The Bahamas has long been one of the most eco-friendly destinations in the world—a protector of both the archipelago’s pristine beauty and its endangered species, including the Bahamian Rock Iguana and the West Indian flamingo, the national bird. The critically important work of preserving these natural environments is done by The Bahamas National Trust, an organisation noted for its vast wetland conservation efforts on Andros, New Providence, Exuma, Freeport, and Inagua, home to the largest remaining breeding colony of West Indian flamingos.

NATIONAL PARKS
A treasure trove of biodiversity, the Bahamas National Trust Parks are areas of pure aesthetic beauty and play a crucial part in the conservation of The Bahamas’ natural ecosystems.

ABACO NATIONAL PARK
Spanning 20,500 acres in South Abaco, the Abaco National Park was created to protect the Bahama Parrot and its breeding grounds. Today, with the help of the Bahamas National Trust and conservationists, the park welcomes thousands of Bahamas parrots every spring for the breeding season.

ANDROS NORTH & SOUTH MARINE PARKS
Andros is home to the third-largest barrier reef in the world, the Andros Barrier Reef, measuring over 124 miles long. In an effort to conserve the 8,500 acres of healthiest parts of the reef, these two national parks were created. In turn, a variety of marine life species are protected as well, and there are dive and snorkel spots throughout the parks for people who wish to get a closer look at these flourishing underwater environments.

BLACK SOUND CAY NATIONAL PARK
Located near Green Turtle Cay, this park is an important habitat for many migratory birds, including Painted buntings, Indigo buntings, American redstarts, and others. Mangrove Wetlands, which are important land builders and nursery grounds for many fish, are protected in this area.

BLUE HOLES NATIONAL PARK
Andros, the largest of the Bahamian islands, is home to the highest concentration of blue holes in the world. In an effort to protect these natural wonders, this 40,000 acre national park was formed, creating a safe haven for 22 blue holes and the surrounding pine forests. The park includes nature trails, a gazebo for relaxing, and the famous Captain Bill’s Blue Hole, a popular blue hole to dive into for those feeling adventurous enough.

BONEFISH POND NATIONAL PARK
Bonefish pond, which protects over 1,200 acres of important coastal wetlands, serves as the last remaining tidal mangrove ecosystem on the shores of Southern New Providence. Referred to as an “outdoor classroom” this park is ideal for educational ventures.

CONCEPTION ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Conception Island, revered as one of the most beautiful Bahamian islands, has been uninhabited by humans for over 100 years. This park is a protected area, home to pink sand beaches, sandstone cliffs, mangroves and an abundance of marine and land wildlife.

CRAB REPLENISHMENT RESERVE
In order to meet the demands of heavy harvesting by Bahamians, the Crab Replenishment Reserve was created. This 4,000 acre reserve is home to both inland and coastal crabs, and crabs like the White and Black Land Crab, which have been a food staple for Bahamians for decades.

EXUMA CAYS LAND & SEA PARK
The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park is The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean’s first marine reserve. This stretch of over 112,000 acres protects magnificence of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and tons of wildlife including birds, fish, turtles and iguanas. While you’re here, stroll along pristine beaches, traverse several hiking trails, and observe one of the world’s most stunning ecosystems.

FOWL CAYS NATIONAL PARK
Fowl Cays National Park is smaller in size, but still full of life. The park was introduced as a way to protect the seabed of the surrounding cays. Here you’ll find coral reef, seagrass beds, rocky shore and other valuable habitats.

GRAHAM’S HARBOUR IGUANA & SEABIRD NATIONAL PARK
This park devotes itself to protecting several species of seabirds and San Salvador’s rock iguanas, one of the rarest lizards on Earth. The park also protects extensive seagrass beds and reef systems that are important for fisheries.

GREEN’S BAY NATIONAL PARK
This is another area that protects the rare San Salvador rock iguana. Also within this park you’ll find a reef system, and a stretch of rocky shoreline that supports shearwaters and tropicbirds.

HARROLD & WILSON PONDS NATIONAL PARK
Harrold & Wilson Ponds National Park is 250 acres of protected wetland habitats for birdlife in New Providence. These habitats are extremely important to birdlife, since the concentration and variety of birds such as herons, egrets, ibises, and more, is so high in this area.

HOPE GREAT HOUSE
Located on the west coast of Crooked Island, this 3.6-acre national park protects the ancient remains of some Loyalist plantations from the beginning of the 19th century. This preserved historic property includes an artillery battery and living quarters, and at the top of the ridge you can find cannons.

INAGUA NATIONAL PARK
Great Iguana, the southernmost island in The Bahamas, is home to this 287 square mile park, the site of the largest breeding colony of West Indian Flamingos in the world. After spending forty years on the endangered species list, there are now approximately 70,000 flamingos living on the island. But it isn’t just flamingos you’ll find when visiting. The park is also home to the native Bahama parrot, the endemic Inagua Woodstar Hummingbird, and many other unique bird species.

LEON LEVY NATIVE PLANT PRESERVE
Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve is the first national park in Eleuthera. This 25-acre botanic garden showcases a variety of native and endemic Bahamian plants, along with insects, reptiles, and birds. This preserve is used as a research centre for traditional bush medicine, as well as an educational centre.

LITTLE INAGUA NATIONAL PARK
The largest uninhabited island in the Wider Caribbean, these remote saltwaters contribute to the supply of fisheries, eggs, larvae, and sub-adults that are swept into the other parts of the Bahamian marine territory. The 62,800 acre park is a protected area and nesting location for the critically endangered sea turtle, as well as protection of the marine ecosystem for fishery replenishment purposes.

LUCAYAN NATIONAL PARK
Lucayan National Park is the 2nd most visited park in The Bahamas, and an important part of Freeport’s economy. This park protects one of the world’s longest charted underwater cave systems, preserved remains of the Lucayan Indians, and natural environments like pine forests, mangroves creeks, coral reefs, and the world-famous Gold Rock Beach. This is the perfect park for history and nature lovers alike.

MARINE FARM
Crooked Island’s plantation history dates back to the 19th century. By then, the island was home to more than 40 plantations and 1200 slaves. This 4.4 acre national park protects the remains of some of these historic plantations.

MORIAH HARBOUR CAY NATIONAL PARK
This 6,800 acre stretch of beaches, sand dunes, mangrove creeks, seagrass beds, blue holes, and coral reefs is a vital part of the ecosystem between Great and Little Exuma. The park includes stunning land and seascapes, shifting sandbars, mangroves, creeks, lagoons and more. With these habitats come a variety of wildlife, including birdlife, queen conch, spiny lobster, and others.

PELICAN CAYS LAND AND SEA PARK
Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, the second land and sea park created at the time of its emergence, is an ideal spot for diving and snorkeling due to the extraordinary reef systems. Among these reefs are a variety of tropical marine life, with more than 170 species, including the endangered sea turtle, documented within the park.

PETERSON CAY NATIONAL PARK
This small, one-and-a-half acre area of protected marine habitat is recognized as an Important Bird Area because of its significant population of Bridled Terns.

PIGEON CREEK & SNOW BAY NATIONAL PARK
As San Salvador’s only tidal creek, Pigeon Creek is an important conservation area. The park’s creek houses mangroves, seagrasses, hard bottom corals and sponges and is home to the island’s main population of sea urchins. It’s the only nursery area for the Nassau Grouper, as well as a nursery for spiny lobster and reef fish.

PRIMEVAL FOREST NATIONAL PARK
This undisturbed old-growth woodland is reminiscent of the early tropical forests of The Bahamas. Home to dramatic sinkholes, diverse animals and plants, and one of the last remaining places you can find the blackland coppice that once covered the island.

RAND NATURE CENTRE
Rand Nature Centre in Freeport is now home of the administrative office of the Bahamas National Trust. The centre is home to a wide range of flora, and a well-known birding spot.

THE RETREAT GARDEN
The Retreat Garden is exactly how it sounds- a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Nassau. This botanical garden is 11 acres of rare tropical plants, palms, native hardwoods, and a haven for migratory and residential birds.

SOUTHERN GREAT LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Southern Great Lake National Park, located in the centre of San Salvador, protects an extensive mangrove ecosystem and the endangered San Salvador rock iguana.

TILLOO CAY NATIONAL RESERVE
This park was created in efforts to protect several species of Tropic Birds, which use this cay’s shoreline as a nesting site. Among these birds is the White-Tailed Tropicbird, the typical Tropicbird of The Bahamas. This 11-acre area is brimming with natural beauty.

UNION CREEK RESERVE
Union Creek, a known sea turtle research centre, is located in the northwest corner of the Inagua National Park. This reserve is a natural habitat for Green and Hawksbill turtles, along with mangroves and lush seagrass beds. This reserve plays a large role in protecting the endangered sea turtle population.

WALKER’S CAY NATIONAL PARK
With its own barrier reef surrounding this northern cay, Walker’s Cay is brimming with unique marine life and ideal for diving excursions.

WEST COAST MARINE PARK
West Coast Marine Park is famously recognized as the place where Christopher Columbus first made landfall in The Bahamas. Home to breathtaking coral wall formations and pristine beaches, divers and visitors find this park an alluring attraction.

The Bahamas delivers the spectacular. With 16 unique islands, the possibilities for your Big Day are endless. Getting your marriage licence is easy and our wedding specialists are here to assist every step of the way.

TOP REASONS WHY
MORE COUPLES GET MARRIED IN THE BAHAMAS
Otherworldly Scenarios
Dream-come-true settings are our specialty.

Begin Ever After, Right After
Marry on one island; honeymoon on another.

SOMETHING BLUE
A wedding on a secluded sandbar is intimate, yet grand. Share it with a few of your closest friends or let it be just the two of you, married under an arbour in the middle of the ocean.

Get Married on One Island,
HONEYMOON ON ANOTHER
Top off the island destination wedding of your dreams with a seamless honeymoon exit. The destination? One of the dozens of easy-to-reach islands–ranging from laid-back Eleuthera to luxe Harbour Island–where you can slip off the grid and revel in island romance.

From pink sand beaches and lush tropical gardens to elegant ballrooms and intimate hideaways, The Islands of The Bahamas offers countless magical settings for your wedding ceremony.

Our People-to-People programme is based on a simple idea—locals know best.
This immersive cultural experience pairs inquisitive travellers with volunteer locals who generously open their hearts and homes to share their love of these islands. Ask anyone who has connected through the People-to-People programme; they’ll tell you it’s the fastest and best way to find the tastiest fish fry on Arawak Cay in Nassau, reach the most secluded beaches on Long Island, and discover the most photogenic corners in Freeport’s Lucayan National Park.

EXPERIENCES
CULTURE
If you love history and culture, we’ll pair you with a like-minded culture buff to explore The Bahamas’ past and present. From seaside fortresses to pirate hideaways, you’ll enjoy a unique opportunity to hear about the historic events that shaped our beloved islands. A day with an ambassador might include:
– A guided tour of Fort Fincastle and a walk up the Queen’s Staircase in Nassau.
– A look around Bimini’s Dolphin House Museum.
– A visit to Johnston’s Bronze Art Foundry in The Abacos.
– A tea party at Nassau’s historic Government House, hosted by prominent Bahamian women.

CULINARY
If you’re a food lover, we’ll connect you with a fellow foodie for a once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventure in The Bahamas. Our ambassadors love introducing visitors to their favourite restaurants and they’ll often invite you into their home for an authentic Bahamian meal. They might even:
– Take you to the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay for island favourites like conch salad and fried snapper.
– Invite you to a “sip sip” (aka a good-natured gossip session with the neighbors).
– Share their family recipe for Johnny cakes.

NATURAL WONDERS
The Bahamas is an ecological oasis with endless natural wonders just waiting to be explored. We’ll introduce you to an ambassador who knows the ins and outs of every blue hole and pink sand beach. Highlights include:
– Diving into Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island, the second deepest in the world.
– Marvelling at the beauty of the Glass Window Bridge in Eleuthera.
– Walking through all six of The Bahamas’ ecosystems within Freeport’s Lucayan National Park.

FAMILY
Bringing the kids? Tag along with one of our ambassadors and get the inside scoop on The Bahamas’ best family-friendly activities. Whatever the age range and interests of your family, you’ll enjoy a unique opportunity to experience The Bahamas just like a local. A typical day might include:
– Feeding the sun-loving iguanas in The Exumas.
– Shopping for Bahamian-made souvenirs at Nassau’s world-famous Straw Market.
– Riding the waves on Surfer’s Beach in Eleuthera.
– Meeting the pink flamingos at Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservatory in Nassau.

Experience Our History & Culture. Interesting Facts About Barbados.

HISTORY & CULTURE
The history of Barbados is unique, and we Bajans (the familiar term for Barbadians) are at ease with our past and proud architects of our future.

Start your Caribbean cultural holiday here with some interesting facts about Barbados
– Our island was colonised by the English early in the 17th century
– Before then, Barbados was inhabited by Carib and Arawak Native Americans
– Transformed by the plantation system and slavery, we were the world’s number one sugar producer by 1650
– Barbados is the oldest continuing parliamentary democracy outside England
– We achieved universal voting rights in 1943 and opted for full independence from the UK in 1966
– Our cultural roots are in the plantation slavery economy, a unique blend of West African and European
– We speak English with a distinct accent, spiced with words in West African-English pidgin called Bajan
– Enrich your Barbados experience by visiting some of our amazing historical places, including Gun Hill Signal Station, George Washington House and our Parliament Buildings in historic Bridgetown. Take time to look back in time.

HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
Barbados combines visually stunning buildings with the chance to learn about the famous historical architects behind them
The island of Barbados is packed with more stunning historical architectural buildings than anywhere else in the Caribbean. In years gone by, buildings were constructed from coral rather than wood, a natural resource which was popular on the islands. Take a look around Barbados and you’ll stumble across historical architectural styles gracing the imposing and unique great houses, some of which date back as far as the early 17th century. Plantation Houses such as these showcase Caribbean colonial architecture which dates from the British influence of the Georgian and Jacobean eras. If historical sightseeing has drawn you to Barbados, then waste no time heading for the museums, old towns and traditional villages. Combining uniquely Caribbean charm with a genuine glimpse into the past, these sites are also home to statues, monuments and fascinating landmarks. The Garrison, located in the Barbados capital of Bridgetown, is a Unesco World heritage site, and the Barbados National trust, as well as private patrons, has been heavily involved in restoring the examples of historical architectural styles to their former glory.

Of course, Barbados is now home to modern buildings, infrastructure and architecture, but the locals are in no hurry to sweep the past aside. Modern buildings offer the facilities visitors rely upon, but do so in a way which is sympathetic to the colonial architecture surrounding them. A historic sightseeing tour of this part of the Caribbean is a treat packed with secret treasures, timeless sites and local charm.

LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS
Barbados is an island where the past sits side by side with the present. The Caribbean landmarks and famous historical sites bring history to vibrant life.

