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The outskirts of Bridgetown hold some colonial and modern day treasures, from the restored mili- tary buildings that surround the Garrison Savannah – now the island’s main race-track – to the rum factories that continue to churn out top-quality liquor.

A sparkling strip of sand runs for many miles north of Bridgetown and, though dotted with the homes of the rich and famous, remains open to all. A couple of small towns stud the coast: resort- like Holetown, with its wide selection of restaurants, shops and banks, and the quiet and largely untouristed Speightstown, a one-time thriving and wealthy port.

Easily the busiest and most populated place on the island,Bridgetown is the nation’s capital.Lively, colourful and buzzing with the activities of city life, the place is mostly modern and functional, and remains home to its main businesses, schools, churches, shops and markets.

For many visitors Barbados’s tropical climate is its leading attraction – hot and sunny year-round. The weather is at its best during the high season from mid-December to mid-April, with rainfall low and the heat tempered by cooling trade winds. Things can get noticeably
hotter during the summer and, particularly in September and October, the humidity can become oppressive. September is also the most threatening month of the annual hurricane season, which runs from June through October, though it’s worth bearing in mind that, on average, the big blows only hit about once a decade.

Pulling in Caribbean first-timers and experiencedvtravellers in equal measure, Barbados is justifiably onec of the most popular islands in the region. Certain pleasures are quite obvious – the delightful climate, the gorgeous blue sea and brilliant white sandy beaches – but an engaging blend of cultures and a balanced approach to development help set it apart from similar sun-drenched destinations.
For more than three cen- turies Barbados was a British colony and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it retains something of a British feel: the place names, the cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches and even a hilly district known as Scotland. But the Britishness can be
exaggerated, for this is a distinctly West  Indian country, covered by a patchwork of sugarcaneields and dotted with tiny rum shops. Calypso is the music of choice, flying fish he favoured food, and nfluences are as likely to emanate from America asrom Europe.Meanwhile he people of Barbados, known as Bajans, are as warm and welcoming as you’ll find anywhere. Among the more tradi-ional attractions are the
sland’s evocative plantation houses, colourfulbotanical gardens, and proud military forts andsignal stations.The capital Bridgetown makes for a lively place to visit, with an excellent national museum and great nightlife in its bars and clubs.Then there are the beaches, from the often-
crowded strips such as Accra Beach and Mullins Bay to tiny but superb patches of palm-fringed sand like Bottom Bay in the southeast.And all
around the island you can find first-rate food and drink; particularly delightful are the many bars andrestaurants that overlook the ocean.