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Southern Barbados

Southern Barbados is one of the main tourist bases of Barbados. Starting just beyond the Garrison Savannah district of Bridgetown, the parish of Christ Church is a strip of hotels, bars and restaurants along Highway 7, one long traffic jam honking its way through Hastings, Worthing, Rockley, Saint Lawrence (the main party zone), Oistins and Silver Sands. This south-facing section of coast is good both for water-based activities and family bathing. East of the airport is Saint Philip parish: this has fewer hotels and amenities, the coast trends north-east and becomes rugged and the seas are stronger.

11km

13.1-59.497

Western Barbados

Western Barbados is the area of Barbados that lies north of Bridgetown and comprises the parishes of Saint James, Saint Peter and Saint Lucy. This is the west-facing, most sheltered coast, so it's the best for family beach holidays, and has the highest concentration (and steepest prices) of hotels. Holetown and Speightstown are the two main settlements but it's basically one long ribbon development along the coastal Highway 1B. Tourist maps and similar literature often refer to the sea here as the Caribbean but that's 100 miles west, over the horizon beyond Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent. This here is the Atlantic and can get rough, but it's normally in the "Goldilocks zone" of being calm enough inshore for family bathing, yet lively enough further out for surfing, wind-surfing and the like.

14km

13.23-59.621

Grenada (island)

island in the Caribbean Sea

254km

12.128611-61.686944
Sights (9)

Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels

The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, is an Anglican church located on St. Michael's Row, two blocks east of National Heroes Square; at the centre of Bridgetown, Barbados. The Cathedral is the tallest of the Anglican 's houses of worship within Barbados.

1.4km

13.0978-59.6124

Chamberlain Bridge

bridge in Barbados

1.6km

13.0961-59.6141

Constitution River

river in Barbados

1.7km

13.09611111-59.61444444

Nidhe Israel Synagogue

establishment in Bridgetown, Barbados

1.7km

13.09944444-59.61527778

Barbados Museum & Historical Society

The Barbados Museum & Historical Society is a private organization but membership is open to both members and non-members who are interested in the numerous collections. Established in 1933 in the old Military Prison at the historic Garrison, the museum has about 500,000 artifacts that depicts the islands rich history and natural history. Inclusive of some of these artifacts are antique maps of the island and paintings.

1.9km

13.08222222-59.6025

Garrison Savannah Racetrack

The Garrison Savannah in the country of Barbados, is a horse racing venue located within the Garrison Historic Area, just outside the capital-city Bridgetown. A clockwise grass course, the Garrison Savannah is known internationally for the annual Barbados Gold Cup for Thoroughbreds which takes place on the six furlong track around the perimeter of the green.

2.1km

13.080733-59.604639

Gun Hill Signal Station

Gun Hill Signal Station, St. George is the largest and most important of the military outposts in Barbados, with military associations from at least 1697. In the Militia Act of that year, when it was known as Briggs Hill, it was named as one of the four points where guns were to be placed to give alarm in the event of an invasion, so it is likely that the name Gun Hill goes back nearly 300 years.

6.7km

13.1432-59.5574

Flower Forest

Botanical garden in St. Joseph, Barbados

11km

13.20333333-59.56694444

Morgan Lewis Windmill

Morgan Lewis Windmill, St. Andrew, Barbados is the last sugar windmill to operate in Barbados. The mill stopped operating in 1947. In 1962 the mill was given to the Barbados National Trust by its owner Egbert L. Bannister for preservation as a museum.

18km

13.26833333-59.575
Nature

we will see

Bridgetown

Barbados
Someday we will visit Bridgetown or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Bridgetown

Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. It's the only city, over half the island's residents live here, and many more commute in. It's a regular port of call for cruise ships and has good duty-free shopping. The well-preserved centre is attractive and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main sights in the city are the Careenage - the original harbour around the river - and Garrison Savannah the 18th & 19th-century military area a mile south.

Bridgetown serves as a principal centre of commercial activity in Barbados, as well as a central hub for the island's public transport system. Many of the ministries and departments of the island's government are located within the Greater Bridgetown area. The Public Buildings or parliament, which stand at the heart of the city directly north of Heroes Square, house the third oldest continuous parliament in the British Commonwealth. Indeed, at one point in the city's early history, Bridgetown was the most important city of all British possessions in the New World due to the city's easterly location in the Caribbean region.

Although the island was totally abandoned or uninhabited when the British landed there, one of the few traces of indigenous pre-existence on the island was a primitive bridge constructed over the Careenage area's swamp at the centre of Bridgetown. It was thought that this bridge was created by a people indigenous to the Caribbean known as the Tainos. Upon finding the structure, the British settlers began to call what is now the Bridgetown area Indian Bridge. Scholars widely believe that the Tainos were driven from Barbados to the neighbouring island of Saint Lucia, during an invasion by the Kalinagos, another indigenous people of the region. Eventually after 1654 when a new bridge was constructed over the Careenage by the British, the area became known as The Town of Saint Michael and later as Bridgetown, after Sir Tobias Bridge.

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Information for getting there

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

28.8°C22.9
Precipitation: 70.1 mm

Feb

29°C22.8
Precipitation: 41.3 mm

Mar

29.5°C23.2
Precipitation: 37.4 mm

Apr

30°C24.1
Precipitation: 60.8 mm

May

30.5°C24.9
Precipitation: 79 mm

Jun

30.5°C25.1
Precipitation: 103 mm

Jul

30.4°C24.9
Precipitation: 132.9 mm

Aug

30.6°C24.7
Precipitation: 141.9 mm

Sep

30.6°C24.6
Precipitation: 157.6 mm

Oct

30.4°C24.5
Precipitation: 185.1 mm

Nov

30°C24.2
Precipitation: 171.6 mm

Dec

29.3°C23.6
Precipitation: 89.6 mm
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