If you’re planning a holiday on the stunning Caribbean island of Barbados, make sure your sightseeing itinerary takes in visits to some of the many famous historical monuments and landmarks. Virtually every aspect of life in Barbados is captured in a landmark or monument of some kind – from military history and architecture all the way to religious sites and the story of Barbadian agriculture. Stunning natural landmarks abound, such as Animal Flower Cave, Coles Cave, Harrison’s Cave and The Spout, while those which have been constructed by the people of the island include the Bridgetown Historical Centre, Garrison Historic Area, Nidhe Israel Synagogue, St. James Parish Church, Drax Hall Estate, Sam Lord’s Castle and St. Nicholas Abbey, to name just a few. Barbados people are proud of their history, and you can visit and take photographs which will make you proud to have been a witness to it.

The rich history and heritage of Barbados means that the island is packed with monuments and statues celebrating the individuals who have played key roles in its cultural and social development. Travel to Highway 1 on the Emancipation roundabout and you’ll find Bussa, a massive bronze statue depicting a slave with broken chains, which celebrates the emancipation of the island and its people. In Rock Hall you’ll find a similar monument depicting a family of freed slaves in celebration of the fact that Rock Hall was the first free village in Barbados. The capital of Bridgetown boasts more patriotic monuments and memorials than anywhere else in the Caribbean, and iconic examples such as the Emancipation Statue and Independence Arch attract sightseeing tourists from all over the world.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
The libraries and museums in Barbados are packed with fascinating books and beautiful objects, everyone with a story to tell.
If you’re looking for a Barbados library, then you’re pretty much spoiled for choice. The two main examples on the island are the Shilstone Memorial Library and the National Library in the capital Bridgetown. The first of these, the Shilstone Library, has a diverse and fascinating collection of more than 6,000 books journals and pamphlets. No matter what area of life in the Caribbean interests you, you’ll find plenty worth exploring here – from history, pre-history and archaeology, through to information on art, architecture, furniture and craft, alongside a collection of stunning rare books from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. As a visitor to Barbados you can become a member of the National Library and while away some time exploring the reference section, which is packed with information on the society and history of this beautiful island.

If you want to take a more hands-on approach to studying Barbados history, then visit one of the many museums in Barbados. There are no fewer than nine museums, where you’ll find information and educational content, set out in an interactive and entertaining manner. The newest of the museums boast state of the art displays which utilize cutting edge technology, but the more traditional institutions have plenty of offer visitors as well. The Barbados Museum and Historical Society has an amazing 500,000 artifacts which, between them, preserve the past of Barbados and tell the tale of Caribbean development right up until the 21st Century.

Some of the museums in Barbados are housed within buildings which, in themselves, are historically significant. Pay a visit while you’re exploring the island and you’ll relish the chance to explore its rich and fascinating history.

MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
Enjoy live music in Barbados when you visit the venues that have entertained visitors from all over the world
You’ll never be short of entertainment and fun when you visit Barbados. Step out under the stars and you’ll find an exciting and unique slice of nightlife around every single corner. From Barbados calypso music at a music festival to jumping bars, tempting rum shops and a piano bar hosted by a world famous Broadway star, you’re sure to be able to find something that fits with your idea of fun. No matter what your idea of a good night out is, it’s waiting for you in Barbados – from romantic cruises and dinner shows to night submarine dives and special activities for children, there’s always something happening. If you want a unique taste of Caribbean entertainment, then take in some limbo and fire eating as part of a floor show you’ll remember forever.

As well as fantastic weather, beautiful beaches and the stunning shoreline, Barbados is famed for its music with live performers keen to entertain every visitor in venues scattered across the island. Dance along to folk and popular music or sample the more sedate pleasures of performances with a Western classical or religious influence. In Barbados, the music of Britain and Africa comes together, creating the diversity of Barbadian folk, Caribbean jazz and opera, reggae, tuk music, calypso, spouge and soca.

Amongst the stars you’ll find performing in Barbados will be those famous the whole world over as well as performers who’ve conquered the Caribbean. If you want award winning quality then you’re in the right place and Barbados music festivals attract an international roster of artistes, offering a taste of every type and genre of music. If you’re dreaming of a trip to Barbados, then rest assured the sweet sound of music will be a huge part of it.

LOCAL CUISINE
Combine sun, sea and sand with tasty local Caribbean food when you take your vacation on Barbados
Barbados is famed for stunning beaches and the beauty of the sea which surrounds it, but every year thousands of visitors discover just why it’s also known as the ‘Culinary Capital of the Caribbean’. The cuisine you’ll find in Barbados is as diverse as it is delicious. The many cultures that have explored, colonized and enjoyed the island have each brought their own distinct flavors and ideas, and these have combined to produce a unique tropical offering. A typical Bajan meal might take influences from Africa, India, Ireland and Britain and combine them in the following way; a main meal of meat or fish, marinated in herbs and spices, accompanied by a selection of salads and a range of hot and spicy side dishes. Officially, the National Dish of Barbados is Cou-cou and Flying Fish, and it consists of cornmeal grain and fresh okra, together with savory stewed flying fish flavored with deliciously fresh onion, garlic, thyme, tomatoes and pepper. Also popular with visitors and locals alike are fish cakes. Delicious fried morsels, these snacks consist of salted cod, flour, herbs and pepper, and you’ll find them all over the island, from casual dining spots to the most sophisticated soirees.

Fine dining in the best local restaurants offers sophisticated cuisine prepared by chefs from all over the world. Many of the best eateries offer fresh seafood such as snapper, kingfish and shrimp, prepared using a dazzling variety of delicious techniques. Your local hosts will always ensure that there’s plenty of drink on hand when you’re dining, and a fresh fruit drink made with Mount Gay rum will help to counter the fiery heat of so many Bajan dishes. One example is felernum, a drink which combines sugar, amaretto, rum and lime juice in a delicious taste explosion, while mauby is a non-alcoholic alternative made from the juice of boiled bark.

Visit Barbados and discover our rich and fascinating heritage

BARBADOS HERITAGE
Discover Barbados heritage through our vibrant culture, historic buildings and the friendly people who live here.

With a rich cultural mix of customs and traditions from our English, African and West Indian ancestry, Barbados has a unique culture with strong links to the past.

As well as an enviable mix of sun, sea and sand, Barbados is proud of our globally significant heritage sights and attractions. Visitors to Barbados can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Barbados is known for its wonderfully warm climate, clear, azure-blue seas and soft sandy beaches. Add in tropical forests and lush natural beauty and you have a recipe for paradise. It’s no surprise Barbados is one of the world’s most sought after holiday destinations, and lucky visitors will tell you that there’s so much more to this tropical island. Welcoming people, the best food in the Caribbean and the relaxed lifestyle ensure our visitors fall in love with Barbados. World-class heritage is the icing on the cake.

If you have a passion for history and a love of the past, look no further than Barbados. With a designated UNESCO world heritage site and a rich and colourful story, visitors can immerse themselves in history and watch it brought to life around them through historic sites, traditions, festivals and fun cultural events throughout the year.

HISTORIC BRIDGETOWN AND ITS GARRISON
BARBADOS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
On June 25, 2011 Barbados joined an elite group of nations with world heritage properties when Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This inscription is a tremendous feat for a small Caribbean island states. It presented the opportunity to address the obvious geographical imbalance in sites from Latin American and the Caribbean. UNESCO’s commitment to the identification, protection and preservation of the world’s cultural and natural heritage is enshrined in the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972).

World Heritage sites are places on Earth that are of Outstanding Universal Value to humanity. In other words, these properties must have significance not only for the countries in which they are located, but for the world as a whole. As such, they have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
Historical Importance

Since European settlement almost 400 years ago, Bridgetown became a major port for the shipment of goods, including sugar, and enslaved people in the British Atlantic World. Bridgetown’s irregular settlement patterns and early 17th century street layout reflects the medieval influence of early English settlers on town planning. Its spontaneous development and serpentine street layout supported the development and transformation of creolized forms of tropical architecture built by African labour in a European style.

Barbados was the first port of call for ships making the trans-Atlantic crossing. The island’s geographic location created a strategic military advantage, protecting British trade interests against French, Spanish and Dutch aggression, while also projecting Britain’s imperial power in the region. The town’s fortified port spaces were linked along the Bay Street corridor from the town to the Garrison, circling Carlisle Bay. A complex system of military government evolved in Historic Bridgetown’s Garrison after 1650 and the site developed into one of the most structurally complete and functional British colonial garrisons in the Atlantic World.

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison participated in the international trade of not only goods and people, but also in the transmission of ideas and cultures in the colonial Atlantic World. By the 17th century, trade relationships were established with England, North America, Africa and the colonial Caribbean, making the port a cosmopolitan centre of commerce, settlement and exploitation.

Bridgetown Today
Bridgetown today still functions as one of the island’s business and commercial hubs. Visitors will also appreciate the abundance of malls and duty free shopping available in Bridgetown, as well as the local charm the city brings. Street vendors with their colourful trays of fresh produce and goods can still be found plying their trade in certain locations across Bridgetown. The inner marina and famous Chamberlain Bridge create a safe space for fishing boats, catamarans and pleasure crafts. The east end of the boardwalk leads to Independence Square, a quiet respite in the center of the city. The square has many benches that offer beautiful waterfront views of some of Bridgetown’s most historic buildings, including the Parliament Building.

BARBADOS UNESCO ATTRACTIONS
Bridgetown is a port town and the capital of Barbados. Its central business district is the national centre serving as the primary focus for major office, parliamentary, and shopping services for the island. The Garrison is one of eight Cultural Heritage Conservation Areas on the island and represents a very distinguished era of military colonial history. Within the precincts of this Site, there are one hundred and fifteen listed buildings. The combination of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison represents a worthy collection of history, colonial and vernacular architecture and good elements of the art and science of town planning.

A blend of West African and British cultures
COLONIAL PAST
Barbados was settled by the English in 1624 and the influence of Britain continued uninterrupted for centuries to follow. The culture of Barbados is a blend of West African and British cultures. English is the official language, a consequence of the British colonial rule. However, any ‘Bajan’, another name for Barbadian, would attest that it is in the use of Bajan dialect that they really express Barbadian culture.

Colonial Rule
The island’s British influence commenced nearly four centuries ago in 1625, when Captain John Powell claimed it in the name of King James I. The first British colonists arrived two years later, founding a settlement of 80 civilians and 10 African slaves. From inception, Barbados adopted the British style of government, creating a Parliamentary democracy in 1639. During the colonial period, all members of the Legislative Assembly were members of the elite-plantocracy.

After Britain abolished slavery in 1838, non-whites quickly began to play a role in the island’s government, with the first non-white member elected in 1843.

Barbados gained full political independence from Britain in 1966, but chose to retain its traditional parliamentary democracy governmental style and remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The love of the sport of cricket continues to be reflected as an essential part of Barbados’ culture. The most popular sport in Barbados, its cricket team has won numerous regional titles. Many players on the team go on to greater success on West Indies team to compete in international games. One of the most highly regarded cricket players of all time, Sir Garfield Sobers, is a Barbados native.

Bajans have a deep-rooted spiritual conscious
BAJAN PEOPLE
Barbadians are as we locally refer to ourselves as “Bajans”, are slightly different in comparison to other Caribbean islands. Bajans have a deep-rooted spiritual and religious consciousness. Various values and rules of etiquette that have been passed down through the generations, which have lead to our people being courteous, thoughtful and generous. Don’t be surprised by a flood of Good mornings, Good afternoons and Good nights from passerbys as you traverse the island.

At the heart of the Bajan culture we love to entertain and socialise, debating topics from world politics to which local bar makes the best fish cakes. Most of these debates occur at hundreds of our local rum shops, where people from every social and ethnic background can converge. For the shy and timid who visit the island, be prepared to have those qualities disarmed by our Bajan inviting personality and witty charm. Here are some more quick facts about our people.

Ethnic groups
The population of Barbados is predominantly black (92.4%) or mixed (3.1%).[1] 2.7% of the population is white and 1.3% South Asian. The remaining 0.4% of the population includes East Asians (0.1%) and Middle Easterners (0.1%).

Languages
English is the official language of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration, and public services all over the island. In its capacity as the official language of the country, the standard of English tends to conform to the vocabulary, pronunciations, spellings, and conventions akin to, but not exactly the same as, those of British English.

A regional variant of English referred to locally as Bajan is spoken by most Barbadians in everyday life especially in informal settings. In its full-fledged form, Bajan sounds markedly different from the Standard English heard on the island. The degree of intelligibility between Bajan and general English depends on the level of creolized vocabulary and idioms. A Bajan speaker may be completely unintelligible to an English speaker from another country. Bajan is influenced by other Caribbean English dialects.

Religion
According to the 2010 census, 75.6% of the population of Barbados are considered Christian, 2.6% have a non-Christian religion and 20.6% have no religion.

Anglicanism constitutes the largest religious group, with 23.9% of the population. It is represented by the Church in the Province of the West Indies, within which the island belongs to the Diocese of Barbados. Pentecostals are the second largest group (19.5%).

The next largest group are Seventh-day Adventists, 5.9% of the population, followed by Methodists (4.2%). 3.8% of the population are Roman Catholics. Other Christians include Wesleyans (3.4%), Nazarenes (3.2%), Church of God (2.4%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (2.0%), Baptists (1.8), Moravians (1.2%), Brethren (0.5%), the Salvationists (0.4%) and Latter-day Saints ( 0.1%).

The number of non-Christians is small. 0.7% of the population are Muslims, most of whom are immigrants or descendants of Indian immigrants from the Indian state of Gujarat. There are three mosques and an Islamic centre. Other religious groups include the Rastafarians (1.0% of the population), Rastafarianism was introduced to Barbados in 1975, Hindus(0.5%), Jews (0.05%), the Baha is (0.04%) and Buddhists.

The Best Festivals in the Caribbean
FESTIVALS AND ARTS
Various festivals are celebrated in Barbados annually. From January till December several venues on the island come alive in celebration for one reason or another.

The Barbados Music Awards starts the celebrations in January, followed by the Holetown festival in Holetown St. James in February. Agrofest, an agricultural fair also takes place in February in Queen’s Park in the capital Bridgetown. March offers festivals catering to the foodie and to the horse racing enthusiast. These festivals are Oistins Fish Festival in Oistins, Christ Church and the Sandy Lane Gold Cup held at the Historic Garrison Savannah. The Barbados Reggae Festival which culminates at the historic Farley Hill National Park in St. Peter keeps the festivities pumping in April. Gospelfest a Christian celebration of poetry, dance and song is also staged at Farley Hill in the month of May.

The remaining months of the year consist of several other festivals inclusive of Visual Arts, Pan Pun De Sand, NIFCA (National Independence Festival of creative Arts) and Run Barbados to name a few. The variety of festivals on offer cater a myriad of interests and are sure to intrigue.

The largest and most important festival in Barbados however is Crop Over, which celebrates the end of the sugarcane harvest. This summer festival is celebrated over several weeks and includes fairs, fetes, parades and contests. Crop Over culminates on Kadooment Day. This day features an explosion of colours, food and masqueraders dancing rhythmically to the pulsating beats of Calypso along the streets towards Brandons Beach on the Spring Garden Highway. It is truly the sweetest Summer Festival.

