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🇧🇧 Lesser Antilles · Parliamentary Republic

Barbados

A sovereign island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea, 62 miles east of the Windward Islands — the easternmost island in the region, and passionately its own: birthplace of rum, cricket-mad, and home to some of the best kitesurfing conditions anywhere in the Caribbean.

166 sq mi island Bridgetown capital +1 246 calling code
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🏛️ Capital: Bridgetown 👥 Population: ~282,700 💵 Currency: Barbadian Dollar (BBD) 🕐 Time zone: AST (UTC-4) 🚗 Drives on: the Left ☎️ Calling code: +1 246
Get to know it

A Sovereign Republic in the Eastern Caribbean

Barbados sits apart from the main Caribbean island chain, 62 miles east of the Windward Islands — coral limestone rather than volcanic, which gives it some of the flattest terrain and calmest west-coast beaches in the region, alongside dramatic Atlantic surf on its rugged east coast. View map →

First noted on a Spanish map in 1511, briefly visited by the Portuguese in 1536, and formally claimed for England when the Olive Blossom arrived in 1624, Barbados grew into one of Britain's most profitable sugar colonies. It became fully independent on 30 November 1966 — and, more recently, transitioned from a Commonwealth realm to a parliamentary republic on 30 November 2021, electing its own head of state for the first time. Read the full fact sheet →

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Flag of Barbados

Barbados at a Glance

Nationality: Barbadian (Bajan) · Size: 430 sq km (166 sq mi)

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Barbados Tourist Services

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Barbados Tourism
🧭 Tourism

Barbados Tourism

Barbados. Live The Dream. Your Barbados Experiences Start Here. the Barbados Government announced the introduction of the 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp. This new remote work programme establishes a visa to allow people to work remotely in Barbados for a maximum for 12 months. The visa is available to anyone who can meet the visa requirements and whose work is location independent, whether individuals or families.

★ Cool factor: 12 month visas for Digital Nomads Visit site
Endless Kiteboarding
🪁 Kitesurfing

Endless Kiteboarding

Endless Kiteboarding is one of the Caribbean's premier kite surf schools and, renowned for it's hospitality, nightlife and beautiful tropical beaches, Barbados is the perfect place to learn the sport of kitesurfing. Contact owner and instructor Roland Boyce of Endless Kiteboarding Instructor. Contact details are on website.

★ Cool factor: Nothing is cooler than kitesurfing Visit site
gandor.tv
💻 Website Solutions

gandor.tv

gandor.tv specializes in creating, maintaining, hosting and promoting websites in the Caribbean. They are known for their customer service, maintenance packages, fast response, e-commerce, booking systems and social media magic and creation of advertisments.

★ Cool factor: They create, maintain, host and promote websites. Visit site
Coolest Carib
📍 Barbados

Coolest Carib

Coolest Carib promotes Caribbean Islands and their tourist services. Advertisers who benefit the most from our services include car rentals, catamaran tours, kitesurfing schools, water-sports rentals, scuba diving centers, beach resorts, hotels, restaurants, scooter rentals, boating excursions etc. The website is mostly viewed by Caribbean travelers and tourists. For more information about our rates and exposure scope view our advertising page.

★ Cool factor: We place your advertisement on 50+ Caribbean websites Visit site
Caribbean Permaculture Research Institute
🌱 Sustainability

Caribbean Permaculture Research Institute

Caribbean Permaculture Research Institute educate and empower their students to: grow food, repair land and build community. To find and create a livelihood based on meeting one's own needs, and helping others meet their needs. To create low maintenance, holistic and functional systems to feed, house and provide income.

★ Cool factor: Their regenerative farming practices Visit site

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Barbados Tours & Activities

These Barbados tours or activities are independently operated. After booking, the tour operator will contact you directly with your reservation details.

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Beyond the beaches

5 Fun Facts About Barbados

The stories behind the postcard — a few things worth knowing before you go.

1

Birthplace of Rum

Barbados is often credited as the birthplace of rum, with a sugar cane and distilling history stretching back to the 17th century. Mount Gay Rum, founded in 1703, is one of the oldest rum brands in the world and still operates on the island today.

2

Flying Fish

The flying fish is a national symbol, found in abundance in the surrounding waters and known for gliding above the surface on specially adapted fins — also a beloved ingredient in Bajan cuisine, especially flying fish and cou-cou.

