By John Roberts
We made our second visit to Barbados last week. Like many islands of the Caribbean and West Indies, it serves up sun, smiles and days filled with opportunities for active adventure. We jumped into the warm waters of Barbados for a day of swimming and snorkeling (you'll see that's what we're usually up to when we visit this region). "I could come back here forever and never get bored doing this," CMac says of snorkeling and lazing about down here.
We pulled up in Bridgetown, the capital and largest city in Barbados, which is the easternmost island of the West Indies. It was settled by the British in the early 1600s and gained full independence in 1966.
Here are some reasons you might like to come to Barbados.
We made our second visit to Barbados last week. Like many islands of the Caribbean and West Indies, it serves up sun, smiles and days filled with opportunities for active adventure. We jumped into the warm waters of Barbados for a day of swimming and snorkeling (you'll see that's what we're usually up to when we visit this region). "I could come back here forever and never get bored doing this," CMac says of snorkeling and lazing about down here.
We pulled up in Bridgetown, the capital and largest city in Barbados, which is the easternmost island of the West Indies. It was settled by the British in the early 1600s and gained full independence in 1966.
Here are some reasons you might like to come to Barbados.
Catamaran adventures. Stretch out on the trampoline areas of the cat and soak up the sun (or the splash if the waters are wavy) as you make your way to a snorkeling reef or beach area for fun in the water. The catamaran is the vehicle of choice in the blue waters of Barbados, and you'll see plenty hoisting their sails and sharing the waters at the touristy hot spots. Bob Marley, native daughter Rihanna or other popular Caribbean island musicians provide the soundtrack to the day as you alternate time in the water and at the bar downing rum drinks and beer. You'll usually get a lunch, too. We had one the best home-cooked meals on our initial cat outing in Barbados on Sail Calabaza.
Sea turtle encounters. You can snorkel up close with green sea turtles. They tend to be more active and visible when not in mating season. We saw a lot of them during one trip in October but not so many during our latest trip (early December). They do get close, too. It's neat to watch them drift down to the sea floor to graze on sea grass and then many minutes later, head back to the surface for a bit of air.
The hospitality. Get used to being called Buddy while being served tasty beverages or just wandering around town. Smiles seem to be the main currency in Barbados. What's not to be happy about, I guess. Living and playing amid the sand and sun year-round? Yeah, that works!
A flavor to savor. Grab a Banks beer while you're here. This crisp lager, brewed since 1961 on Barbados, won the gold award at the 2013 Monde Selection. They are served up cold on the island and go down fast.
-- JR
-- JR
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