Barbados Attractions

Over 300 years of British heritage is what makes Barbados an interesting mix of local traditions and its own particular flavor that make the residents "veddy British' or Bajans, as they call themselves. Bajan lifestyles adhere to old British dress code, such as formal attire, so bathing suits are strictly for the beach only.

Barbados was known as "Little England," in Colonial days and still shows visitors why this is so. There is a statue of British Royal Navy Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson in Trafalgar Square, not London but Bridgetown, the Bajan capital. There is also a Scottish District, the St Andrew's Parish, named after the Patron Saint of Scotland. Bajan obsession for education makes Bridgetown a "serious" city.

However, dressing up is not as much fun as taking a trip to the Barbadian Caribbean side. From windsurfing and spelunking, to safari, catamaran, submarine and helicopter adventures, there are a large number of activities and attractions in Barbados.

"Little England" is more evident when you take a sightseeing tour to visit the many windmills scattered all over the countryside. In 1846, Barbados had a total of 506 windmills, and today, has the second highest number of windmills per square mile in the world, after Holland.

After their construction, many of them were transformed into astounding homes, some others were built as part of plantation states, which still remain, and others just stand alone in an unexpected area when visiting Barbados thoroughly.

One of the most beautiful windmills is located at Welches, St. Thomas, in the garden at the home of "Best of Barbados". This beautiful windmill is covered completely with yellow blossoms once a year offering a unique spectacle.

Other attractions include visits to natural, historical and architectural sites, including the so-called "Seven Wonders of Barbados"

1- Harrison's Cave

Located near the geographical centre of Barbados, in the parish of St. Thomas, this cave is a natural phenomenon, unique in the tropical world. There are historic documents from 1795 where they were mentioned for the first time, but it was not until 1976 when Barbadian Tony Mason and Danish speleologist Ole Sorensen "rediscovered" them.

After the rescue work, the caves were officially opened to the public in 1981 as a "show" cave, allowing visitors to view the natural geophysical structure of the island. Today, they are considered the number one attraction of Barbados and there is a featured trip aboard a special tram through their exciting and unusual subterranean stream passages.

2- The Baobab Tree

From African origin, the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) was brought to Barbados around 1738 from Guinea. This tree is also known as the "Monkey-bread tree". Actually, there are two magnificent trees with possibly the widest tree-trunks to be found in all of the Caribbean islands.

This wonder is located at Queen's Park in Bridgetown, and it is as wide as 15 adults joining with outstretched arms to cover its circumference. There was little reference about the tree, but in 1997 the BBC of London aired a program where it was said, that there were known a least seven different types of Boabab trees discovered growing in Madagascar.

3- Historic Jacobean Mansions

Two of the three remaining "Jacobean Mansions" left in the Western hemisphere remain in Barbados, One of them is the St. Nicholas Abbey, located in the parish of St. Peter, and built in 1660, and Drax Hall, a sugar cane plantation house built by the brothers William and James Drax in the 1650s.

The third remaining Jacobean structure is the Bacon's castle, built in 1650 in Surry County, Virginia, in the United States.

4- Morgan Lewis Mill

Already noted, there are many windmills all over Barbados, but only two sugar mills intact and restored. One is the Morgan Lewis, and the other is located at Betty's Hope Estate, on the Caribbean island of Antigua close to Barbados.

This mill is maintained by the Barbados National Trust, serving also as a museum facility, with an exhibit of original equipment used to produce sugar during the period of time when the industry's productivity needed wind power.

5- Famous Jewish Synagogue

Located in Bridgetown, the origins of the synagogue are traced back to Brazil, from where Jewish persecuted by the Dutch, settled in Barbados around the 1660s. The synagogue was built in 1654 and destroyed in 1831 by one of the rare hurricanes in the area.

The Jewish Synagogue was rebuilt, but fell into disrepair and sold in 1929. The Jewish community bought the property in 1983 and restored the religious group and the synagogue as it was originally, with graceful Gothic arches, and protected today by the Barbados National Trust.

6- Cannon Galore

Barbados also has the world's rarest collection of 17th century English iron cannons, part of the National Ordnance Collection, featuring all the guns on Barbados, which was more than 400 as of 2006.

7- Grapefruit Tree (Citrus Paradise)

To understand the marvel you need to learn first about the old Barbadian legend explaining that the "Grapefruit" was first developed in Barbados. According to this, it was in Welchman Hall Gully and appears for the first time in the records of the 18th century.

Grapefruit was originally known as "Forbidden Fruit" resulting from a natural cross-pollination produced between the Asian Shaddock and Sweet Orange, which prospered in Barbados and today, has become a worldwide.

After visit the seven wonders, the array of attractions can take any direction. Historical homes at Sunbury Plantation House, Francia House, Drax Hall or Codrington College. Otherwise, you can visit sites such as Holetown, Speightstown and Oistins.

There are also a variety of sights of interests, including the mentioned Morgan Lewis Mill, St. Nicholas Abbey, Sam Lord's Castle, Cotton Tower, the Emancipation Statue, the Parliament Buildings and Villa Nova. If you prefer the famous homes, visit the Tyrol Cot, Ilaro Court, or the Government House.

Remarkable lighthouses include the Ragged Point, South Point and Harrison Point, as well as such attractions of Military Origin, such as the Cannon Collection, Gun Hill, Grenade Hall Signal Station and the Military Cemetery.