The Port of Bridgetown, Barbados

BARBADOS PORT AUTHORITY The Port of Bridgetown opened in 1961 as the deepwater gateway to Barbados. A premier Caribbean cruise call, the port is lauded as one of the most competitive and efficient in the region, with five berths totalling 1,531 meters in length and operated by a highly skilled labor force. Each year, hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers call at Barbados. The spacious Bridgetown Cruise Terminal was designed to enhance these visitors’ experience, with customs, immigration, port health and quarantine offices, and an office of the Barbados Tourism Authority conveniently located within. A large part of the terminal is dedicated to shopping, and visitors can purchase jewelry, fine linen, crafts and electronic equipment in a number of beautiful shops, most of them duty-free.

Outside, Chattel House Village greets visitors with open-air restaurants, a concessionaire’s market where arrangements can be made for many island activities and a telecommunications center with multilingual staff. Cruise tour specialists offer special programs and shore excursions for cruise lines. Barbados offers an ideal Caribbean vacation, with all the clear blue sea, white sandy beaches and sunshine a visitor could desire. The island also offers guests an opportunity to explore its fascinating history and architectural and cultural heritage and enjoy its endlessly diverse natural attractions.

LOCATION The most easterly island in the Caribbean, located northeast of Venezuela, Barbados gained full independence in 1966 and is a part of the British Commonwealth. Its capital city and commercial center is Bridgetown. LANGUAGE English CURRENCY Barbadian (BDS) Dollars, tied to the U.S. Dollar at the fixed parity of US

SIGHTS AND ATTRACTIONS Historical landmarks abound. Many sites are beautifully managed by the Barbados National Trust (246-426-2421), including: Andromeda Botanic Gardens, one of the finest botanical collections in the region; Arbib Nature & Heritage Trail, winding through rolling hills and sugar cane fields and a working sugar plantation; Gun Hill Signal Station, with a superb view of the island and collections of military memorabilia; Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill, commanding panoramic views and offering displays documenting the island’s sugar glory days; Sir Frank Hutson Sugar Museum and Factory, which relates the Barbadian history of producing sweets, sugar, molasses and rum; the beautifully restored Bridgetown Synagogue, believed to be the oldest temple in the Western Hemisphere; Tyrol Cot Heritage Village, with its replica of a 1920s Barbadian village; Welchman Hall Gully, a mile-long ravine filled with exotic trees and plants, and Wildey House, a Georgian Great House filled with elegant mahogany furniture and Victorian china and crystal.

Other wonderful sites include The Barbados Museum (246-427-0201) with superb collections of decorative arts, archeology and natural history; Francia Plantation (246-429-0474), a plantation house with tropical gardens; St. Nicholas Abbey, a 330-year-old Jacobean mansion; Sunbury Great House (246-423-6270), with collections of prints, china, glassware, antiques and horse drawn carriages, gardens and a restaurant, and Mount Gay Malibu Visitors Center (246-425-9066) and Four-square Rum Factory, offering a glimpse into the colorful history of Barbados’s rum industry.

ACTIVITIES Over 70 square miles of beaches welcome visitors to Barbados, and underground caverns, caves and sea pools, flower forests and mangrove swamps are just some of the island’s other natural wonders. Ideal for year-round diving, with beautiful fringes, barrier reefs and 200 wreck sites, sunny weather also makes Barbados a golf destination, with excellent courses and packages offered by major hotels. Many of the island’s tour operators will arrange special itineraries, including pub crawls, biking, hiking, horseback riding, sailing and kayaking, water sports, visits to spas and more.

DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT West Indian culture can be experienced at the Plantation Theatre (246-428-5048), where the Bajan Roots & Rhythms show is accompanied by fine Barbadian cuisine. The folkloric dinner show 1627 and All That (888-SUN-SAND) features performances by the country’s leading dance company. Fine restaurants abound and offer island delicacies and international cuisines along with views and hospitality. Nightclubs feature band music ranging from calyso to R & B. Nightlife is also found in many hotels. Evening dinner cruises are offered by Tall Ships Cruises (246-430-0900). And an Atlantis by Night (246-436-8929) submarine escapade from Bridgetown is a nightime treat not to be missed.

SHOPPING Bridgetown is the heart of shopping in Barbados, and the duty-free selection is extensive. Pelican Crafts Centre is where visitors can observe artisans at work as well as purchase crafts, tropical batiks and more. Throughout the island, Best of Barbados sells its internationally known Barbadian products. In St. Thomas, and a tour of the Earthworks production pottery and gallery is a must. Not least, visitors take home Barbados rum, available in a variety of ages and processes rarely seen elsewhere. $1 = BDS$2. U.S. Dollars are widely accepted.

For information, contact: Barbados Port Authority, University Row, Princess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, Barbados; phone 246-430-4700, fax 246-429-5348, www.barbadosport.com.

For tour and travel information, contact the Barbados Tourism Authority, Harbour Road, Bridgetown, Barbados; phone 246-427-2623, fax 246-426-4080, www.barbados.org.