Culinary Capital of the Caribbean
BARBADOS CULINARY
Bajan food is a unique blend of foods with African, Indian and British influences. Your Barbados travel experience will include some truly special meal-time moments to treasure forever. You’re on holiday so try everything – locally caught fish, home-grown grass-fed meats, sweet plantains, rice and peas, tasty West Indian curries and rotis. Explore our delicious Caribbean cuisine.

The national dish of Barbados is Cou-Cou & Flying Fish. although Fishcakes and Saltbread is a close second, affectionately called a ‘bread and two’. Other popular dishes include Pudding and Souse a Saturday staple, and Sunday Food which comprises Macaroni Pie, Rice and Green Peas, Baked Chicken and coleslaw.

Common staples on Barbadian tables include Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava, Breadfruit and Rice. These are usually paired with a variety of fish including flying fish, Many other varieties of fish are found in the clear blue waters surrounding Barbados, including kingfish, swordfish, red snapper, yellow-fin tuna, albacore tuna, marlin, shark and dolphin.

After filling up on these delicious dishes, sweet desserts such as guava cheese are the highlight of the meal.

Food sold by street vendors is popular on the island, and key locations include Baxter’s Road near Bridgetown, and Oistins, with its Friday Night Fish Fry.

BARBADOS MUSIC
What is Barbados Music?
The music of Barbados is a synthesis of diverse styles and influences, most notably of British and African origins, that include folk, Western classical, religious and popular music. The culture of Barbados is a syncretic mix of African and British elements, and the island’s music reflects this mix through song types and styles, instrumentation, dances, and aesthetic principles.

At any time in Barbados you’re certain to hear a distinctive soundtrack of musical styles. From Barbadian folk melodies, Caribbean jazz and opera to the undulating rhythms of calypso, spouge and soca, music has always played an integral part in the history and culture of the island and continues to be an essential ingredient in the daily lives of every Barbadian.

Music History and Influence
Barbadian folk traditions include the Landship movement, which is a satirical, informal organization based on the British navy, tea meetings, tuk bands and numerous traditional songs and dances. Tuk bands consisting of a bow-fiddle or pennywhistle flute, kittle triangle and a snare and double-headed bass drum, modern tuk ensembles offer a distinctly Barbadian blend of African and British music.

Calypso was the first popular music in Barbados, and dates back to the 1930s. Barbadian calypso is a comedic song form, accompanied by guitar and banjo. More recent styles of calypso have also kept a local scene alive, and produced a number of famous calypsonians.

Spouge is a mixture of calypso and other styles, especially ska, and became very popular in the 1960s, around the same time as the Barbadian jazz scene grew in stature and became home to a number of famous performers.

Music Genres
Modern Barbadian popular music is largely based around reggae, ragga and soca, and includes some elements of indigenous styles. Artists like Terencia Coward have used modern popular music with instrumentation borrowed from folk tuk bands. Two of the more popular bands of Barbadian popular music are Krosfyah and Square One [now defunct]; the new wave of singers, largely soca, include Rupee, Lil’ Rick and Jabae with lead vocalist Bruce and Barry Chandler, all recent winners at Crop Over.

A more experimental artist such as poet and fiction writer Anthony Kellman writes thoughtful poetic lyrics delivered in a musical style deeply rooted in Barbadian indigenous folk music with strong elements of African and Latin influences. His albums Wings of a Stranger,Limestone, and Blood Mates have been described as groundbreaking due to his highly original style.

HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE
Testament to Britain’s influence is the architecture of the many historic structures still standing today.
The traditional wood and stone structures, coral was also used in construction, lending a unique Barbadian flair. Jacobean, Georgian, and Victorian styles dominate the landscape, and these were mostly constructed by slaves. The iconic Chattel House was also constructed by slaves and is an integral of the island’s architectural legacy. The vivid colours of these chattel houses shows the West African influence.

As you travel around the island you will see many examples of the Chattel House, a distinct form of architecture that is unique to Barbados. The design of these small wooden houses dates back to Emancipation, when the former slaves were allowed to build a house on a piece of plantation land. Because they did not own the land, the house could not be built on a permanent foundation, in case it had to be moved. The solution to this challenge was to build a wooden house and rest it on a base of coral stone blocks, so that they could literally move house if so required. Hence the name chattel house, as a man’s movable possessions were called his chattels. Despite its humble origins, the chattel house evolved into a carefully planned structure, with several distinct design characteristics and a variety of intricate adornments.

European colonisation of the Caribbean left a rich architectural heritage. Of the English speaking Caribbean, Barbados is perhaps the most fortunate in its profusion of old buildings of all types. These are chiefly late Georgian or Victorian, but include a significant number of earlier structures, including, astonishingly, at least eight major seventeenth century houses and several from around 1700.

Over the 389 years since settlement in 1627, Barbados has developed a unique range of domestic styles – sufficiently interrelated that it might be described as having its own Barbadian architectural ordinance. Georgian designs have had the greatest influence, replacing earlier medieval house forms, most of which must have been demolished in the Great Hurricane of 1780 or earlier, by storms of lesser severity.

Continuous British presence ensured a continuity of the principles of balance, symmetry and harmonious design, which characterised the Georgian style. The conservative Barbadian personality no doubt contributed to more uniform styles. The other major influences were the materials, the climate and the “financial wherewithal”. Coral limestone covers most of Barbados and the extensive inland terraces of old sea-cliffs made quarrying easy and cheap. Hence the use of stone predominated, except for the post-emancipation smaller wooden “chattel” houses, which had to be movable.

The climate, notably high temperatures and heavy rains, required and produced ingenious solutions. With experience of the tropics came wide verandahs and jalousied windows.

Demerara windows (borrowed from Guyana), high, ventilated gables and “tray” ceilings all came into use. Hurricane risks dictated more squat, horizontal buildings and inspired coral stone parapet roofs, including a unique “Barbadian parapet” to protect gabled or hipped roofs from high winds. Indeed the combination of the need to build for strength and the supply of coral stone, and perhaps the traditional conservative nature of the Barbadian, are responsible for the profusion of fine old plantation ‘Great Houses’ and churches still to be seen in Barbados today.

The financial state of the country at various times also had a major influence on building patterns. Barbados attained wealth and importance quickly, with in twenty years of settlement. In 1638, Colonel James Drax and other planters pioneered sugar and by the mid-1640s it was a great commercial success. When Bridgetown was destroyed by fire in 1666 and by hurricane in 1675 there was wealth enough to rebuild in fine style.

Barbados the Birthplace of Rum
BARBADOS SUGAR & RUM
The history of rum strongly suggests that our little island Barbados is the birthplace of rum. When we discovered that a byproduct of our sugar industry – molasses – could be fermented into alcohol, distilled and served to powerful effect, it marked the start of the Rum era.
Rum distinguishes itself from other spirits by the plant from which it is made. It is distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or sugar cane byproducts.

While it’s documented that the island’s first commercial sugar cane crop was planted in 1640, settlers had been harvesting small crops to create a popular beverage called ‘Kill-Devil’ an early ancestor of modern-day rum. Crude distillation methods resulted in a poor-quality spirit; it was not until over a century later that Barbados would produce rum on a commercial level.

Where did rum originate?
The history of rum strongly suggests it was on our little island, when we discovered that a byproduct of our sugar industry – molasses – could be fermented into alcohol, distilled and served to powerful effect. From the Barbados plantation rum of the 1700s to the Barbados rum punch of today, our paradise island is now famous for producing the best rum in the Caribbean.

What does history tell us?
In the nineteenth (19th) century Barbados had just over ten Sugar Factories and sugarcane was harvested by using thousands of African slaves. Harvested crops where brought to the plantations’ grinding windmills. Windmills were abundant back then and utiised wind power to extract the valuable sugar cane juices. Many windmills are still dotted around the island today with the most famous being the Morgan Lewis Windmill. Sugar was then dispatched to Britain to be refined together with molasses and rum. The sugar industry in Barbados has evolved over the years as it has since become fully mechanical with the latest in technology.

Lastly, why is Barbadian Sugar so good?
Barbados’ island temperate, beautiful sunshine and cooling rains have been pivotal in creating the perfect conditions for growing sugar cane since the 1600s. The soil of Barbados also has a special ingredient: high alkaline levels which bring a distinctive combination of minerals and nutrients that help to define the aromatic taste of our sugar.

Barabdos Rum Tours
Make sure to put a Barbados rum tour on your list of travel experiences and discover the fine art of Barbados rum making. A visit to one of our well-run rum distilleries will leave you wiser about the best rum in the world… and perhaps also a little intoxicated. You can choose to visit any of our fascinating distilleries including the Mount Gay Rum Distillery, St Nicholas Abbey Distillery, Foursquare Rum Factory & Heritage Park, and the West Indies Rum Distillery. And remember to share the experience by taking home a sample of our popular high-quality Barbados rum brands including Mount Gay Rum Extra Old, St Nicholas Abbey Rum, Foursquare Spiced Rum, Doorly’s, Rum Sixty Six, Cockspur and Malibu.

Stop at a Rum Shop. Experience Rum like a Local!
There’s a rum shop on every corner of our 166 square miles. No one’s counted but there must be close to 1,500 rum shops scattered across our towns, villages, hills and fields, many with a church immediately next door. On the shelves behind the bar, you’re likely to see a full range of high quality rums, so why not taste a few? Ask for your Barbados rum to be served neat or on the rocks (over ice). If you prefer a little sweetness, mix it with a coke or order our world-famous Bajan rum punch – every establishment serves a rum punch and soon you’ll notice the subtle variation in flavours, as each mix seems to have its own particular character.

Need some food to accompany the alcohol? You may find your rum shop serves simple meals, such as flying fish cutters or a ham or cheese cutter (a sandwich in a Bajan saltbread). Don’t hesitate to ask for what you need; we love to welcome visitors into our unique world.

National Heroes of Barbados
NATIONAL HEROES
There are ten (10) official National Heroes of Barbados. These outstanding Barbadians are recognized as Heroes of the nation for their roles in positively changing Barbados life as we know it. On April 28th of each year Barbadians honour these individuals on the national holiday; National Heroes Day.

Bussa – an African slave led Barbados’ largest slave revolt against the oppressive white planters in April 1816. Bussa was killed during the revolt.

The Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, P.C., Q.C. – the father of Independence, he was the first Prime Minister and he oversaw Barbados’ development as an independent nation.

The Right Excellent Sir Grantley Herbert Adams Q.C., Kt., Bachelor, C.M.G – West Indian statesman. He was highly respected lawyer, he was a master of debate on the floor of the House of Assembly where he fought for a better life for the poor in Barbados

The Right Excellent Mrs. Sarah Ann Gill – the heroine of Methodism and freedom of religion

The Right Excellent Samuel Jackman Prescod – the defender of human rights, he was elected on June 6th 1843 as the first non-White to sit in the House of Assembly.

The Right Excellent Charles Duncan O’Neal – was the first black activist in this century to agitate for free education and free dental care for children, improved housing and abolition of the infamous Located Labourers’ System and the Masters and Servants Act. He was also responsible for the abolition of various oppressive government Acts.

The Right Excellent Clement Osbourne Payne – his outspoken critic of politics and the planter class brought about the introduction of trade union legislation

The Right Excellent Sir Hugh Worrell Springer – appointed the third native Governor-General of the island. He also possessed an unrivaled list of political offices and achievements.

The Right Excellent Sir Frank Leslie Walcott – international figure in trade unionism and also served as President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour for three terms

The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers – he came from humble beginnings in the back streets of St. Michael to becoming the captain of the West Indies team and is still regarded as the world’s greatest all-rounder. He was the first cricketer to score 6 sixes in a 6 ball cricket over.

The number one sport of Barbados; Cricket!
BARBADOS SPORTS
With its year-round temperate climate and abundant tropical vistas, Barbados plays the consummate host to many sports enthusiasts.
With its year-round temperate climate and abundant tropical vistas, Barbados plays the consummate host to many sports enthusiasts.

Well known throughout the Caribbean for sports tourism, Barbadians are avid sportsmen and women, who demonstrate a passion for a wide variety of activities, including horseracing, polo, water sports, road tennis, golf, track and field, and most especially cricket.

This proud history and love of sport has led to the creation of a number of world-class facilities throughout the island, and has encouraged many overseas competitors from Europe, America and other Caribbean nations to come to Barbados for international tournaments or to test their skills with a good match against our local teams.

The number one sport of Barbados, organized cricket in Barbados began in 1892
Barbados’ cricketing history is a glorious one. Many Barbadians have contributed greatly to international and local cricket and the sport is played all year round on the Island. The island boasts many cricket grounds but the most famous would be Kensington Oval which is located in Bridgetown. The first cricket organisation established in Barbados was the Barbados Cricket Challenge Cup Committee in 1892 which later brought about the Barbados Cricket Association in 1933.

To say that cricket in Barbados is a passion would be an understatement. Bajans eat, drink and sleep cricket. And if we’re not playing it, chances are good that we are watching it or talking about it with a keen insight and fervor that would rival even the finest commentators of the game.

A nod to our British heritage, cricket is our national sport. At any time in season, you’re likely to find an elite international test match being played out at Kensington Oval. Or any time of the year, an exciting local club match or a friendly competition played on open fields or along our beaches can be found.

Aside from just a love of the sport, many Barbadian players have become internationally known for their talents on the pitch. With a large contingent of players from Barbados being an integral part of the West Indies team over the years.

Regarded as the greatest all-rounder to ever play the game, Sir Garfield Sobers dominated the sport during his first-class career, even becoming the first batsman to ever score six sixes in a single over — an accomplishment that only one other batsman has since matched. In 1975 Queen Elizabeth II knighted Garfield Sobers in recognition of his services to cricket. And for his great accomplishments to his country, Sir Garry has been named as one of only 10 Barbados National Heroes.

The Cricket Museum
Take a stroll down memory lane and marvel at the cricket wonders and treasures in the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum at Herbert House, Fontabelle. This museum is the first heritage centre solely dedicated to cricket in Barbados. Packed with memorabilia dating back to the early 1900s, the Museum fills the senses with nostalgia for those glory days when the West Indies stood on top of the cricketing world. The Museum provides a wonderful and enriched world for both children and adults.

As you walk through, you will get a sense of the sheer brilliance of some of Barbados’ masters of the game of cricket. You will see the ball bowled by Wes Hall in the first-ever hat-trick by a West Indian, a bat autographed by the first West Indies team to tour England after the Region gained test status in 1928 and a blazer worn by England player, Trevor Bailey, in the West indies tour of 1953/1954. Whether you are a cricket enthusiast or just interested in Barbadian heritage, you will be bowled over by the wealth of information superbly laid out in the intimate setting of the Cricket Museum.

Historical Sites and Landmarks
BARBADOS HISTORICAL SITES
To better understand all that Barbados has to offer, you must first explore the handful of historic sites and properties that best reflect the rich cultural heritage of our beautiful island country.