3

Cricket Passion

Cricket is the national sport and deeply woven into island culture. The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown is one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world, having hosted numerous international matches including Cricket World Cup games.

4

George Washington Connection

Barbados has a lesser-known tie to the first US President: in 1751, at age 19, George Washington visited with his ailing half-brother — the only trip Washington ever took outside what's now the United States.

5

UNESCO World Heritage

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011 — the well-preserved capital and a British colonial garrison complex tied to the Atlantic slave trade and British naval history.

Don't miss

Top 10 Things to Do

Ranked by locals — the Barbados essentials.

  • 1Andromeda Botanic Gardens, on the wild, wave-pummelled east coast
  • 2Tour a historic plantation house
  • 3Harrison's Cave, in the center of the island
  • 4Historic Garrison Savannah guided tour
  • 5Barbados Wildlife Reserve
  • 6Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre
  • 7Barbados Museum & Historical Society
  • 8Bushy Park Ultimate Driving Experience
  • 9The Baobab Tree in Queen's Park
  • 10A crewed catamaran ride along the exclusive West Coast
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Plan your trip

Map, Weather & More

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Static Perspective
Barbados' position in the eastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Windward Islands
3-Day Forecast
National anthem

“In Plenty and In Time of Need”

The serious facts

Barbados Fact Sheet

Nationality
Barbadian — Bajan, colloquially, to locals themselves.
Capital
Bridgetown
Size
430 sq km (166 sq mi).
Population
~282,700 (2026 estimate).
Currency & credit cards
Barbadian dollar (BBD), pegged to the US dollar; major credit cards widely accepted, ATMs at banks and select commercial outlets.
Government
Parliamentary republic. Head of state: President Jeffrey Bostic (since 30 November 2025, succeeding the country's first president, Dame Sandra Mason). Head of government: the Prime Minister.
Independence
From the United Kingdom: 30 November 1966. Became a republic (leaving the British monarchy behind as head of state): 30 November 2021.
Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC-4) year-round — no daylight saving.
Drives on the
Left
Calling code
+1 246
Local radio
Voice of Barbados, 92.9 FM — known for lively phone-ins and local news.
Animals
Iguanas, pelicans, mongoose, non-poisonous scorpions, donkeys, deer, hummingbirds, herons and bats, plus assorted lizards, frogs and insects.
Lingo
English, with a West Indian Bajan dialect — the “H” is often dropped (“thing” becomes “ting,” “thanks” becomes “tanks, mon”), and “water”/“mother” are pronounced “watta”/“matta.”
Brief History

Barbados first appears on a Spanish map from 1511; historians believe Spanish sailors may have visited earlier still. The Portuguese arrived in 1536 but left it unclaimed. The first English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in 1624 and took possession of the island for England.

Barbados grew into one of Britain's most valuable sugar colonies, worked by enslaved Africans on plantations that still shape the island's architecture and place names today. It became fully independent on 30 November 1966, remaining a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as head of state for the next 55 years.

On 30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned to a parliamentary republic, replacing the monarch with an elected president as head of state — Dame Sandra Mason became the country's first president that day. She was succeeded by President Jeffrey Bostic on 30 November 2025.

Pick your pace

Barbados Beaches

🏖 Fitts Village Beach

On the calm west coast — clear, gentle water and beautiful sunset views, with a relaxed, local atmosphere that's ideal for swimming.

🏖 Foul Bay

Dramatic cliffs frame a huge, largely empty stretch of sand on the south-east coast — a good pick for travelers seeking privacy and solitude.

🏖 Silver Sands Beach

Known for its consistent breeze, making it one of the island's best spots for windsurfing and kitesurfing, with plenty of open sand to spread out on.

🏖 Little Bay

A hidden north-coast cove reached by a short, steep descent — the effort keeps crowds minimal and the setting feels genuinely secluded.

🏖 Skeetes Bay

Dramatic Atlantic scenery on the east coast, with crashing waves and rugged cliffs — a favorite for photographers and sunrise seekers.

From a local

Caribbean Tip of the Day

Girls with long hair remember to pack a hair band or head scarf when you go out day/night. Some islands are more windy than others. It can be a pain in the neck - literally!

Tips by Liz Strauss, an experienced traveler and piano entertainer. www.lizpiano.com · Disclosure

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