Beautiful Coastal Sightseeing Tour of Barbados

The Garrison Historic Area

From 1655 large fleets of British ships and soldiers were visiting and Barbados making it there base of operation. In the early years there were no barracks for them or provisions, the care and expense of the officers fell in the hands of Barbadians themselves. After repeated visits this became quite burdensome especially considering it was at a time when the island was quite impoverished. The legislature of Barbados was moved to petition the British government for a permanent garrison to be built on the island.

It was not until 1780 that it was finally decided by the British Government to station a permanent garrison on the island.

It was eventually decided that the Garrisons should be built near Charles Fort and St Anne’s Castle. 16 acres were purchased in 1789 and construction began by the early 19th century most of the buildings had been completed and had grown to cover 64 acres. The Garrison in Barbados is in fact the largest in the Caribbean.

Many of the buildings were constructed of London brick brought out as ballast in ships which returned with sugar. Some 60 of the original buildings are still in existence today.

The Savannah of itself was a very rocky area where many crabs lived. It had to be filled in and leveled for the troops to practice on. It was also the birthplace of cricket in Barbados and today serves as the islands racetrack.

On November 30th 1966 Barbados was led into Independence by the then Premier Errol Walton Barrow, officially celebrating the achievement of nationhood as a sovereign and independent state within the Commonwealth

Miami Beach, Barbados, near the town of Oistins, is a popular sandy beach in Barbados. It is located on the south coast of the island, with usually calm waters and brilliant sunset views. On its north side is Enterprise Beach, a much more sheltered bay popular with families.

Some say the name “Foul Bay” was given to this beautiful beach because up to the mid-1950s fishermen used to sell their catch on Foul Bay Beach. The fish was de-scaled and gutted on the spot. The smell was foul, hence the name. Others say Foul Bay it is an adaptation of the original name Fowl Bay which itself originated from the large number of migrating birds that once nested in a swamp located in the area.

Foul Bay was the location where the famous Harp Gun was off loaded from a ship and then transported to its location at Paragon. Train tracks were laid to aid in transporting the gun

Visit Codrington College a beautiful serene historical site, one of a kind.

Bathsheba is located on the Eastern coastline of Barbados. It is said that this area was named after the wife of King David whose name was “Bathsheba”. Legend has it that she bathed in milk to keep her skin beautiful and soft, and the rolling surf waters of Bathsheba’s “Soup Bowl” resembled Bathsheba’s bath. The area is popular with surfers. It is a popular area for locals and visitors alike and is dotted with several seaside cottages.

Stop at One of the oldest Churches on the Island and see the spectacular views of the East Coast

We visit North Point Barbados for the great views and a great Lunch at the Cave Restaurant. The Animal Flower Cave is also located at North Point But the entrance fees to the cave are not included in this tour the lunch however is. Dutring the Months of Dec to April Humpback whales migrate through the Caribbean. North Point is one of the popular viewing sights.

The town was at one point called Little Bristol because of it's trading links with Bristol England

Larger ships always sailed into Speightstown because they could not get into Bridgetown until the deepwater harbor was constructed. They would load their cargo on to smaller ships that would then deliver to Bridgetown.

Sprightstown is also the port that many slaves in the triangular slave trade first sailed into. Arlington House now serves as a museum but was once a make shift clinic for slaves who often arrived on the island ill due to the horrid conditions they endured on the Atlantic crossing

Just North of Speightstown is Almond Hotel. This was once the Heywood’s sugar Plantation and was one of the locations used in the filming of the Tamarind Seed with Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. Another was the old Paradise Hotel

Holetown is the site of the first British settlement on the island. On May the 14th 1626 Captain John Powell was the first Englishman to encounter Barbados. He along with his crew was in fact on their way from Brazil when the trade winds blew their ship the "Olive Blossom" into Barbados. On arrival to the Island, The Captain sent some men to the shore. They wrote the words James K of E on a tree and named the area James's town (Jamestown). Today Jamestown is called Holetown because the river outlet in the area reminded them of an area called "The Hole" in the Thames River in England.

It was said that the first institution the English established in a new colony was a drinking house. The Spaniards and Church and the Dutch a fort. In Holetown there are two historic Churches

Drive through the Capital Bridgetown a UNESCO World Heritage Site