Arlington House
Housed in a restored eighteenth century building in Speightstown, St. Peter, Arlington House is an interactive three-story museum that is both educational and engaging.

Barbados Museum
Located in the UNESCO World Heritage site, Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society is housed in a former 19th century military prison. The building, whose upper section was built in 1818 and lower section in 1853, became the headquarters of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society in 1933.

Blackmans Gully
Blackmans Gully is located in the parish of St. Joseph on the east coast of Barbados. It is home to the famous Blackman’s Bridge which dates back to 1682. Hop aboard an island tour to discover!

Bridgetown (Capital City)
Established in 1628, Bridgetown is the capital and commercial centre of Barbados and has a population of nearly 100,000. Bridgetown was originally named “Indian Bridge” for the crude bridge which had been constructed over the river (now known as the Careenage) by the Indians. Bridgetown continually plays host to various concerts, cultural festivals and historical lectures, a re-commitment to the renewal and continued development of the capital city. On June 25, 2011 Barbados joined an elite group of nations with world heritage properties when Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Bridgetown Jewish Synagogue
Built in the 17th century (1654) it was destroyed by hurricane in 1831, was rebuilt, fell into disrepair and was sold in 1929. In 1983, however, it was bought back by the Jewish community and was restored to its presently beautiful state.

Cherry Tree Hill
Approximately 850 feet above sea level, this area offers an excellent view of the “Scotland District.” The area is named after a Patron Saint of Scotland and completely covers the parish of St. Andrew. It is believed that the name “Cherry Tree Hill” originated from the large number of cherry trees, which once existed there. Today the road is lined by mature mahogany trees, which were introduced to Barbados after the Treaty of Paris in 1763.

Codrington College
The oldest Seminary in the Western Hemisphere, Codrington College was founded in 1702 under the Will of Christopher Codrington and opened in 1745 as a Theological College. Originally a plantation house, the College was later bequeathed to a religious society that transformed the house and grounds into a seminary. This was the first institution of higher learning for Barbados. The College has fallen into ruin, but lines of poetry inscribed near the swimming pool still survive.

Drax Hall
Though no one knows for sure, it is generally believed that Drax Hall was built by the brothers William and James Drax in the 1650’s. Today it stands along with Nicholas Abbey in St. Peter as one of 3 remaining Jacobean mansions in the entire western world.

Fisherpond House
Situated in the Barbadian countryside is this 350 year old plantation home which has been lovingly restored and filled with antiques. Ask about the tastey Sunday lunch.

Francia Plantation
A regal plantation house situated on a wooded hillside overlooking the picturesque St. George valley, Francia is a recent plantation house having been built in the early part of the 20th century.

Fustic House Estate
One of the true treasures of the Caribbean, Fustic house represents the perfect marriage between the luxury of antiquity and the modern need for room to play. Spread across 11 acres with sprawling grounds, duck ponds, plunge pools and a veritable forest through which to traverse, it is truly magnificent. Fustic House is available as a villa rental.

Garrison Drill Hall
As the name suggests it is the place where many a soldier has been trained. Even now visitors can go and view the old obstacle courses along with a collection of old military vehicles.

George Washington House
George Washington, later to become the 1st President of the United States of America, visited Barbados in 1751 and spent about two months. It is in fact the only place George Washington ever visited outside of the USA.

Glendairy Prison
Though no longer used by the state, the structure and facility itself still represents a unique example of colonial architecture and more over governance. In its time it housed many of Barbados’ most notorious criminals until its eventual demise during a controversial insurrection and subsequent burning.

Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station
Both history and nature lovers will appreciate a visit to Grenade Hall, an attraction which combines a restored historic signal station and a natural forest. In fact it’s really a three-in-one attraction since one entry fee gains admission to both Grenade Hall and the Barbados Wildlife Reserve.

Gun Hill Signal Station
This 1818 signal station was used by the British Army. Families can visit the great white lion, a symbol of British rule on the island. The artist was also a soldier and is said to have carved the statute from a single block of stone, using a lion drawn on a book of matches as his guide.

Harrison’s Cave
One of the most famous natural history sites in the Caribbean, the 3 mile long cave is home to some of the most beautiful rock formations in the western hemisphere and is also a true glimpse into the very formation of Barbados.

Hastings Rocks
Used to hold community events in bygone eras as well as a general “sit and kick back” spot by everyone it maintains this status today. Additionally with the recent addition of the southern boardwalk it’s now more than ever the perfect pit stop.

Holetown
The first settlement in Barbados, Holetown, was originally named Jamestown, after its benefactor, King James I of England. The Holetown Monument (found in the centre of Holetown) commemorates the first English landing in Barbados in 1625.

Illaro Court
The official residence of the Prime Minister of Barbados, the residence like many other refurbished plantation style homes boasts a wealth of antiques and records alike. Of course there is the added attraction that as the home of a Head of State it possesses even more.

Lancaster Great House
Dating back to the 1700s this remarkable plantation has played host to govenermental meetings social gatherings and all manner of events on the social calendar. With its sprawling grounds and beautiful gardens it is at present the home of the Centre for Arts of Barbados.

Main Guard House ( Garrison Savannah)
One of the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia’s “Seven Wonders Of Barbados,” the guard house is home to one of the rarest english canon collections in the world.

Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill
This 250-year-old cane-crushing mill is the largest remaining windmill in Barbados. Recently renovated, the mill commands a splendid panorama of the Atlantic Ocean and the lovely Scotland District.

National Army: St. Anns Fort
A veritable ‘cohoblopot’ of rare English military memorabilia including extremely unique canons, maps, bottles and even blue prints it is a must see for any historian and even those just casually interested in the military forces of centuries of old.

Oistins Bay Gardens
The site of the clash between Royalists and Roundhead supporters in 1639 as they battled for independence from Cromwell’s England, Oisitins is today home to the fishing community of Barbados. A seaside city if ever there was one, visitors can find all manner of seafood to partake in.

Ordnance Hospital
Though not open to public use anymore Letchworth House was one of four buildings that made up the medical branch of the armed forces residing in Barbados during the early 1800s.

Ordnance Hospital Geneva
Though not open to public use anymore Geneva was one of four buildings that made up the medical branch of the armed forces residing in Barbados during the early 1800s.

Ordnance Hospital Lexham
Though not open to public use anymore Lexham was one of four buildings that made up the medical branch of the armed forces residing in Barbados during the early 1800s.

Ordnance Hospital Rafeen
Though not open to public use anymore Rafeen was one of four buildings that made up the medical branch of the armed forces residing in Barbados during the early 1800s.

Parliament Buildings
The Parliament Buildings of Barbados are located at the top of Broad Street. The Barbados Parliament was established in 1639 and is the third oldest Parliament in the entire Commonwealth.

Sam Lord’s Castle – Currently Closed for Renovations
The Estate was once a world renowned resort. It is, however, the history of the place that is far more colourful as it was home to the notorious pirate, Sam Lord. Legend states that he accumulated his bounty by luring ships into the bay with the use of lights hung in coconut trees.

Sir Frank Hutson Sugar Museum
This museum is a permanent record of how sugar was produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The museum now stands a tribute to Sir Frank Hutson, who with assistance from the Barbados National Trust, collected the items in the museum.

South Point Lighthouse
This landmark, with its red and white horizontal bands, is easily spotted from many points along the south coast of the island. South Point lighthouse was assembled in Barbados in 1852 but was refurbished and painted in 2004/2005. It was the first lighthouse erected.

Speightstown
Speightstown was the first major port and commercial centre of Barbados. Falling into disrepair and neglected over the years it has now been revived and is to arguably the most prestigious resorts and homes on the island.

St. James Parish Church
St. James Parish Church is among the four oldest surviving churches in Barbados and is located near the site of the island’s first settlement in Holetown. In the southern porch of the church is a bell with the inscription – “God bless King William, 1696”. This bell pre-dates the famous American Liberty bell by 54 years.

St. John’s Parish Church
Situated on a cliff overlooking picturesque east coast, the church was built in 1836 to replace the church destroyed by the Hurricane of 1831. In the Church Yard, rests Ferdinando Paleologus, descendant of Emperor Constantine the Great, whose family was driven from the throne in Constantinople by the Turks. Ferdinando died here in 1678, after being a resident for over 20 years.

St. Nicholas Abbey
St. Nicholas Abbey, located in the parish of St.Peter, was built in 1660 and is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere.

Sunbury Plantation House & Museum
This gracious home, dating back to the 1660s, is crafted of flint and other stones imported from England. Renovated twice and burnt down once, it is the only Great House on the island with all rooms open for viewing.

The Baobab Tree (Warrens)
One of only 2 on the island, the tree in Jackson is the oldest known living tree in Barbados. It bears a mahogany-like fruit in the late summer months that tastes much like tamarind only sweeter. Massive in size and majestic in appearance it represents for many the longevity of character that exists in Barbados.

The Old Raild Road
When trekking along the east coast be sure to look out for the iron stakes along the way. They mark the remnants of an old coastal railroad system that ran the length of the eastern coast. You can also learn more about it at the old station in Bathsheba.

The Stone Barracks
Built in 1791 the barracks are still used today as the sleeping quarters of soldiers. It has for many years been considered by Barbadians to be the visual icon of its military force, the Barbados Defense Force (BDF).

Tyrol Cot
Tyrol Cot was the home of Sir Grantley Adams, the first premier of Barbados and the only Prime Minister of the Federation of the West Indies. The home is also the birthplace of his son, Tom, the second Prime Minister of Barbados.

Welchman Hall Gully
Located just a stone’s throw away from Harrison’s Cave this gulley is home to a diverse range of flora, fauna and of course birds and bees. It is most definitely a sure bet for all nature lovers.

Wildey House (Barbados National Trust Headquarters)
The headquarters of the Barbados National Trust is now Wildey House, a beautiful old Georgian Great House set in five acres of grounds and woods which underwent extensive renovation between 1995 and 1997.

The chattel house acts as a unique Barbadian icon
THE TRADITIONAL BAJAN CHATTEL HOUSE
Over time, the chattel houses of Barbados have retained their heritage appeal, adding significantly to the charm and beauty of the landscape. Along with the local village shops, they convey a remarkable historical and cultural story related to the post-emancipation plantation economy.

Chattel houses were located on plantations lands as removable structures, since workers often had to relocate their families, if circumstances required. Over time, they evolved both in style and detail, „borrowing‟ some elements, e.g. entrance porches and fretwork, from the stately plantation houses. These ornate features added character and interest to the buildings (Walker, 2011). Built with pride, each of these wooden structures had its own unique character.

Given its appeal across the Barbadian cultural landscape, the chattel house acts as a unique Barbadian icon that can offer a unique experience to visitors. As this once pervasive emblem slowly disappears from the landscape, opportunities have arisen to maintain the legacy of this icon. Chattel house villages have been immortalized in select locations such as St Lawrence Gap, Chattel House Village in Holetown and Tyrol Cot in St. Michael.

Chattel houses are now being utilized both as places of business and as tourist attractions, becoming a signature element of the local tourism brand. “It is one aspect of the visual heritage of Barbados…all these adaptive reuses of chattel houses mean that somebody can, with a modest outlay, acquire a business place. This is the renaissance of the chattel house, its architecture being a whole rich story of a people” (H. Fraser: In Evanson, 2012).

Today, chattel houses are slowly diminishing in number since tastes and building styles have changed, but their use is now being adapted to commercial enterprises. The historical connection to South Carolina as some of the plantocracy relocated northwards is an opportunity to be further explored in the context of developing heritage tourism.

Cherish Your Big Day. Unforgettable Weddings In Barbados.

WEDDINGS & ROMANCE
Get ready to be swept away by the travel experience of a lifetime. What could be more romantic than a wedding in Barbados?
It’s your big day, so choose every detail of getting married in Barbados – your romantic getaway can include a beachside ceremony at sunset with spectacular views as the backdrop to your special moments, or a tropical garden wedding in a sea of colourful blossoms. Invite all of your family and friends, or maybe make your union a small and intimate event. Everything you need for a perfect wedding is here on our cherished Caribbean island.

This is the perfect place to say “I do” and our island offers some of the best honeymoon places in the world. Discover how to get married in Barbados by exploring our Wedding & Romance guides. We hope this information will help you to plan and prepare your dream wedding.

Let a Caribbean wedding planner handle every detail of your big day in Barbados.

WEDDING PLANNERS
The wedding planning companies that work in Barbados are ready and waiting to make your dream Caribbean wedding a life-changing reality.

If getting married against the sumptuous backdrop of the Caribbean is your idea of perfection, then look no further. The best destination wedding planners in the business work on the island of Barbados, taking advantage of an atmosphere and backdrop, you won’t find anywhere else.

Whether your dream wedding involves a traditional church service, a ceremony on a perfect beach or tying the knot against the backdrop of a lush and unspoiled tropical forest, the top destination wedding planners of Barbados will make it happen for you. These experts will put their experience and skills to work on your behalf before, during and after the ceremony itself, leaving you free to concentrate on celebrating with friends and family and taking advantage of everything that the island has to offer. As befits the laid-back vibe of the island, even the formalities are simple. You don’t have to be a resident to get married here, and your luxury wedding planners will guide you through the process of filling in the necessary paperwork and applying for the marriage license which you’ll need before getting married.

When you book wedding planning services in Barbados you book the whole package, from start to finish. That means helping with arranging the best photography, choosing the best date for your wedding, designing and printing bespoke invitations, obtaining the necessary licenses, choosing wedding flowers from the glorious selection provided by nature on the island, arranging transport for the day itself, finding the venue that’s perfect for your requirements and even helping to book your accommodation. We look upon this as a once in a lifetime celebration, and we want to make sure it involves whatever it takes to make your wedding dreams come true.

For the wedding location from paradise, beautiful wedding venues of Barbados has it all.

WEDDING VENUES
Experience unique, intimate wedding venues that are as special as the love they celebrate. Barbados wedding locations allow you to get married against a backdrop which is little short of heaven sent.

The stunning Caribbean island of Barbados is the perfect place for a destination wedding nobody is ever going to forget. Once you’ve chosen the island itself as a special location, then you have to make sure you book a venue which will be perfect for your marriage ceremony and reception. There are heart-stopping wedding venues all over the island of Barbados, from white sand beaches to tropical gardens, from beach front villas to historical sites, from rugged sea cliffs and even caves with underground waterfalls. You can even make it happen on board a catamaran skimming over the crystal clear Caribbean water. Tell your wedding planner, what your dream is, and they can make it come true, whether that’s getting married in an ancient sugar mill, a grand plantation house or even under the surface of the waves. Yes, come to Barbados and book the Atlantis Submarine for an aquatic wedding like nothing any of your guests will ever have experienced.

In simple terms a Caribbean wedding is one at which you can control every single feature – you can get married wherever you like and celebrate however you choose. That’s why so many couples opt for Barbados as a place to get married, and why there are so many experienced and dedicated wedding planners on the island ready and waiting to handle every single detail. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for something formal in a grand venue or a romantic exchange of vows on a stunning white sand beach, your Barbados wedding will be a day you’ll never forget. From the big picture to the tiny details, Barbados has what it takes to make your wedding day truly special.

