very much in evidence.

A short drive from the flat, coastal table-land of St Philip into the hills of the neighbouring St John will quickly and graphically illustrate these contrasts in topography. In addition, an even more stark contrast will be clearly evident in terms of the surrounding vegetation. The dry fields of scrub grass and sugar cane are replaced by lush greenery, ample fruit trees, verdant Breadfruit trees, towering palms and extensive fields of banana and plantain trees. Other such dynamic contrasts exist elsewhere in Barbados, obvious examples being the rich, green pasture lands of St Thomas and the barren, ruggedness of the nearby hills of the Scotland District overlooking the East Coast.

Excursions

Neighbouring islands can be visited via scheduled or chartered boat or plane trips.

Grenada: Nicknamed ‘Spice Island’, Grenada is one of the world's largest exporters of nutmeg. This beautiful island offers breathtaking scenery and places of interest such as its cobbled-stoned capital St Georges, the ‘Grand Etang’ crater lake tucked away high in the mountains, spice factories and the typically tropical rainforests.

St. Vincent: Go and visit ‘Soufrière’ the still-active volcano which last erupted as recently as 1979; or go for a stroll in the Botanical Gardens which are the oldest in the Caribbean. While you are here you can see the very first breadfruit tree planted in the West Indies, brought here by Captain Bligh himself.

The Grenadines: The shimmering ocean between the beautiful mountain islands of Grenada and St Vincent is punctuated by the Grenadines – a 125 link chain of islands, all within sight of one another. If anywhere can still satisfy your dreams of a ‘tropical paradise’ then it must be these precious islands which have yet to be subjected to the dubious effects of world development.

Getting Around    Billiga resor - flygbiljetter -      Queensway Travel

Barbados has an efficient and regular bus service – tickets are Bds$1.50 for all journeys. All buses terminate at Speightstown.

Alternatively ZR Vans (licensed mini-buses, so-called because of their ‘ZR’ license plate) are also very regular, but journeys can be a bit hair-raising.

Always agree a price before setting off in a taxi, since journeys don’t tend to be metered and drivers are not averse to ripping off unwary visitors.

All kinds of vehicles can be hired, but you’ll require a Barbados driving permit, which can be obtained from car hire companies, the Ministry of Transport (0830-1430 Monday to Friday), the airport (0800-2200 every day) or police stations in Hastings, Worthing and Holetown. There is a registration fee of Bds$10.

What to see

Speightstown: A thriving port when shipping was the life line of the island, with several British Military forts and wonderful architecture typified by overhanging balconies. Named after William Speight, it was once known as Little Bristol because of trade with that British port.

Farley Hill Park: This contains the ruins of a once grand plantation house and a superb collection of trees. The grounds make this a good spot for picnics.

Morgan Lewis Windmill: This is the last intact mill of its kind in the whole Caribbean. Morgan Lewis was the last windmill to grind sugar cane in Barbados when it ceased to operate in 1944.

Holetown: This is the place where Captain John Powell landed in the ship Olive on May 14, 1625 and laid claim to the island in the name of King James. 1st and 2nd Streets have some very good restaurants which you can check out for future plans.

Welchman Hall Gully: Approximately one mile long, the gully contains a huge assortment of trees, plants and flowers, all growing in their natural environment. This lovely site is now looked after by the Barbados National Trust, and if you sit quietly on one of the benches, you may see monkeys playing up in the trees.

Harrison's Cave: This is a very beautiful example of a crystallised limestone cavern, and a ‘must visit’ attraction.

Andromeda Gardens: These beautiful botanical gardens harbour a stunning collection of indigenous and exotic tropical flowers and plants, as well as a good selection of local pottery and handicrafts in the gift shop.

Sunbury Plantation House: This historically listed building is magnificently furnished and it contains one of the country’s superior collections of antiques, china and silver, as well as a most interesting display of old prints. The cellars, originally used for storing root vegetables grown on the plantation, now house the Caribbean’s finest collection of antique carriages.

Shopping                      Restresor och sol semester - krysningar         Queensway Travel

Traditional Barbadian goods are on offer all over the island, but the main tax-free shopping area is in Broad Street, Bridgetown. However, there are several convenient shopping locations situated in other areas of the island. On the west coast there are tax-free shops at many of the luxury hotels and there is a good collection of small tax-free shops in Holetown at the Sunset Crest and Chattel Village shopping centres. On the south coast the shopping centres are located around the Hastings and Worthing area such as the Quayside Centre and the Hastings Plaza.

Where to walk

Although there are many wonderful coastal walks and beaches in Barbados, the best way to get an overall impression of the enormous variety in the island’s scenery is to hire a car and take in a few in an afternoon.

A good starting point is Bottom Bay. The road to Bottom Bay ends at the top of the cliff, alongside the wall of a house. Park here. The steps down to the beach are right in front of you. If you would rather have a picnic than eat in a restaurant then this is the ideal location. It's a bit of a chore to carry everything down the steps but undoubtedly worth it. The sea is quite rough with big waves but it is safe to swim, and is very picturesque.

Once you've had enough of Bottom Bay, turn left at the main road, follow the road which veers left then right, and turn left at the sign posted to ‘Crane via Sam Lord's/Belair’. At the junction turn left and you have a nice long, straight stretch that will take you directly to the gates of Sam Lord's Castle. Turn right into the visitors' car park. At Sam Lord's there is a Bds$12 entrance fee. Once inside you can explore the complex including the castle (in fact it’s a mansion) and its curios, several swimming pools, a beautiful beach and a few shops. A delicious lunch is served at the Oceanus poolside restaurant or at the grill on the beach. A rum punch is a must! After leaving Sam Lord's, drive back the way you came, keeping straight ahead. Turn left at the T-junction signposted towards the airport , follow the road around to the right and then turn left at the clearly marked pink and white sign for the Crane Beach Hotel. The hotel may charge Bds $5 for the right of entry but this is redeemable at the bar. In any case it is worth the money – both for the spectacular cliff top view and the easier access down to the beach. Turning left as you leave the Crane, the road immediately veers sharply to the right and a little further on to the left. Keep straight ahead and follow this road to the airport. Go straight through the first and second airport roundabouts (the second is signed to Oistins) and keep driving for approximately 10 minutes until you reach a Basix supermarket on your left. Turn left at the junction after Basix signposted ‘Enterprise, Atlantic Shores, Chancery Lane’. Now take the fourth turning on the right (the other 3 are minor roads and quite close to each other). This is Enterprise Road. You can identify it by the presence of a billboard sign. Turn right at the traffic island to go to Miami Beach where the sea always seems to be particularly blue and beautiful and quite calm. This is a beautiful spot for another dip to combat the afternoon heat.

To leave, you go back the way you came, turn left at the island, left at the junction with the main road and left again at the junction at Basix supermarket.