Bridgetown

Bridgetown Port is five minutes from the capital by taxi for about $6, or at least 20 minutes on foot along the boardwalk or Princess Alice Highway through town. Up to eight ships can berth. The terminal provides 30 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi and has toilets.

Grantley Adams International Airport is 13 miles away.

Bridgetown’s terminal has duty-free jewellery, clothing, souvenirs, pharmaceutical items and crafts. Facilities also include a visitor-information counter and a telecommunications centre offering telephone, internet and postal services.

Barbados is the Caribbean’s easternmost island and retains a strongly British character, including afternoon tea and cricket.

In Bridgetown, see the Parliament Building, Old Synagogue and St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Volcanic activity pushed coral Barbados from the sea in the distant past. Along its west coast, fine white coral sand borders blue-green water, while fringing reefs create excellent snorkelling and scuba-diving conditions. On the east coast, strong and consistent trade winds create lively surf, driving waves against the rocky shore. Those constant breezes also give the island its mild, pleasant tropical climate.

Most Bridgetown attractions lie within easy walking distance of the city centre.

At Payne’s Beach, swim out to snorkel beside turtles—the pleasant beach provides straightforward access, and the catamarans show where to look.

The Mount Gay Rum Distillery tour demonstrates each stage through which sugarcane becomes the finished rum product.

Avoiding a crowded tour can reduce costs: walk to the Parliament Building and square, where many taxis wait, then arrange a personalised itinerary and preferred duration directly with a driver. The approximate hourly charge is $40 for each car.

Car-hire rates are quite high, and traffic keeps to the left.

Harrison’s Cave in Barbados’s central uplands is a magnificent world-class attraction of exceptional beauty. This enormous subterranean stream system contains remarkable chambers and formations. A tram carries visitors past clear watercourses and tumbling waterfalls for a distinctive underground journey.

Andromeda Botanic Gardens in St. Joseph parish covers six acres and contains many varieties of orchid, palm, fern, heliconia, hibiscus, bougainvillea, begonia and cactus.

More than 300 years old, Sunbury Plantation House is steeped in history and contains mahogany antiques, period prints and a rare horse-drawn carriage collection. Every room in this great house is open to view.

Flower Forest protects 53.6 acres for green botanical use, permanently excluding homes or industry. Within it, 7 acres form a wild garden in Barbados’s Scotland District, 750 ft above sea level and offering panoramic views.

One of Barbados’s great natural wonders lies at the island’s heart. Harrison’s Cave is a spectacular crystallised-limestone cavern in the central uplands, where flowing streams, deep pools of clear water and soaring columns reveal an active cave system.

Numerous duty-free shops serve visitors, including cruise passengers, and Bridgetown’s main street has many duty-free jewellers. Cave Shepherd, a local department store, carries a wide range of goods. The small harbour mall also has reasonable choice and prices, though Barbados-made items may cost more there than elsewhere. Duty-free retailers require a passport and cabin key card.

Pedestrian-only Swan Street has shops selling inexpensive clothes.

A short drive away in Holetown, Chattel Village groups colourful chattel houses into a pleasant setting for shops selling local art, crafts and souvenirs.

Shops generally trade on weekdays from 8:30–4:30 and on Saturday from 8:30–1pm.

The Bajan dollar is the local currency, though US dollar bills are accepted in almost all restaurants and shops. The exchange value is US$1 = BD$2.

English is Barbados’s official language, with the Bajan dialect also spoken extensively.

Several small cafés around Barbados provide customers with complimentary Wi-Fi, as do the larger resort hotels and the cruise terminal.

Most shops close at noon on Saturday and do not reopen until Monday morning. During holiday weekends, including Good Friday and national holidays, closures can extend for three or four consecutive days.