WEDDING SUPPLIES
Make your wedding a day to remember by giving it that personal Caribbean touch. From beach wedding supplies to Barbados table decorations and personalized décor, you can design and craft a day that you’ll always remember.

You can book your dream wedding in Barbados and enjoy a special Caribbean day without having to put in the work to make it happen. Your wedding supplier will help to arrange everything, from the spectacular gesture down to the smallest detail. Our choice of wedding supplies is wider than any other in the Caribbean, and offers everything needed to make a wedding special, from an intimate family affair to an upmarket celebrity celebration.

You name an item needed to make your Caribbean wedding dreams a reality and it’s here ready and waiting for you. From tents, linens, decor items, tables and chairs to lighting, no detail is too big or too small. The professionalism of the people providing the service will ensure that all of the stress and anxiety is taken out of the process, and the venue, catering, décor and entertainment will be at top notch. In simple terms, they make the magic happen on your behalf. Formal or informal, large or small, grand or humble, the wedding decoration supplies on offer in Barbados will tick every single box.

Bajan weddings partner the leading rental supplier in Barbados and the Caribbean to ensure that every detail is of the highest quality. They listen to your ideas and dreams and combine them with know-how and experience to create an unforgettable occasion. With their input and your inspiration, you’ll be able to create a unique event that truly celebrates your most important day. Contact wedding planners today and make your dream Caribbean wedding a wonderful reality.

ALONGSIDE YOUR SOULMATE
Cayman Islands is the place where love stories begin again, with secluded beaches and indulgent spa treatments setting the scene. Lazy mornings lead to intrepid afternoons, followed by candlelit evenings – as every sunrise and sunset brings added romance.

MEMORABLE ANNIVERSARY DESTINATION
Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway full of luxury, adventure or peaceful relaxation the Cayman Islands offers the perfect backdrop to reconnect with each other and create lasting memories.

However you define “romantic” the Cayman Islands can cater to your vision. From gourmet dinners and spa days to diving, hiking and exploring here you can do it all. Or do nothing at all, except savour the delicious view, the warmth of the people and the perfect weather. Either way, one thing is certain, your time here will be one you’ll treasure forever. Three islands. Endless possibilities for the perfect anniversary.

Grand Cayman
The largest of the three islands. Cosmopolitan Grand Cayman offers a wealth of activities, accommodations and attractions. The capital, George Town, offers some of the finest shopping in the entire Caribbean.

Cayman Brac
Unspoiled and unhurried. An island where breathtaking natural attractions and a rich seafaring heritage will awaken your adventurous spirit. A nature lover’s paradise where diving, birding and snorkelling are all celebrated.

Little Cayman
Tranquil and serene. Blessed with pristine white sand beaches and miles of untouched wilderness. A favourite of divers, naturalists and photographers. Quietly redefining the word paradise, where time stands still.

BLISSFUL BABYMOON BEFORE YOUR LITTLE ONE IS DUE
Every expectant mother deserves a luxury vacation, as this is your time to fully appreciate the company of your partner while you anticipate the birth of your child. Take joy in this juncture of your lives by spending every waking minute with each other in the incomparable aura of the Cayman Islands.

The Cayman Islands checks-off all of the requirements for the perfect babymoon – fun, sun, relaxation and world-class food! Only an hour away from Miami, you can also add stress-free travel to the list!

FUN
The Cayman Islands is home to a variety of activities for people of all interests. With such a diverse range of pursuits to enjoy and explore, your visit can be filled with lasting memories.

SUN
The beaches of the Cayman Islands are among the best of the world. Just ask TripAdvisor who named our own Seven Mile Beach the #4 Best Beach in the Caribbean and the #5 Best Beach in the World for their Traveler’s Choice Awards.

RELAXATION
The Cayman Islands is home to numerous health and wellness options that warrant multiple days of indulgence. You deserve it!

FOOD
The Cayman Islands is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. With over 200 restaurants ranging from fine dining (Grand Cayman is home to Eric Ripert’s Blue, the Caribbean’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant) to beachside fare, there is something for everyone – perfect when you are eating for two!

THE HONEYMOONERS’ DESTINATION
There’s no better place to begin walking hand-in-hand through life together than on our coasts. Step foot into the exotic expanse of Seven Mile Beach, breathe in the vista of The Bluff on Cayman Brac or dip your toes in the turquoise shallows of Little Cayman as you look forward to the days ahead on our islands and the years ahead together.

DOWN AN AISLE MADE OF CARIBBEAN SAND
Couples come to Cayman to do more than get married. They head here to have a wedding. A breezy, tropical, enchanted wedding. A lush, heartfelt, event-of-the-season wedding. The sort of wedding where you can say, “I do,” and then say, “Everybody into the water.” The type where you seize a day that’s as big as it could possibly be and make it your own.

A WORK PERK UNLIKE ANY OTHER
In the Cayman Islands, you’ll discover an ethereal escape. Though it may feel like a world away, Cayman is located within an hour of Miami and provides direct access through major gateway cities throughout the U.S. – making it the perfect escape for your next meeting, conference, or incentive trip.

The Cayman Islands is equipped with best-in-class accommodations, elevated health and safety standards, memorable experiences, world renowned culinary delights and modern infrastructure designed to host a wide range of events. Organizers can treat their teams to an epic adventure on land or at sea, a five-star meal in the heart of the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, a sun-kissed cocktail at Rum Point or a cultural immersion filled with ‘Caymankindness’ and local flair. We hope you’ll consider our world-class locale for your next in-person event, meeting or incentive trip.

CORPORATE EVENTS, CONFERENCES AND MORE – BETTER IN CAYMAN
Perfect for large conventions, small groups, and everything in between, the Cayman Islands is the premier destination for your next event. Meeting planners looking to accommodate their clients’ discerning tastes will be pleased with the year-round tropical climate, ease of accessibility with nonstop flights from a number of North American gateway cities, and wide range of activities offered in Cayman.

The Cayman Islands boasts a variety of indoor and outdoor event spaces – from luxurious five-star resorts to chic oceanfront eateries – and offers an endless array of teambuilding activities. Not to mention, the warm “Caymankind” hospitality and service will leave a lasting impression on all attendees.

Need more information? Here are some reasons the Cayman Islands is the preferred group destination:
– Highest standard of living in the Caribbean.
– Safe, friendly and known for impeccable levels of Caymankind service.
– Non-stop flights from many U.S. and international gateway cities.
– Leading Global Citizen Concierge Program, which allows digital nomads to live and work in the Cayman Islands – creating the ultimate work/life balance.
– World-class spas and a focus on health and wellness.
– Heralded as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean.
– Spectacular recreational diving, watersports and other adrenaline-fueled activities.
– Leading Caribbean DMC partners.
– Host to Owen Roberts International Airport, a newly renovated and expanded travel hub.
– An array of luxury resort and accommodation options with close proximity to the airport and beachfront.
– Award-winning beaches and natural wonders.
– And so much more!.

Three of our preferred group hotel partners include the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa and The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, which have been placed on Cvent’s top 25 Hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Further, the Cayman Islands has been named a preferred destination by luxury travel network, Virtuoso, and caters to the elite traveler with a wide variety of high-end products and elevated service.

OVER THE COURSE OF EVENTS
Each holiday is a chance to see Cayman through new eyes. Every celebration is an opportunity to hear it through new ears. You could traverse our paradise a hundred times, but if there are any events you have yet to attend, and places you have yet to visit then your next trip can still feel like the very first time.

IN YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE
Each year, the Cayman Islands hosts world-class sporting events such as marathons, swim races, basketball tournaments and more. Whether it’s your first competition, or you’re a seasoned athlete or spectator, there is an event for you in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Caribbean.

YEAR-ROUND ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES
The Cayman Islands has year-round athletic activities for all interests. The notable Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon provides runners the chance to participate in a winter race in the heart of the Caribbean, and it is also a prestigious qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. The Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon takes place on the first Sunday in December every year and consists of a full marathon, half marathon, four-person relay and a Kids Fun Run.

FLOWERS SEA SWIM
SEVEN MILE BEACH
The Flowers Sea Swim has come to be considered a must-do event for open-water aficionados. The unique draw of the Flowers Sea Swim is not only its flawless course conditions along Cayman’s beautiful Seven Mile Beach, but the numerous random prizes as well. The race is the world’s richest open-water event, with over $100,000 in cash and random prizes. The odds to win a random prize are 1-in-5 and previous giveaways have included Blackberries, iPad’s, hotel stays, and dozens of airline tickets to premier destinations such as Miami, New York, Panama, Rome, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Rio de Janeiro, and Toronto. All finishers receive a fantastic t-shirt and goody bag filled with prizes and surprises!

Participants vary in age from 8 to 80-years-old, and in skill from first-timers to gold medallists. The Flowers Sea Swim welcomes swimmers from all strokes of life! All registration proceeds are donated to the Special Olympics.

The Walk & Watch programme offers an alternative for non-swimmers who want to be able to take part in the excitement of the Flowers Mile and contribute to a worthy cause at the same time.

CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC
The Cayman Islands Classic is an annual preseason men’s division 1 college basketball tournament that takes place during Thanksgiving week in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, at John Gray gymnasium. In it’s third year, the 12-game, three-day tournament, is regarded as one of the most challenging and exciting early-season tournaments.

The 2019 Cayman Islands Classic will include Nebraska, Loyola Chicago, Colorado State, Washington State, University of South Florida, Old Dominion University, New Mexico State University and George Mason University. The tournament is organized by Caymax Sports Ltd.

The history of Cuba is mainly divided into four periods. The first period where is included the primitive community or pre-Columbine. The colonial period (1492-1898) that encompasses since the Colombus’ arrival to the new world and the struggles for the national independence of Cuba. In this second period is included the Spaniard-Cuban-North America War and the military occupation of Cuba by United States (1899-1902). The third period encompasses the Neocolonial Republic since the installation of the New Republic in 1902 until 1958. The Revolution in Power period extends from 1959 until present day. The Triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 marks a new stage in the Cuban’s history and society.

This division responds to the process of national formation, differentiating in its development the gestation period of nationality under Spanish colonialism. The third period that opens with the creation of the Cuban national state, although in a clear situation of dependence on the United States and finally, the Revolutionary Period, in which the nation reaches a fully sovereign existence.

First Settlers of Cuba
Valid is to remember that the population of Cuba had begun four millennia before the arrival of Columbus, with the arrival of diverse migratory currents. The admiral found on his arrival, along with the charms of exuberant nature, the presence of peaceful and naive settlers who offered him cotton, yarn and small pieces of gold in exchange for trinkets.

Then, after exploring the southern coast of Cuba during his second trip, he would realize the diversity of these indigenous people with different levels of sociocultural development. Hence, it was divided into the groups known as: Gatherers-Hunters-Fishermen and Farmers-Ceramists.

Encounter of Two Worlds
The conquest of the island by Spain began in 1510 with a prolonged operation of recognition and conquest, plagued by bloody incidents by Diego Velázquez. With the foundation of Our Lady of the Assumption of Baracoa, in 1512, the founding of six other founding Villas happened to him.

Mining and gold mining with indigenous labor through the so-called system of “parcels”, they will be replaced later by slave trade and slave labor as part of the plantation system.

The Colonial Cuba
Conquest and colonization characterized this period in the history of Cuba. In the midst of attacks by corsairs and pirates with the consequent reinforcement of the fleets system and the construction of various fortifications as a defense, economic activity grew and diversified with the development of livestock, the cultivation of tobacco and the production of sugar cane.

Slavery was an important source of social instability, not only because of the frequent manifestations of rebelliousness of slaves – both individual and in groups – but also because the repudiation of this institution gave rise to abolitionist conspiracies. Other ideological currents such as Reformism, Annexationism and independence movement joined it. All this led to the start of the independence fights on October 10, 1868, led by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and a group of patriots at the Demajagua sugar mill..

The War of the Ten Years or Big War, culminated with the Pact of Zanjón, in 1878, which did not recognize the independence of Cuba or the abolition of slavery, the two essential objectives that had sustained the revolution.

Between 1879 and 1895, a period known as the Fertile Truce or Turbulent Rest, the figure of José Martí, National Hero of Cuba, who joined Cubans from inside and outside the Island to restart the struggle for independence, was highlighted..

On February 24, 1895, the colonial conflict led by Martí was resumed, and Generals Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo. After two years of intense struggle, the government of the United States intervenes without recognizing the organs of revolutionary leadership of the Cubans. On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, which put an end to Spanish colonialism in Cuba. The Island ceased to be the jurisdiction of Spain and was being occupied militarily by the United States.

The Republic
The struggle for Cuba’s independence continues in the scenario of puppet governments, dictatorships, strikes, uprisings, reforms, clandestine struggle, assaults on barracks, battles in cities and mountains carried out by recognized student and labor leaders..

A trial, that of Moncada, a plea that would become a Programmatic Platform to follow, a Movement, that of July 26 and a generation, that of the centenary, gave rise to the insurrectional struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, to the second invasion from East to West and with it at last the desired triumph in January 1959.

The Cuban Revolution
The triumphant Revolution in power and power emanating from the whole people. Necessary reforms, fight against bandits, mercenary invasion expired in less than 72 hours, multiple attacks, and an energetic town that defends its conquests with the force of ideas. On the basis of humanism and practicing Internationalism, always advocating for equity and social justice.

The nature of Cuba is rich and curious in all its extension. The Flora distinguishes by the endemic and diversity of its plant communities. Of all this groups, the orchids, cacti and palms are the highlighted ones. The fauna of Cuba has the peculiarity of having in the smallest its most exclusive features, and in the 368 different bird species, the reptiles and amphibians, the exclusivity has high percentage. This richness and endemism are endless. The marine ambiance and wetlands, living fossil, endangered species and important coral reefs have a great value and international acknowledgments.

The Island has a rich and varied terrestrial fauna. There are species that are internationally recognized as its dwarfism. For example, the World’s Smallest Bird: zunzuncito (fly bird, Cuban bee hummingbird or Helena hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), a true winged jewel (63 mm in length).

It is also worth mentioning the Cuban frog (Eleutherodactylus limbatus) (12 mm in length); the butterfly bat that weighs 2 to 3 grams, and a dwarf scorpion (10 mm in length); In addition, there are numerous species of mollusks, some of a great beauty such as polymitas; there are considered by many experts as the most beautiful land snail.

The land and marine avifauna is diverse and attractive and consists of more than 350 species reported (many of which are endemic). There are species that migrate to the island in the winter. The privileged geographical position, halfway between the two Americas, makes Cuba a place for a large number of birds. For this reason, there are internationally recognized areas, such as the Ciénaga de Zapata (Zapata Swamp).

For the visitors that are looking to be in direct contact with nature there are many options: bird watching, hiking, diving, sport fishing, outdoor horseback riding, cave tourism, bicycle tourism or rural tourism are some of the options in Cuba.

