Barbados is the furthest-east Caribbean island and English is widely spoken.  Barbados is known for its high end resorts with its high end prices, so don't expect the prices to be low.  Barbados is considered a safe island with low crime level; tourists can feel free to rent a vehicle and explore the island outside resort areas.

Barbados, the easternmost island of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles, is a coral island formed in pre-historic times by erupting volcanoes.  All that activity has left modern-day visitors a 21-mile-long playground for beachgoers, scuba divers, snorkelers, golfers, fishing enthusiasts and just about anyone seeking fun.  You can even go to the horse races if you so desire.

The island is mostly flat. Its rolling hills, deep rifts and gullies provide a scenic home to colorful and interesting plants and wildlife.  Its west coast boasts beaches of fine white sand bordering a blue-green Caribbean sea, while the Atlantic Ocean supplies the east coast with waves that inspire surfers and other water sports enthusiasts.  The constant breeze of the trade winds gives Barbados a mild and pleasant tropical climate, with average temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees.

First occupied by the British in 1627, Barbados remained a British colony until internal autonomy was granted in 1961.  The island gained full independence in 1966, and maintains ties to the British monarch represented in Barbados by the governor general.  The British influence remains intact, however, as evidenced by the afternoon tea served at many hotels on the west coast, in St. James parish, and English is spoken throughout the island.

Touring here can be done aboard historic ships, submarines, private sailboats or chartered yachts. Or, you may want to spend more time seeing the island's treasures through a dive mask.  Coral reefs fringe the shoreline to provide excellent snorkeling and scuba diving amid colorful, undulating sea gardens and bright tropical fish.

Touring on land can be done by rental car, taxi, motor scooter or even on horseback.  Although the island's stunning beaches are captivating, you can find many attractions inland as well. Andromeda Gardens in St. Joseph Parish, for example, with its winding paths, ponds and abundance of orchid varieties, trees and other plants is a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

In the evening, you may find visiting troupes performing opera and theater, and an annual jazz festival returns every January. Accommodations range from luxurious hotels and villas, to pirates' castles, to apartments with kitchenettes, to modest seaside cottages.

Barbados is an island tailor-made for beach lovers, with the dazzling white sand and swaying palms that are the Caribbean's siren call.  Add sparkling turquoise waters, balmy temperatures, and clear blue skies, and the winter-weary traveler finds Barbados simply irresistible.

Three hundred years of colonial rule have left a veneer of the British on the island, but beneath this is a vibrant culture that is truly unique. Bajans are lively yet sophisticated, relaxed yet reserved.  With a healthy tourist-based economy and a long history of stable government, Barbados attracts visitors from the UK, Canada, and Europe as well as the U.S.  The exclusive resorts, especially along the west coast, cater to the wealthiest visitors, though more modest accommodations can be found in the south and east.

Although the island is only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, it's full of natural wonders and points of historical interest.  At least three fine botanical gardens, countless pristine beaches, numerous great houses and former plantations, multiple sports and recreation complexes, and English-style parish churches are the pride of the island.  Bajans have a penchant for orderliness and decoration, which manifests itself in the gingerbread-work "chattel" houses painted in pastel colors and surrounded by neat gardens, not to mention the well-maintained roads and tidy public spaces.  The capital, Bridgetown, is one of the most dynamic cities in the Caribbean, while nightlife at nearby St. Lawrence Gap attracts visitors and locals alike.

Perhaps Barbados' biggest draw, however, is the local people.  Bajans excel at the art of making visitors feel welcome.  Don't be surprised when a local cab driver points out his picture-perfect home or asks if you'd like to see his parish church.  Strong community bonds and even stronger family ties run deep on the island; even the annual influx of tourists doesn't alter the island's essential character.

Some of the fun things that we like to do in Barbados is Glide on crystalline waters along the palm-tree-clad coast on a Tiami Catamaran Sailing Cruise.  We also like to bounce along back roads by jeep to find stunning vistas overlooking the island, with the help of a jovial crew from Island Safari.   A fun way to get around the island is the way Bajans do, on a reggae bus. As well as being inexpensive and practical transport, this bus features music blasting from the driver's boom box—a veritable Top-40 hit parade of the locals' favorite tunes.

With an abundant natural beauty, an idyllic climate, and enviable cultural resources, Barbados truly is an island with everything.