Barbados - The West Coast

By Keith Whiting

Surrounded by miles of magnificent white sand beaches, protected by coral reefs and brushed by the constant breeze of the trade winds, Barbados is a swimmer’s paradise. The west coast beaches are calm and lapped by the Caribbean. The south coast has small

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: May 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781556500657

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Barbados - The West Coast 

2nd Edition

Keith Whiting

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC.

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© 2012 Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Brief excerpts for review or promotional purposes are permitted.

This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Introduction

Tek time en' laziness.

(By taking your time, you can achieve a lot.)

Barbados can honestly claim to be the island that has everything under the sun. The most easterly of the Caribbean islands, its 166 square miles of forests, cliffs, fishing villages, wildlife, nightlife, and beaches are pounded by the relentless power of the Atlantic on the east, brushed by the Caribbean on the west and caressed everywhere by the sun.

If your idea of a holiday is lying on the sand with a piña colada by your side, Barbados has numerous white sand beaches, and is home to some of the best rum anywhere. But, if you have a taste for adventure, you can strap on a scuba tank, head out into the ocean, and discover miles of coral reefs teeming with an incredible array of sea life and shipwrecks. If you prefer to be on the water as opposed to under it, Barbados has some of the best sailing in the Caribbean, with southeasterly trade winds to carry you across the water. And if sailing is a little too sedate, there's always jet skiing, parasailing, sport fishing and surfing.

Unlike many other islands, Barbados is more than just sea and sand. Rent a car or bike, hire a taxi, or take a local bus and discover a land rich in history, culture, an abundance of wildlife, and natural beauty – from the rugged beauty of the north to lush fields and forests in the center and sugar cane fields in the south. There are five-star resorts on the west coast and historic plantation and chattel houses spread throughout the island, not to mention world-class golf courses. You can hike through a silent forest or speed along trails on an ATV. This small island is constantly changing and constantly surprising. And, if you get lost? Pull out your map and, before you know it, someone is sure to stop and give you directions!

One of the greatest pleasures of a visit to Barbados is meeting the people, whether staying at a luxury hotel or a local guest house. Almost everyone you pass will wish you a good morning, good afternoon, or good evening. The grinding poverty seen on so many other islands does not exist in Barbados. The population is well educated, and, if you engage them in conversation, they will happily tell you about their history, their future, and the best places to visit in the present.

I have been visiting Barbados for more than 20 years and still find something new every time I visit. There is an abundance of restaurants, an enormous range of accommodations, and I still haven't seen all the beaches. 

Of all the islands in the Caribbean, Barbados is the most developed and certainly one of the safest. The only downside is the amount of development that has taken place over the last few years. Fortunately, this has been mainly on the west coast, leaving the rest of the island, particularly the east and north, tranquil and mostly untouched.

Whether you visit Barbados for the enormous range of sporting activities, the numerous cultural events, to discover the nature and ecological life of the island, or just to relax on the beach, it really does have everything under the sun.

About Barbados

Geography

Bottom Bay at sunset

Located 270 miles (434 km) northeast of Venezuela, and part of the Lesser Antilles, Barbados' closest island neighbors are Trinidad and Tobago to the south, Grenada to the southwest, and St. Lucia to the west. It is the easternmost of the Caribbean islands, with a total land area of 166 sq miles (430 sq km) and 60 miles (97 km) of coastline. Some 21 miles (34 km) long and 14 miles (23 km) at its widest point, it is a mostly flat, tropical island, rising to a maximum height of 1,100 ft (336 m) at Mount Hillaby, in the Scotland District.

Surrounded by miles of magnificent white sand beaches, protected by coral reefs and brushed by the constant breeze of the trade winds, Barbados is a swimmer's paradise. The west coast beaches are calm and lapped by the Caribbean. The south coast has small to medium waves that are great for windsurfing and boogie boarding, while the southeast coast has big waves and is only suitable for strong swimmers. Pounded by the Atlantic Ocean the east coast has dangerous undercurrents, and most beaches are NOT safe for swimming. The north coast is rocky and inaccessible to swimmers.

Because of its location, tropical storms and hurricanes common to other Caribbean islands generally miss Barbados. With a rainy season running from June to October, the average time between direct hurricane hits is 26.6 years.

As a coral island, Barbados is home to a vast array of caves and underground lakes, which provide some of the purest drinking water in the world. The island is also home to rainforests, marshes and mangrove swamps, along with pastures and sugarcane fields. It has a diverse and interesting landscape, making it a fascinating place to explore.

Barbados is divided into 11 parishes – Christ Church, St. Andrew, St. George, St. James, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Lucy, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Philip, and St. Thomas. Bridgetown, in St. Michael, is the capital city. Other major towns include Holetown in the parish of St. James, Oistins in Christ Church, and Speightstown in St. Peter.

History

The first inhabitants of Barbados arrived from South America around 350 AD, followed by the Arawaks about 450 years later. A third wave of migrants, the Caribs, arrived in the 13th century. The Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, captured the Caribs and used them as slave labor.

As early as 1511, the island was referred to as Isla de los Barbados (island of the bearded ones) in an official Spanish document. The word bearded refers to the long hanging roots of the bearded fig tree (ficus citrifolia) which is indigenous to the island.

When the English arrived in the 1620s landing on the west coast at an area now known as Holetown they found the island uninhabited. Assuming control of the island, they began importing slaves to work the plantations. Twenty years later, during the English Civil War, the Royalists, fearing they might rebel against their owners, executed hundreds of the slaves.

From the arrival of the first British settlers in 1627 until independence in 1966, Barbados was under uninterrupted British control. It always enjoyed a large measure of local autonomy, however, and its House of Assembly first began meeting in 1639.

In the 1650s, numerous Scots and Irish were shipped to the island, both as indentured servants and as slaves. The implementation of slave codes in 1661, 1676, 1682, and 1688, led to several unsuccessful slave rebellions. The increasingly repressive legal system increased the gap between the treatment of white indentured servants and black slaves. Black slaves became much more attractive to the plantation owners and many poor whites immigrated to neighboring islands.

The slave trade ended in 1804, but slavery continued, leading to the largest slave rebellion in the island's history in 1816. Over 1,000 people died in the fight, 144 slaves were executed, and 123 deported. Eighteen years later, in 1834, slavery was finally abolished in the British Empire.

The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. Plantation owners and British merchants continued to dominate the island both politically and economically.