Barbados – a bit British and full of joie de vivre

There’s no question about it: On this distant island, the easternmost part of the Lesser Antilles, dreams drop anchor. “”Little England” is what visitors call the 431 square kilometers of Barbados. Also because numerous memories of the three hundred years of colonial time of the British have been preserved and perhaps also because the law enforcement officers on the island dress in blue trousers and white shirts. While the sky opens its floodgates again and again in the former motherland, the sun shines on Barbados three hundred days a year.

A few years ago, UNESCO put the picturesque old centre of the capital Bridgetown on its list of World Heritage Sites. The island’s current metropolis was founded as early as 1628, and old writings indicate that there was already a bridge over the Constitution Rover at that time. “Indian Bride” was what the inhabitants of the time called this bridge – and the way to “Bridgetown” was not far.

Holidaymakers in Barbados are warmly recommended to take a stroll through this friendly and by no means hectic city, because it has a lot to offer. For example, the venerable St. Michael’s Cathedral, Harrison College, St. Anne’s Garrison and the Nelson Monument in front of the Parliament building. The statue of the legendary British admiral dates back to 1813, making it three decades older than the famous column in the City of London.

Barbados – but above all that is the certainty that the beaches here are endless. Infinitely white, infinitely romantic and so much to the taste of those holidaymakers who are enthusiastic about long walks by the warm sea. The world-famous “Platinum Coast” is something like the declared icing on the cake among the island’s many beaches. Here you can flirt, honeymoon and, above all, relax. Here, divers and snorkelers go on an interesting underwater hunt, because on the colorful coral reefs on the doorstep of the inviting resorts you can even find turtles and leatherback turtles.

If you are lucky enough to have booked your holiday in Barbados in July or August, you can enjoy the so-called “Crop Over”. Behind it are attractions of all kinds. They range from photogenic calypso competitions to colorful parades in the streets and open-air concerts. There is laughter and – of course – the rum. After all, it celebrates the end of the sugar cane harvest.

Trips across the island include St. Nicholas Abbey, one of the oldest plantation houses in the entire Caribbean. The east coast is the preferred area for surfers, and from the historic fishing village of Bathsheba there is a hiking route to Mount Hillaby. Barbados delights with a cheerful mixture of reggae, calypso and a pinch of British tradition. The island “born from dreams” stands for joie de vivre and feelings of happiness.