One of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Barbados features the spectacular turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea rushing up on its pinkish white sand shores. With a major international airport in the island that acts as point of entry to the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados is almost always the first stop to any tour in the Caribbean.
First known as the Isla de los Barbados in Spanish documents dating back to the 1500s, the name of the island can either be attributed to the bearded fig-tree that is indigenous to the island, or the bearded Amerindians that inhabited the island, or to the sprays of foam that forms on the outlying reefs that looks like a beard.
It was the British, however, who settled on the island. Upon landing in the present-day Holetown in 1625, British sailors found the island uninhabited; the Spaniards have captured the Caribs who used to live there to work as slaves for sugar plantations, while others have fled the island to escape slavery.
Until the island’s independence in 1966, the United Kingdom has always had control of this Caribbean island since the time of its first settlers. Barbados became a member of the West Indies Federation, which aims to bring together all the British colonies in the Caribbean as one state independent from Britain. The federation dissolved before any action was taken, and Barbados remained as a self-governing colony. It still worked to gain its own independence, and after years of peaceful and democratic progress, finally became independent in November 30, 1966. Errol Barrow was Barbados’ first Prime Minister.
Nowadays, tourism has become Barbados’ main economy. Vacationers flock in from all over the world to experience the beauty of Barbados beaches, as well as its rich history, culture, and cuisine.
Like the other Caribbean islands, Barbados enjoys mild tropical climate that tourists look for specially those coming in from the colder climes. With a relatively low annual rainfall coming in, travelers are assured to have the perfect weather for their holiday.
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