When is the Caribbean not the Caribbean?

Bridgetown, Barbados

Sunday March 2, 2025

One of many mushroom shaped rock formations on the east coast of Barbados.

Answer - When you are in Barbados! The island country is actually in the Atlantic Ocean, but because it is part of the Caribbean island chain it is considered part of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American and Caribbean plates, which is how the island was formed.

Today we visited Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, and visited the Green Monkey Eco Discovery Center. To get started, here are some interesting tidbits about Barbados.

Fun Facts

• In Barbados it is considered good luck if a Mongoose crosses your path.

• Grapefruit was discovered there.

• Barbados is named after a tree. When the Portuguese first discovered the island in 1536 the Bearded Fig Tree was found all over the island. “Los Barbados” is Portuguese for “The Bearded One".

• Barbados is also known as “the land of flying fish” as they are frequently seen gliding around the island. They can glide for up to 45 seconds at speeds of more than 70km / hour!

• Barbados has one of the world's highest literacy rates.

• Barbados is the only foreign country George Washington ever visited. He spent several months here with his brother when he was 19. The house he stayed in has been restored and preserved.

During our island tour we learned that the east coast of the island is much different than the west coast. The east coast is more exposed to the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, making bigger waves and rockier beaches (shown on the left below). The relentless pounding on the large rocks in the water on the east side is what creates the mushroom shaped rocks shown in the picture at the top of the blog. The west coast beaches have fewer waves, sandy beaches, and brighter colored water (on the right).

As we continued our tour around the island we saw a lot of sugar cane growing. The Sugar Cane growing here is mostly used to make rum, which is one of Barbados' top export products.

Sugar Cane Field

Cricket is the National Sport in Barbados. These pictures of a local team practicing.

The Green Monkey Eco Reserve was the highlight of our tour. It is a wilderness reserve, where the animals are wild, but protected. The area is fenced, but the monkeys can easily climb in and out, and often do. Green Monkeys are native to West Africa but have been part of the Barbados ecosystem for over 300 years.

Green Monkeys:

Tortoise:

Iguana:

Brocket Deer:

We also saw some snakes and birds in cages during a part of our walk. Then as we exited the wilderness area, we were given a glass of rum punch to try before we left. Yum!

On the way back to the ship we drove through the newer, more expensive area of Bridgetown. Lots of beautiful homes along the beach, and upscale shopping centers, This is the area where Rihanna now has an apartment (see below). She was born in Barbados, in a smaller town, and still returns to visit regularly.

Today's weather was much more moderate than we have been experiencing during this trip. And yet, it was the only time we had an tour bus with AC. We loved the name.....Bubbly Champagne Tours!

Tomorrow we arrive in Dominica's capital Roseau and take a trolley to the Botanical Gardens! Oh boy, more pictures of plants and birds (we hope)!