Protected Areas in Cuba
Occidental Region
• Guanahacabibes National Park
• Viñales National Park
• Mil Cumbres Protected Area of Managed Resources
• Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve
• Las Terrazas
• Soroa
• Península de Zapata Biosphere Reserve
• Valle del Río Canímar Protected Natural Landscape

Central Region
• Guanaroca- Punta Gavilán Refuge of Fauna
• Hanabanilla Protected Natural Landscape
• Cayo Santa María Refuge of Fauna
• Las Loras Refuge of Fauna
• Caguanes National Parks
• Topes de Collantes Protected Natural Landscape
• Lomas de Banao Ecologic Reserve
• Jobo Rosado Protected Area of Managed Resources
• Sierra del Chorrillo Protected Area of Managed Resources
• Limones-Tuabaquey Ecologic Reserve
• Río Máximo Refuge of Fauna
• Other touristic areas of interest: Yaguanabo Protected Natural Landscape
• El Nicho

Oriental Region
• Desembarco del Granma National Park
• Turquino National Park
• Baconao Biosphere Reserve
• La Gran Piedra Protected Natural Landscape
• Hatibonico Ecologic Reserve
• Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
• El Yunque de Baracoa Featured Natural Element

The traditional Cuban parties by excellency are the carnivals, las charangas, las parrandas, peasant feasts and the patron saints. Among the most popular ones that can be mentioned are Bandos de Majagua, which takes part at the province of Ciego de Ávila; Carnivals of La Habana and in Santiago de Cuba; las Charangas of Bejucal, performed in the province of Mayabeque; las Romerías of May, celebrated in the city of Holguín; and las Parranda in the central region of Cuba Declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation, are the ones of Remedios in Villa Clara, ones of the most famous.

Cuban Clothing
The Typical Cuban clothing are: the guayabera, for both daily use and gala use; the Cuban robe, a traditional female clothing is from the XIX century; and the yarey hat, the essential accessory for the rural Cuban and historically used by the mambises oh the Independence wars.

Cuban Gastronomy
The Cuban gastronomy is the result of the mix of Spanish, Africans, aboriginal, Yucateca and even Asian traditions. The most significant are the Ajiaco, Casabe, Buñuelos, Tamales, Tostones, roasted pork and the Congrí. The typical Cuban beverages are characterized by showing common elements with the creoles meals; because it counts with the hispanic, African, Arab, Yucateca, China mix. Their definitive features are associated to the tropical weather conditions and generally to the production of sugar cane.
Among the most representative, that have won international fame, are the coffee, the Champola, Guarapo, the oriental Pru, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mojito and the Pina Colada.

Heritage of Humanity in Cuba
Cuba is one of the countries in the Caribbean that has more Intangible Cultural Heritages recognized by the UNESCO. More than 20 expressions and manifestations built the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, some peculiar as the Lecturas de Tabaquería and the Saberes de los Maestros Roneros.

Regarding music and dance, the following have been declared Cultural Heritage of the Cuban Nation: the repentismo, because of its indissolubly cultural value and because of the historic role that the poets played since the Independence war until today. The son, the most appreciated music genre, singed and danced through the history. The rumba as the more genuine music-dance community expression of the Cuban national culture, and that has become part of the popular conscience, a lifestyle, a social behavior, a way of speaking, communicating. The danzón is an expression of the traditional Cuban music and an immaterial highlighted element of the nation.

In Cuba you can find 10 places and cultural expressions, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Camagüey Urban Historic Center
Cienfuegos Urban Historic Center
French Tombs
Alejandro of Humboldt National Park
Archaeological Landscape of the Firsts Coffee Plantations in the Southeast of Cuba.
National Park of Landing of Granma
Valle de Viñales
Castle San Pedro of the Roca of Santiago de Cuba
Historic Center of Trinidad and its Valle de los Ingenios
Historic Center of La Habana Vieja and its system of Colonial Fortifications

The National Monuments of Cuba are more than 260 and are included in the classification of sites, constructions and historical objects. Likewise, you can find 317 museums of different themes, located on all the National Territory.

The Cuban
Cubans are imaginative, cheerful, unprejudiced. They show a clear and joyful intelligence. Cubans are friends with jokes and parties and always have a smile on their face. The Cubans are communicative and conversational, but also know how to live their private lives. They are hospitable, educated, and worthy. “Open to the world, joyful to know the new to adjust it to their creative imagination, united and grouper since the revolutions of the past century, loyal to their experience and historic identity”.

The traditional Cuban festivities par excellence are the carnivals, the charangas, the parrandas, the peasant parties and the patron saints.

The most popular are:
– Bandos de Majagua, in the province of Ciego de Ávila;
– Carnivals of Havana and those of Santiago de Cuba;
– Las Charangas de Bejucal, in the province of Mayabeque;
– The Romerías de Mayo, in the city of Holguín;
– The Parrandas de Remedios, in Villa Clara, declared National Cultural Heritage. It is one of the most famous.

Cultivation of Cuban Tobacco
The tobacco is one of the most representative products of Cuba’s economy. Its cultivation, mainly in the province of Pinar del Rio, takes a process of recollection, stripping and picking, manufacturing and storing properly supervised. The quality of the Cuban tobacco is world-wide known and the visitor finds in the designed routes a motivation to discover the secrets of this special process.

Cuban Rum
The Cuban rum also has its history. Flavor, texture and aroma blend to result in a drink that attracts many inside and out Cuban territory. It adopts many ways through its interesting process, but it is equally enjoyed, alone or as a part of those very unique drinks that are prepared through the island as a very welcomed companion.

Cuban Coffee
The cultivation of coffee also occupies a space in the economy of Cuba. From the coffee plantations originated by the French immigrants to our days, this aromatic drink so common among Cubans has a space of interest in their daily life. The mountains are usually the characteristic place where one can find these colorful fruits that embellish a whole branch in the bushes that cross the fields.

Religion in Cuba
Cuba is a Lay State and recognizes the right of the Cuban people to practice any religious creed. As its culture, Cuban Religion is a mixture where syncretism is present. The Hispanic and the African constitute the two main ethno cultural roots of Cuban nationality. It also gathers other cultures (Caribbean, North American, Chinese and the rest of Europe), with a complex process of transculturation and miscegenation. This works as an influence in the religious diversity and in the construction of multiple temples throughout the national territory. The Virgin of the Caridad del Cobre is the patroness of Cuba.

Cuban Typical Food
The Cuban typical dishes are the result of the mix of Spanish, Africans, aboriginal, Yucatecan and even Asian traditions. The most significant dishes are the Ajiaco, Casabe, Buñuelos, Tamales, Tostones, roasted pork and the Congrí. The typical Cuban drinks are characterized by showing common elements with the creoles meals, because they have the Hispanic, African, Arab, Yucatecan and Chinese mix. Their definitive features are associated to the tropical weather conditions and generally to the production of sugar cane.

Among the most representative drinks that have won international fame are the coffee, the Champola, Guarapo, the oriental Pru, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mojito and the Piña Colada.

Approximately 6,000 species of flora and 7,000 species of fauna thrive in the DR. Among the ones to look for on our island are the palmchat or Cigua Palmera, the DR’s national bird–endemic to Hispaniola–or our pink-colored national cactus flower, the Bayahibe Rose, endemic to the DR. Reptiles and amphibians are present as well, such as the American crocodile, or the endangered Ricord’s iguana. The stars of our wildlife species are the nearly 3,000 humpback whales faithfully flocking to the Bay of Samaná every year to mate and birth in our warm waters.

FLOWERS & TREES
The Dominican Republic boasts an astounding 6,000 species of plants, of which 2,050 are endemic – only found in the DR. Its most prized species is the exotic Pereskia quisqueyana or Rosa de Bayahibe, the country’s national flower. It’s a rare cactus that grows leaves, and the flower itself is a delicate pink color, 100% native to the Bayahibe area.

The caoba or mahogany is the DR’s national tree. You’ll spot numerous other species, including the ceiba, the West Indian cedar, the calabash tree, and of course, a wide variety of tropical palm trees–an African inheritance–punctuating the DR’s shores and hills. The coconut tree is ubiquitous, and the royal palm is symbolic to the DR, appearing on its national flag. In the summertime, you’ll notice the blooming, bright red flamboyant trees leaning over roadways or fields, an imported species. In the high elevation towns in the center of the DR, Creole pine trees are in abundance, matching the cool climate.

Flower lovers behold: you’ll find numerous tropical varieties here, but especially orchids–over 300 species. You can spot these in the wild in the cool valleys of Jarabacoa and Constanza, in contained parks like the National Botanical Garden in Santo Domingo, the largest in the Caribbean, the botanical gardens of Mount Isabel Torres in Puerto Plata, and Scape Park, in the Punta Cana area. The province of Constanza is known for its colorful flower plantations, an inheritance from the Japanese immigrant community who migrated to the DR in 1956, after World War II, for agricultural labor.

The best way to experience the DR’s natural abundance and variety in plants and trees in one place is to visit one of its national parks.

MARINE LIFE
Between 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) of coastline and offshore islands, marine mammals have the ideal environment in the DR’s Caribbean and Atlantic waters. Aside from Samaná’s famous humpback whales–our most prized species, visiting Samaná’s Bay from mid-January through mid-March–manatees and turtles also have an important presence.

The endangered, herbivore West Indian Manatee lives in our estuaries and lagoons, particularly in the north coast, where the largest number of manatees take refuge in the protected lagoon at Estero Hondo Marine Mammal Sanctuary.

Off the island of Saona, four species of turtles–the loggerhead, the green sea turtle, the leatherback turtle, and the hawksbill turtle–nest on the island’s pristine beaches. They can also be spotted in the southwest, in the waters of Jaragua National Park, another turtle-nesting site.

Coral reefs are present in varying conditions and size, many of which have become protected in an attempt to save them from the harms of heavy tourism. The most pristine coral formation is found off the coast of Montecristi, but there are also beautiful corals to see in the waters around the islands of Cayo Arena, Saona, Catalina, and off the north coast of Samaná.

CROCODILES & IGUANAS
The endangered American crocodile species live and mate in Lago Enriquillo–an intriguing saltwater lake located in the southwest of the DR. Despite the lake’s rising conditions, the reptiles continue to lay eggs in the summertime, making it one of the few lakes in the world with a high concentration of crocodiles. Taking a boat ride on Lago Enriquillo in the summer is a great time to see them in big numbers along the shores, even if you can’t get off the boat for safety reasons.

The southwest coast is also home to the largest numbers of iguanas in DR–you are likely to spot them crossing the roads as you drive in the dry, hot Pedernales area. The rhinoceros iguana and the Ricord’s iguana are abundant inside the protected Lago Enriquillo park area, and in the Jaragua National Park.

BIRDS
Every year, the Dominican Republic’s birding reputation rises, and for good reason. Three hundred species of birds are at home here, of which 32 are endemic–including the national Cigua palmera–a high number for a single country. If you spot a palmchat by its nest, look to see if its neighbor is around–the endangered, endemic Ridgway’s Hawk or Gavilán de la Hispaniola likes to build its home directly above our national bird.

Look out for some of these additional endemic species: the Hispaniola woodpecker, the Hispaniola parakeet, the White-necked crow, the Black-crowned tanager, and the Golden swallow, among others.

Top birding hotspots around the country include the Sierra de Bahoruco–home to the majority of the endemic species–Los Haitises National Park, Jaragua National Park, Lago Enriquillo National Park, and Valle Nuevo National Park. You’ll spot plenty of species as well on the northern and southern coastlines and hills, havens for migratory and endemic birds who gather around mangroves, offshore islands, and protected parks.

Dominicans have a reputation for being among the friendliest people you’ll meet. They exude passion–in the way they speak a mile a minute, the way they dress, and dance, and in their embrace of their fellow human being, be it neighbor or visitor. Their explosive energy could be explained in their mélange of Taino, African, and European roots. But to boot, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern communities have influenced and enriched the DR’ culture-scape since the 19th century, turning the population and culture into a fascinating melting pot. You’ll see our numerous influences showing up across regions in food, music, celebrations, and customs.

TAINO ORIGINS
The DR’s first inhabitants were the valiant, skilled indigenous Taino–Arawak Indians who first settled on this side of the island before Christopher Columbus and the Spaniards arrived. They ran multiple kingdoms–each ruled by a chieftain or cacique–observed class distinctions, and coexisted peacefully. There were several valiant Taino leaders who stood up against Spanish colonization and slavery. Cacique Caonabo, from the Samaná region, was first to lead a revolt.

The Taino practiced complex agriculture, but were also talented artisans, and believed in medicinal plants and natural remedies. Today, their only remaining signs are in the caverns where they left pictographs and petroglyphs–mainly in Samaná, Bayahibe, San Cristóbal, and Enriquillo–and in the various museums around the country, particularly the Museo del Hombre Dominicano in Santo Domingo, and the Museo Arqueológico Regional Altos de Chavón in La Romana.

IMMIGRANTS
The Dominican Republic’s welcoming nature, coupled with historical events, has resulted in several key migrant communities settling and blending into the DR’s cultural makeup. Some are more recent transplants, whereas other settled here in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sosúa counts with a Jewish community–about 600 Jews arrived between 1940-1945, escaping the Nazi persecution during World War II, thanks to visas offered by the Dominican government. The Jewish Museum in Sosúa commemorates their journey and their contributions to the north coast’s meat and dairy industries.

Southeast of the DR, in San Pedro de Macorís, are the Cocolos–Afro-descendants from neighboring Caribbean English-speaking islands, such as Tortola, Antigua, and St. Vincent, among others, who migrated to the DR in the late 19th century. They worked as laborers and technicians in the DR sugar production industry. In Samaná, descendants of freed African-Americans moved to the DR in the 19th century, and continue to practice their religion and rituals.

In the central mountains, you’ll find the Japanese community in Constanza, and a French and Italian community on the northern Samaná Peninsula.

The DR is also inclusive of a small but solid Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities who migrated from the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. They slowly integrated into Dominican culture, rising into high political ranks.

All of these groups have contributed a great deal to the growth and cultural makeup of the DR, reflected in the food, culture, and events around the country.

DOMINICANS TODAY
It won’t take you long to meet locals, or notice the Dominican way of living. While modernism and globalization have modified the way of life in the big and small cities, Dominicans remain the same in their people-to-people interactions. Courtesy and hospitality are core values, particularly in the countryside. Coming to the aid of visitors or a neighbor, and sharing a plate of food are considered normal. Family is of the utmost importance, to be cared for and cherished. Head to the beach or to the river on the weekends, and you will see how Dominicans love to spend their free time with their loved ones, cooking outdoors and sharing jokes. Affectionate in words and action, romance runs in the Dominican’s blood. Life is to be shared, and lived fully.

TRADITIONS
While certain traditions are less practiced in the cities than in the past, the importance of two major seasons remain–particularly in the countryside–and are celebrated in family: Christmas and Easter.

