Barbados is a 35km long, 25km wide island with year round sunshine, cooling sea breezes and the most beautiful golden beaches. The island rose up out of the sea as a result of colliding tectonic plates giving it the white coral stone which is used to such good effect in buildings.

British, African, Caribbean and North American influences have given Barbados a diverse architectural, culinary, music, dance and art flavour helping to make it a fascinating place.

Barbados was discovered by the British in 1625. The island maintains a solid infrastructure established during the colonial era with uninterrupted political stability throughout the island's history. Barbados became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth in 1966.

Agriculture was the main source of income for the island through the production of sugar but nowadays tourism is the main earner followed by information technology and financial services.

The population is approximately 263,000 with English being the main language used with a Barbadian dialect. The capital is Bridgetown in the South West of the island, the currency is the Barbados Dollar and the time zone is North American Eastern Standard Time (GMT minus 5 hours)

The Barbadian people in general are religious, with over 100 religions being practised harmoniously all over the island, 33% are Anglicans and 25% Pentecostal.

Travel

There are a number of car hire firms on Barbados which let you hire cars for a single day, several days or a whole week, depending on your preference. The road system is reasonable with 2 main highways running along the South and up the West coasts.

The buses in Barbados are excellent. Yellow privately owned and blue Government buses run throughout the island costing a flat rate of BDS$ 1.50.

General Points

The island has good medical cover with a public hospital and 2 private hospitals.

There are G.P. Surgeries and Pharmacies around the island and a state-of-the-art A and E department with 24 hr cover in the centre of Holetown.

The Emergency service numbers are in the apartment and the agent will advise you of these.

The apartment is fitted with fire and smoke detectors, fire blankets and extinguishers.

The water is safe to drink.

The Island's currency is the Barbados Dollar which is tied to the US Dollar, both currencies are readily accepted on the Island. There are banks throughout the island that cash travellers cheques and have cash-point machines which accept major credit and debit cards.