More spectacular views welcome you on arrival into Bridgetown when travelling with a camera.

Barbados – a small island with a rich history & now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of its first settlers were Amerindians. They discovered the island in circa 300AD after crossing the open seas in dug out canoes from Venezuela. By the early 1500s all signs of Amerindian life had vanished. The Portuguese and Spanish visited the island in the coming years, but didn’t settle. It was uninhabited when the British landed in 1620s. There was still a trace of indigenous pre-existence – a primitive bridge over the Careenage River.

With the introduction of agriculture on the island, they started producing sugar, tobacco & cotton. However, this also resulted in slavery on the island from West Africa. Later the island became one of the world’s biggest sugarcane industries. Freedom for the 70,000 Barbadian’s of African descent didn’t come until 1838. The island became independent in 1966, you can see Independence Arch in Bridgetown which commemorates this.

Nelson’s statue was erected here in 1813 in an area known as Trafalgar Square. The statue predates Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square London by nearly 30 years.

Bridgetown is a great place to wander and take in the Barbadian hospitality. Carlisle Bay is also reachable on foot from the city. It has the most wonderful crystal clear turquoise waters and a white sandy beach. And, if you are lucky you will spot the sea turtles.

I would love to see more of the beautiful island one day.

Next stop St Lucia…