Each of these holidays represents a symbolic time for Dominicans to head to their respective hometowns and families, and spend it around their loved ones, cooking and enjoying traditional dishes, dancing, and relaxing.

Christmastime is one of the most festive times of the year, aside from Carnival in February. This is particularly visible in the countryside, when families gather and visit from house to house to eat, drink, and dance. On Christmas Eve, entire pigs on a pit are slowly roasted out in the backyard all night long, while families listen to music and share drinks, with everyone keeping an eye on the meat. The tradition is to stay up and celebrate until dawn, when the meat is finally cooked.

Eastertime, the other longest holiday weekend, is when Dominicans escape their daily routine, much as they do for Christmas. While some head to the beach rather than practice religion, traditions remain: celebrating Semana Santa by going to church on Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, but also enjoying copious bowls of habichuela con dulce, a Dominican sweet beans dessert typical at this time of year.

RELIGION
A majority of Dominicans are Roman Catholic, but there are also other Christian denominations, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and Evangelists. Various forms of syncretic religion, an African influence, are still practiced in the countryside. No matter what religion it is, Dominicans are a people of faith with a strong belief in God. You will hear references to that effect in their every day language.

Dominican arts and crafts reflect the country’s history and eclectic mélange of inhabitants. The Taino, Spanish, and African legacies have continued in numerous provinces around the country. The Taino, who were expert handicraftsmen, left behind tools and items inspired from mythology, rituals, and everyday life. You’ll spot remakes of the water gourds they once used, made from the higüero tree and sometimes coconut, with more elaborate designs. The African and Caribbean influence appears in colorful paintings of every day village and island life–with the best selections found in galleries. You will also see it in wooden items, such as the mini mortar and pestle made from guayacan, found in nearly every Dominican home, and souvenir shops. Jewelry features strongly, as two precious stones are mined directly from the DR’s soils: amber and larimar. The most emblematic Dominican hand creations are the faceless dolls; most often made of ceramic, these elaborately dressed figurines lack facial features to reflect the fact that Dominicans are of mixed races, and embrace their unique heritage.

CRAFTS
There’s no shortage of handicrafts to take home. You will find items that are primarily made of plant fibers, clay, wood, paper, seeds, and precious stones.

Souvenir stores and art galleries abound across the main destinations. When shopping, look for a few signature items.

Taino figurines, from deities to traditional tools, made of ceramic.
Dominican music instruments in miniature or life sizes, made of wood, or painted bamboo, including drums and maracas.
Elaborate, miniature carnival devil masks made of papier-mâché.
Certified amber or larimar jewelry stores, some of which also show you the polishing process on site.
Faceless dolls, made of ceramic, in varying sizes and colors.
Hats, beach totes, and other accessories made from palm leaves.
Figurines of cultural symbols like the rooster, musicians playing merengue, or religious figures, made of polychrome wood or ceramic.
Colored carpet strips or “pellizas de colores,” made from jute fiber and rice bags, with the best selection often spotted on the road from Santiago to Bonao.
Crafts made from recycled materials, such as Bonao’s colorfully painted flowerpots, made from old tires.

Early period
Carib Indians inhabited the island at the time Christopher Columbus sighted it in 1493. It was not until 1502, on his fourth voyage, that he visited the island, leaving some pigs and goats there. Neglected by the Spaniards, who sought more material rewards than those the island offered, Martinique was occupied in 1635 by a Frenchman, Pierre Bélain, sieur (lord) d’Esnambuc, who established 80 settlers at Fort-Saint-Pierre at the mouth of the Roxelane River. A year later d’Esnambuc, who had fallen ill, entrusted Martinique to his nephew, Jacques-Dyel du Parquet, who bought the island from the Compagnie des Îles d’Amérique and developed it into a remarkably prosperous colony. In 1654 a group of 250 Dutch Jews, whom Portuguese forces had ousted from Brazil, introduced sugarcane. Cotton was another early introduction. About 1660 the first cacao (the source of chocolate) plantation was established.

French rule
After the death of du Parquet, his widow governed the island in the name of her children, but her policies were often opposed by the settlers. In 1658 the French king, Louis XIV, resumed sovereignty over the island and paid an indemnity to du Parquet’s children. In 1664 the island was placed under the authority of the Compagnie des Indes Occidentales (West Indies Company); in 1674 it was made part of the French crown domain and was administered according to the Pacte Colonial, a body of principles summarized in the statement “The mother country founds and maintains the colonies; the colonies enrich the mother country.” Supplies and slaves were transported to the French Antilles by the Compagnie du Sénégal, founded in 1664; the slave ships called at Martinique before proceeding to Guadeloupe, permitting the colony first choice of the slaves. In 1723 coffee was introduced from Arabia, thus further contributing to the island’s prosperity. In 1787 Louis XVI granted Martinique the right to establish a colonial assembly.

At various times Martinique was attacked by foreign fleets. An attack by the Dutch was repulsed in 1674; further assaults by the British were repelled in 1693 and 1759. In 1762, however, the British captured the island, only to return it to France under the terms of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The British recaptured it in 1794 and occupied it until 1802; after having been captured once more by the British in 1809, it was definitively restored to France in 1814.

Slave uprisings occurred in 1789, 1815, and 1822. Following the abolition of slavery in 1848, plantation owners imported workers from India and China in order to avoid paying high labour costs. Universal suffrage was proclaimed in 1848 but was abolished under Napoleon III; after 1870 the Third Republic of France restored representation for the island in the French Parliament.

In 1902 the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre, killing about 30,000 people. During World War II Martinique adhered to the Vichy government of Nazi-occupied France for three years before rallying to the Free French cause in 1943. In 1946 Martinique was granted the status of a French département, and in 1974 it was made a région.

The original Carib Indian population disappeared after Europeans arrived, partly as a result of disease, conflicts with the Europeans, and assimilation. In 1658 French settlers on the island numbered about 5,000. Slaves brought from Africa added a further ethnic component. Today people of mixed European and African ancestry account for more than nine-tenths of the population, but the island’s economy is largely controlled by the small proportion of people of European descent. A small fraction of the population is descended from labourers brought from the Indian subcontinent. A creole similar to that spoken in Haiti is commonly heard, but French is the official language.

The great majority of the population is Roman Catholic; there are smaller numbers of Protestants (mostly Seventh-day Adventists), other Christians, and adherents of other religions. Some people incorporate elements of Vodou (Voodoo) into their beliefs.

The population of Martinique increased rapidly until the late 1970s, when, plagued by unemployment and other economic maladies, the residents of the island began to emigrate in large numbers to France and in smaller numbers to French Guiana. About one-fourth of the total population lives in Fort-de-France, and nine-tenths of the population lives in urban areas.

The pre-Lenten Carnival of Fort-de-France, featuring a parade with elaborate masks, is an annual event. Vodou (Voodoo) ceremonies are sometimes held, though they are far less important in Martinique than they are in Haiti. Cockfighting is a popular sport. Sites of historical interest include the Pagerie Museum, the reconstructed birthplace of Empress Joséphine, consort of Napoleon I, in Les Trois-Îlets. Joséphine was born in 1763 to a Martinique planter named Joseph Tascher de La Pagerie.

First inhabited by the Tainos c.500 BCE, Montserrat’s culture and history has been shaped throughout the years by various settlers and events.

The Tainos named the pear-shaped island Alliouagana, which means “Land of the Prickly Bush.” They lived in village settlements around the island including, Trants, Little Bay, Windward Bluff, Old Fort Point and Dagenham where they left their mark in the form of artifacts, some of which can be found in the National Museum.

On his second voyage in 1493 Christopher Columbus sighted the island and named it Montserrat after the famous monastery near Barcelona, Spain. Many of the first Europeans who settled on the island in 1632 were Irish Indentured servants, while the Africans came as slaves who worked plantations that produced mainly sugar, sea-island cotton and lime. The Africans left their customs and traditions which have been blended with some Irish customs.

The island became known fondly as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” due to the striking resemblance of its cliffs and shorelines, as well as the historical ties to Ireland.

The Irish featured prominently in Montserrat’s history, leaving its mark on place names and of course, surnames. The national emblem is an Irish Shamrock and the coat of arms of the Montserrat Flag reveals Erin (the female figure with a harp and cross).

History buffs can learn more by visiting the Montserrat National Trust an institution at the forefront of preserving the cultural, historic and archaeological heritage of the Island.

NATURAL HISTORY
In 1995, life in Montserrat was changed forever when the once dormant Soufrière Hills Volcano erupted for the first time in almost 400 years. Two-thirds of the southern part of the island, including our capital, Plymouth, was devastated and much of it remains buried beneath thick layers of ash and mud. More than half of our population has since migrated to North America and the UK.

Today, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) monitors all activity of Soufrière Hills and, together with the University of East Anglia and partners, champions the Mountain A Glow project. This chronicles the history of the volcano and life in Montserrat before and after the eruptions, in addition to providing first-hand accounts from residents who lived through the experience.

The population is largely of African ancestry (black), with small numbers of people of European descent (white) and of mixed descent. The official language is English, but most Montserratians also speak a Creole language similar to that spoken in Jamaica. The main religious denominations are Christian: Anglicanism, Methodism, Pentecostalism, Roman Catholicism, and Seventh-day Adventism.

Prior to the mid-1990s, Montserrat’s population was relatively stable because of emigration and a low birth rate. Plymouth and its environs were the main centres of settlement. The island’s population exceeded 10,000 in the early 1990s, but during the volcano crisis more than two-thirds of Montserratians departed for the United Kingdom, neighbouring Antigua, and other parts of the Caribbean region. Some had returned by the late 1990s; however, renewed eruptions discouraged resettlement, and access to the southern two-thirds of the island has since been restricted. There are about a dozen small settlements in the western and northern coastal regions, including Look Out, Brades, St. John’s, St. Peter’s, and Davy Hill.

Montserratian society is a mixture of African, Irish, and British traditions, although North American culture has become a major influence. Traditional rites, such as the jumbie dance, a manifestation of folk religion, had nearly disappeared by the late 20th century. The dance once took place following Christian rituals (e.g., baptisms or weddings) or in times of crisis. Jumbie music helped produce a trancelike state in the worshipers who sought cures for ills or the lifting of an obeah (obia) spell, a traditional form of witchcraft. Folk instruments included flutes, triangles, and flat goatskin-covered drums. Folk music has declined partly because of imported musical styles such as calypso, reggae, soca, and pop. Carnival, which was brought to Montserrat in 1962, is held between Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s (Jump-up) Day (January 1). St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is an official holiday; locally, it commemorates a slave revolt and Montserratian heroes, and festivities surrounding it generally continue for a week.

Prior to the economic upheaval caused by the eruptions, Montserratians enjoyed a relatively high standard of living, including dependable housing and imported consumer goods; many also took holidays abroad, often to the United States. Older, rural residents still have more traditional lifestyles based on family, land, and church. Extended families and connections with family members overseas remain important for all Montserratians. The island’s cuisine is best known for “goat water,” a thick goat-meat stew that is the national dish.

In 1977 Beatles producer George Martin opened a music-recording studio on the island. It was frequented by rock luminaries, including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John, and was in operation until 1989, when it was badly damaged by Hurricane Hugo. Martin later raised funds to build the Montserrat Cultural Centre, a multiuse performing arts centre that opened in Little Bay in 2006. Cable and satellite television services are available, and radio programming is popular, particularly through ZJB Radio Montserrat, the government-owned radio station. The main newspaper, the Montserrat Reporter is published weekly; its online edition is updated more frequently.

A Brief History of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s vibrancy derives from more than 500 years of rich history and the subsequent blending of different cultures.

This fusion extends to almost every aspect of the Island’s identity. From the interweaving of the Taíno, African, and Spanish traditions emerged the Puerto Rican, a new identity composed of traits from all three groups.

You’ll get to explore Spanish colonial architecture and prominent centuries-old buildings, savory dishes and dance moves rooted in African heritage, and lingo that locals still use from the Taínos. Puerto Rico’s identity is the very definition of a well-blended melting pot.

The Island’s cultural identity is something you’ll experience in every sight, taste, and sound during your stay.

Taíno Beginnings
Puerto Rico’s first inhabitants were the Taínos, a group of indigenous people who lived on the island for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrival. Organized in small clans and villages led by caciques (chiefs), they survived by fishing, hunting, and basic agriculture. The Taínos were governed by Agüeybaná and called the island Borikén (Borinquen) – which means “Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord.”

The arrival of the Spaniards in 1493 marked the beginning of the Taíno extinction. Already at war with the Caribs, another indigenous group migrating to the Antilles, the Taínos began to lose territory, and under Spanish ruling, the original boricuas ceased to exist.

European Arrival
Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico in 1493 during his second voyage to the New World. Initially, Columbus christened the Island as San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). Still, the name was soon changed to Puerto Rico, or “rich port,” when the Spaniards realized the impressive amount of gold found in its rivers. When the capital city was established, it took the name of San Juan.

Under Spanish governance, the Island developed an even more sophisticated agriculture system than what the Taínos had founded. Sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco were among the Island’s major exports. Due to the increasing demand for products and the decreasing number of local inhabitants to work the land, Spain brought African slaves to Puerto Rico.

Given its location and richness, Puerto Rico became an important military outpost for Spain and was attacked by the Dutch, French, and English in a series of failed attempts to conquer the Island. Forts and Castles like El Morro and San Cristóbal were originally built to protect the strategically significant Island. The impressive citadels were never defeated, and you can still visit them today.

Brief Puerto Rican Autonomy
In the late 1800s, the desire for independence from the Spanish crown boiled over in Puerto Rico. While the Spanish soldiers quickly suppressed the rebellion in San Juan, outbursts and uprisings erupted throughout the Island, which led the Spanish crown to grant autonomy to the government on the Island. This change opened trade channels with other European colonies and the United States.

Becoming a US Territory
The autonomous government granted by Spain didn’t last long. After the Spanish-American war ended in 1898, Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States as part of the terms of the Treaty of Paris, and Puerto Rico maintains its provincial status to this day.

With Puerto Rico’s colonial state came several changes – mainly in currency, government, and education – with civil rights and political status being decided by U.S Congress, a power it still holds more than a century later.

During the first three decades of its rule over Puerto Rico, the U.S. Congress approved a new Puerto Rican Constitution that made the Island an autonomous U.S. commonwealth while the islanders retained full American citizenship.

Even after becoming a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans take pride in preserving much of the Island’s indigenous traditions. Many of them can be appreciated in visits to the National Historic Site in San Juan, where you’ll learn more about the history of the discovery of the Island; the Cruceta del Vigía, a giant cross built-in 1983 to recall the checkpoint that sat at the top of a hill in the town of Ponce and was used as a watch post by the Spaniards in 1801; and the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, a beautiful 1882 structure on the southwest of Puerto Rico that overlooks the whole nature reserve.

These are just a few of the many historical sites you’ll discover while traveling around the Island.

Even though Puerto Ricans don’t have a defined race, they are proud of their identity.

