Are you planning a trip to Barbados but want to learn more about the tropical paradise before you go? There are some interesting facts about Barbados, one of the most stunning tropical islands with a fabulous location on the most easterly point of the Caribbean group of Islands. It has everything a tropical island should have with its picture perfect soft white sandy beaches fringed with crystal clear turquoise waters.
It also has some of the best, most luxurious villas and vacation rentals on the planet as well such as the ones that are available with companies like Exceptional Villas and Villas Barbados. Barbados also has some gorgeous five-star hotels such as The famous Sandy Lane Hotel and The Coral Reef Club which are both frequented by the rich and famous. Barbados is not only about fabulous beaches and exquisite places to stay, but it also has a great Caribbean culture, interesting colonial history and some breathtaking scenery. Lastly, there are lots of interesting facts about Barbados should you be planning a visit.
Interesting Facts About Barbados
Barbados is where the famous singer Rihanna was born and lived until she moved to the United States to pursue her career. She is still a regular visitor and is often seen on the country’s beautiful beaches or dancing at the islands famous Crop Over Festival. Some of her favorite places to stay are at the Smugglers Penthouse and The Plantation House Villa.
Barbados was the only holiday destination that Concorde flew to in the seventies. As a result, it made Barbados popular and created a lot of publicity and interest in the island. Many famous people flew Concorde including the current Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth.
Tiger Woods got married on the island of Barbados in October 2004 to his Swedish girlfriend, Elin. The location of the wedding was at the famous Sandy Lane Hotel, and they said their vows on the beautiful beach.
The original inhabitants of Barbados were called the Arawak’sIndians. The island was first colonized by Great Britain in 1625 and remained an English colony until 1966 which is when Barbados first gained its independence. Before the British arrived, the island was almost entirely covered in rain forest and was also full of wild pigs. Because of this, Barbados has a great old English feel to it. Many of the local people have names that originate from the UK. They still use English 3 pin plugs, and people drive on the left instead of the right like in the United States.
Barbados is virtually out of the hurricane belt and has a lovely year-round climate. The last time a hurricane made landfall in Barbados was over 40 years ago. The result is that tourists come to Barbados 12 months of the year and all the hotels, villas, restaurants and shops remain open year around. The high season is between November and April and the low season is between May and the end of October. For people who like luxury and a bargain, then the summer is a fantastic time to visit Barbados.
Barbados has two oceans. The Atlantic Ocean is on the eastern side of the island and the Caribbean ocean on the west coast. They are both very different from each other. The Atlantic side is generally very rugged with big waves and higher winds. The Caribbean side is much calmer with clear crystal-clear waters and turquoise seas. The west coast is where you will find most of the luxurious hotels and rentals properties And imagine how cool you would look in this beautiful white flamingo pool float while you float in the clear blue waters!
The people of Barbados are called Bajans. They are very warm and hospitable, and any visit to the island wouldn’t be complete without spending some time getting to know these lovely people. Some of the best local events to do are the Friday night fish fry which takes place at Oistins each week and also at the Crop Over Festival. The Crop Over Festival is where you will see the Bajans partying to their heart’s content.
The first main town in Barbados was Holetown. The original name was Jamestown. Today, Holetown is in the center of the very sought-after west coast of the island. This area is where all the real luxury beach front properties in Barbados have their location and many of the world’s most beautiful beaches. In the early days, Holetown was a very different place. Holetown is where they cleaned their ships and the area was reputed to be very smelly and untidy.
The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown. The original name for Bridgetown was Indian Bridge. It was called this because of the very rough bridge the Indians built over the river. The English build a new bridge just after they colonized Barbados in the same place as the original bridge. Today Bridgetown is a small city with a vibrant heart. It has some great shopping and is particularly good for people looking for bargains because there are lots of duty-free shops.
One time, Barbados was considered to be the healthiest place to live in the world. The country is reputed to have had roughly half the deaths of other countries between 1841 and 1845. This period is when Barbados first came on the radar from a tourist point of view.
These interesting facts about Barbados will give you something fun to talk about whether you’re taking a cruise or a flight there. Plus, they will really make you look like you know a thing or two over a tropical drink at the beach.