Boricuas are the result of a multicultural tradition that began more than 500 years ago when the Spaniards arrived on the Island, inhabited at the time by the Taínos — an indigenous group with a significant presence throughout the Caribbean.

African influences were added to the melting pot years later when Spaniards brought slaves to the Island to work sugar and coffee plantations.

The fusion of those three races leads to the modern-day Puerto Ricans — good people who welcome visitors as part of their extended family. Puerto Ricans tend to be friendly and cheerful people who move their hands a lot when they talk and express their emotions with intensity and passion.

When you pass by locals walking through the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, they will greet you with a buenos días (good morning), even if they do not know you. And if they sit near you in a restaurant while you taste a mallorca (popular local pastry) and a coffee, they will say buen provecho (enjoy your meal), just for the sake of courtesy.

Puerto Rico has a population of around 3.6 million people, and more than five million additional boricuas are residing in the mainland United States. The official languages on the Island are Spanish and English, and most of the population identifies as Christian. Puerto Rican society is educated with a literacy level that exceeds 93%. It is also inclusive, with same-sex marriage laws and other statutes that protect common-law marriages’ rights.

Famous Puerto Ricans
It is said that there are Puerto Ricans all over the world, and in part, it is because many have excelled in various disciplines such as film, music, and sports, elevating the reputation of the Island of Enchantment globally. For example, movie stars such as Rita Moreno, Raúl Juliá, Benicio del Toro, and Luis Guzmán are from Puerto Rico. Likewise, music icons such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, and Daddy Yankee have Puerto Rican heritage.

In sports, Puerto Rico has giants such as baseball players Roberto Clemente, Iván Rodríguez, Roberto Alomar, Alex Cora, and Yadier Molina; boxers Félix “Tito” Trinidad, Héctor “Macho” Camacho, and Miguel Cotto; tennis player and Olympic gold medalist Mónica Puig; hurdler Javier Culson; and many others. In science, NASA geologist and astronaut Joseph M. Acaba, who has traveled to the International Space Station, was born to Puerto Rican parents.

The Island also has representation in other fields. Of Puerto Rican descent, Sonia Sotomayor was the first Latina to become a Supreme Court Justice. Dr. Antonia Coello became the first Puerto Rican and Hispanic person to be appointed as Surgeon General of the United States.

Cultural Life
The idealized folk hero of Puerto Rico is the jíbaro, a rustic independent hill-farmer whose status in local song and story is similar to that of the gaucho of Argentina. However, modern Puerto Rican cultural life is a blend of North American and Latin, African, and Caribbean forms, as is evident in much of the island’s dance, music, art, literature, and sports. The pre-Columbian Taino culture, which was largely decimated by European colonizers, has had only limited impact on Puerto Rican life and is evident mainly in the use of certain linguistic expressions and words incorporated into the Spanish language, such as hamaca (“hammock”), cacique (“chief”), and tabaco (“tobacco”). African influences are found in food, music, and art. Music festivals, museums in Ponce and San Juan, and theatrical performances encourage hispanidad, or Spanish customs. Puerto Ricans have worked to preserve a Latin heritage while welcoming U.S. economic and social novelties, engendering a cultural dilemma that has often catalyzed political debate.

Daily life
Puerto Rican lifestyles have changed rapidly as new technologies, economic opportunities, and patterns of development emerged. The island as a whole remains far poorer than the United States, but its growing middle class has adopted living standards that would be familiar to most North Americans. Some two-thirds of Puerto Rican families own their own homes. Large expanses of former farmland have been converted to suburban communities (urbanizaciones), rural wooden shacks have been replaced by sturdy cement houses equipped with modern appliances, and cars have increasingly clogged modern highways, particularly during evening rush hours in the San Juan area. A voracious appetite for consumer goods, coupled with easy access to credit, prompts shoppers to jam air-conditioned suburban malls that feature U.S. chain stores, fast-food restaurants, and multiplex cinemas. On most Saturday nights in San Juan, well-dressed young suburbanites crowd the dance floors of nightclubs and hotels (once the exclusive province of tourists) or frequent the bars and cafés of historic Old San Juan.

Puerto Ricans continue to prefer traditional dishes with rice and beans, plantains, and beef, chicken, or pork. However, North American fast-food restaurants that sell hamburgers, pizza, and other fare are growing in popularity, particularly among the young. Traditional Creole foods include sopa de arroz con pollo (chicken-and-rice soup), sancocho (a beef-and-vegetable stew), tostones (fried plantain slices), flan, and casabe, powdery cakes made from ground cassava, often served with molasses and coconut milk. Local supermarkets are well stocked with traditional fare as well as frozen and processed foods, which are mainly imported from the United States. Locally produced soft drinks and rums are also popular.

Cultural institutions
Most of Puerto Rico’s cultural institutions, including its major universities and libraries, are concentrated in the San Juan area. The Puerto Rican Athenium (Ateneo Puertorriqueño; 1876) is a prestigious learned society. The University of Puerto Rico Library System (1903) is the island’s main library, with more than four million holdings divided among 12 sites. Works by Puerto Rican painters and sculptors are displayed in the Museum of Contemporary Art (1984) and the Puerto Rican Museum of Art (2000), which are in San Juan. Also notable are the Ponce Art Museum (1959) and the Museum of Religious Art, the latter housed in a 17th-century church in San Germán. The Luis A. Ferré Fine Arts Centre (1981) in San Juan is the venue for many theatrical and musical events. Among the island’s research centres are the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (1955) and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (1939). The Arecibo Observatory (1963–2020), a radio telescope with a 1,000-foot (305-metre) diameter, was, for most of its life, the largest of its kind in the world. It collapsed in 2020.

Visual arts
Some of the island’s earliest inhabitants created polychrome ceramics, amulets, and stone carvings. About 1000 CE the Taino used granite, marble, and other types of stone to carve three-pointed figures with human and animal features; they also produced ceremonial stools, wooden rattles, petroglyphs surrounding their ball courts, and stone-carved ceremonial belts or collars. During Puerto Rico’s colonial period, African slaves formed multicoloured coconut-fibre masks for local festivals, a tradition that is still carried on. José de Rivafrecha y Campeche (1751–1809) was the island’s first major painter. The most notable 19th-century painters were Ramón Atiles y Pérez and Francisco Oller. More recent artists include Julio Rosado del Valle, Rafael Tufiño, Antonio Martorell, and Augusto Marín.

The diary of Christopher Columbus (a document that was lost and partially reconstructed) indicates that he reached the islands in 1492. According to Columbus, many of the Turks and Caicos islands, along with the rest of the Bahamas chain, were inhabited by an indigenous people, the Arawakan-speaking Lucayan Taino. Within a generation of European contact, the Lucayan Taino had died off from the ill effects of colonization, including introduced diseases and enslavement by the Spanish. Alternatively, some historians maintain that the islands had been uninhabited up to the time when the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León arrived in 1512; in any case, Ponce de León found the islands all but uninhabited by native people. Few Europeans lived there until 1678, when settlers from Bermuda arrived and established a solar-evaporated salt industry. Royalist sympathizers from the United States arrived in the Caicos Islands after the American Revolution (1775–83) and established cotton plantations worked by the African-descended slaves they brought with them.

In 1799 the islands were annexed by the Bahama Islands government, but in 1848 they were granted a separate charter. In the meantime slavery had been abolished (1833–43), and the plantation owners left the islands, though their former slaves remained.

After a period of financial difficulties, the colony was placed under the authority of the British governor-general at Kingston, Jamaica (1874–1959); because ships voyaging between England and Jamaica passed the Turks and Caicos, communication with Kingston was much easier than it was with Nassau in the Bahamas. The islands became a crown colony in 1962 when Jamaica gained independence. For a time in the 1960s and ’70s the islands were under the control of the Bahamas, but with Bahamian independence (1973) the Turks and Caicos were placed under a British governor at Grand Turk. Amid preparations for the independence of the Turks and Caicos in 1982, a commission was appointed to make recommendations on a new constitution and to consider the future economic direction of the islands. In 1980, however, a new government, which favoured dependent status, was elected on the islands. The move to independence thereby stalled, and the Turks and Caicos continued to be a British overseas territory.

Constitutional government was suspended in 1986 after allegations that several ministers were implicated in drug smuggling from South America into Florida, but it was restored in 1988. In 2002 the British government agreed to changes in the status of its overseas territories, including Turks and Caicos, such that the territories’ citizens would be granted full British citizenship after they had instituted a series of financial and human rights reforms.

Turks and Caicos received a new constitution in 2006, at which time the territory’s leader, Michael Misick, became prime minister. However, he resigned in March 2009 after an official investigation found evidence of systemic bureaucratic corruption and “administrative incompetence.” In August of that year the British government declared a temporary suspension of the Turks and Caicos constitution and imposed direct rule by the British governor. An interim administration, consisting of the governor and a team of Turks and Caicos and British advisers, instituted governmental reforms during the suspension period. During several years of efforts aimed at restoring good governance, a new constitution was drafted; it was approved in 2011, to take effect on October 15, 2012.

In June 2012 the British authorities determined that sufficient changes had been made to allow Turks and Caicos to return to a democratically elected government. Elections were held on November 9; the territory’s Progressive National Party (PNP) won eight of the 15 directly elected seats in the House of Assembly, and the rival People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) won seven. The PNP’s leader, Rufus Ewing, became premier. After the December 2016 election, power shifted as the PDM won 10 of the 15 directly elected seats to the PNP’s five. The PDM’s Sharlene Cartwright Robinson became premier; she was the first woman to hold the position.

More than nine-tenths of the population is of African heritage. The majority of the population is Christian; the main religious denominations are Baptist, Methodist, and Anglican. English is the official language. Thousands of islanders in search of employment have migrated to The Bahamas and the United States, particularly during the 1960s and ’70s, but many expatriates have returned with the advent of relative prosperity. Population growth has been pronounced on Providenciales since the 1980s largely as a result of the expanding tourism industry, which has attracted migrants from around the Caribbean, particularly Haiti.

Aquatic sports—sailing, game fishing, and, especially, scuba diving among the coral reefs—are popular and attract many tourists to the islands. Traditional island music incorporates Haitian and African influences, and live music at hotels and clubs is popular among local people. The Turks and Caicos National Museum, located on Grand Turk, displays collections on a variety of historical subjects, sponsors research projects in areas such as the slave trade and island industries, and maintains an archive of historical documents and images. There are radio stations based on several of the islands, and television is available via satellite. Newspapers include the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Turks and Caicos Sun (weekly), and Turks and Caicos Free Press (weekly).

The first human habitation in the islands occurred as early as about 1000 BCE, with the arrival of Arawakan-speaking people from the Orinoco River basin of South America. Primarily farmers and fishers, they began to settle in villages about 200 BCE and eventually developed into the complex Taino culture beginning about 1200 CE. The warlike Carib settled in the islands in the mid-15th century and conquered the Taino. They were the islands’ dominant culture by the time Christopher Columbus reached St. Croix in 1493. Columbus named the islands Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes, in honour of the legendary St. Ursula and the 11,000 martyred virgins. In 1555 a Spanish expedition defeated the Carib and claimed the islands for Spain, but by 1625 English and French settlers were farming on St. Croix. In 1650 the Spaniards evicted the remaining English settlers, but the French took the islands later that same year. St. Croix was willed to the Hospitallers (Knights of Malta) in 1653, but they sold it to the French West India Company. In 1666 the English evicted the Dutch buccaneers who had established themselves on Tortola (now in the British Virgin Islands). That year Denmark claimed St. Thomas, and in 1684 it claimed St. John.

After dividing the islands into plantations, the Danes began growing sugarcane, first using convicted criminals and then, after 1673, African slaves for labour. Commerce developed from the triangular trade in slaves brought from Africa, rum and molasses sent to Europe, and European goods shipped back to the islands. St. Thomas became a major slave market for the Caribbean. Denmark purchased St. Croix in 1733, and it became a major centre of sugarcane production. U.S. statesman Alexander Hamilton was born on Nevis island in 1755 and taken to St. Croix in 1765, where he worked in a countinghouse.

By the early 19th century the sugar industry had begun to decline, and two slave revolts had shaken the plantation economy. Slavery was abolished in 1848, and in the 1860s the United States began negotiations to purchase the islands from Denmark. The sale was made in 1917 for $25 million. The islands were administered by the U.S. Navy until 1931, when they were transferred to the Department of the Interior; civilian governors appointed by the president then administered the islands. Tourism began to develop following the end of World War II in 1945.

In 1954 the Organic Act of the Virgin Islands was revised and became the basis for the islands’ current governmental structure. In 1970 the first popularly elected governor took office, and in 1976 the islands were given the right to draft a constitution, subject to approval by the U.S. Congress and the president. A number of constitutional conventions took place over the following decades, but none of the drafts they produced achieved ratification. In 2007 a fifth convention was assembled, and in 2009 it submitted its draft to U.S. Pres. Barack Obama for consideration. The U.S. government returned it to the territory the following year with recommended changes, and in 2012 the convention began meeting again to discuss revisions to the document.

About three-fourths of the population is black, and between one-tenth and one-fifth is white. English is the official language, but some French is spoken on St. Thomas, and Spanish is spoken on St. Croix among Puerto Rican immigrants.

The population is predominantly Christian; Protestants constitute about half and Roman Catholics more than one-fourth of those professing a religion. The population increased rapidly in the mid- to late 20th century, primarily because of substantial immigration from the U.S. mainland, the eastern Caribbean, and Puerto Rico.

The infant mortality rate is relatively low for the region, and life expectancy—in years, in the mid-70s for males and the low 80s for females—is about average. Charlotte Amalie, the largest settlement, is the only town with a population of more than 10,000.

Geologically, with the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands are an extension of the central fault-block mountain ranges of Puerto Rico and are thus part of the Greater Antilles. They are composed of metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks overlain in parts by limestone and alluvium, and they rise off the continental shelf to maximum heights of 1,556 feet (474 metres) at Crown Mountain on St. Thomas, 1,277 feet (389 metres) at Bordeaux Mountain on St. John, and 1,088 feet (332 metres) at Mount Eagle on St. Croix—the largest of the islands, with an area of 84 square miles (218 square km). St. Thomas and St. John are very rugged, but St. Croix’s mountains are confined to the north, with a large rolling-to-level plain opening to the south. All the islands are surrounded by fringing coral reefs, and ancient elevated reefs ring the main islands.

The climate is pleasant, with temperatures at St. Thomas averaging a maximum of about 82 °F (28 °C) during the day in January and 88 °F (31 °C) in July and being tempered throughout the year by northeasterly trade winds. Nighttime minimum temperatures are about 11 °F (6 °C) cooler, and the relative humidity is low for the tropics. Rainfall averages some 45 inches (1,100 mm) annually, with a marked rainy season from September to December. Droughts occur periodically, and hurricanes may strike the islands on rare occasions. Early plantation clearance destroyed the islands’ tropical forest, which is now found only in a few places on St. Thomas and has elsewhere been replaced by secondary woodland and scrub. Island fauna is sparse, save for birds, but the surrounding seas abound in commercial and game species.