Barbados Cruise Port Profile

1. The Barbados cruise terminal is located right at Bridgetown. No need for transportation to shop or dine.
   
2. The main thoroughfare is Broad Street, which has most of the duty-free shopping and historic attractions.
   
3. Snorkeling with sea turtles is one of the best unique excursions.
   
4. Beaches are accessible by taxi, bus or car rental.

A Barbados cruise port visitor may be disappointed to walk out on the deck on arrival at the cruise terminal and get a first glimpse of this popular Caribbean island. It all looks so ... commercial.

The fact is that Barbados is a fairly large island for a southern Caribbean cruise port -- 166 square miles -- and a fairly populated one at 300,000 people.

The cruise port at Bridgetown also is used heavily for commercial freight and other needs of this bustling former British colony.

But cruise visitors need not worry. They will find Barbados has plenty of things to do, food to eat and tropical beaches for sunning.

Shopping

Anyone with an interest in shopping can walk right into the main shopping district of Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados.

Broad Street provides the bulk of the duty-free shopping. Cave Shepherd is a shopping center on Broad Street and provides some of the best variety in duty-free shopping.

Those looking for local crafts should travel a little farther down the road to Pelican Village, where a wide selection of handcrafts, art and local food is available.

But like any other southern Caribbean cruise destination, Barbados has plenty of excursions for anyone wanting something more active than shopping.

Attractions

Broad Street also has some of the city's historic attractions, such as St. Mary’s Anglican Church, built in 1825, and the Barbados Parliament Building, which has a beautiful clock tower and vaulted windows.

St. Michael's Cathedral, which was built in the mid-17th century, is nearby as well.

One of the best experiences on the island is snorkeling with sea turtles.

Visitors will take a boat out of Bridgetown to a nearby location, just off the coast, where a large number of hawks bill sea turtles gather because they have become comfortable with human contact.

Visitors can snorkel with the turtles while guides feed them. The turtles come within just a few feet of people in the water, but they veer away if anyone comes too close.

Other attractions include the Flower Forest, which has 50 acres of flowers, animals and trails; Andromeda Natural Gardens with six acres of flora and fauna; Harrison's Cave, a stream cave system more than a mile long; and Ocean Park, a marine aquarium with 26 exhibits.

Transportation / Getting Around

The government transit board and private operators provide taxis and minibuses. The fare to any part of the island is $1.50 Barbados Dollars per ride.

Car rental agencies are common on this island that is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide in part because beaches, resorts and other major attractions are widely dispersed.

Beaches

Visitors simply wanting to spend time on the beach should note that the cruise port at Bridgetown is located on the southwest coast of the island.

Three popular beaches lie just north of the capital.

One of the most popular beaches for Barbados cruise visitors is Brandons Beach, which is near Bridgetown and offers water sports, restaurants and plenty of activity.

Brighton Beach lies just next to Brandons. Batts Rock, another beach near Bridgetown has picnic areas, playground, facilities and shade trees.

Weather / Best and Worst Months to Go

Antigua climate maintains an average high temperature of about 83 degrees Fahrenheit from December through March.

The average high starts to climb in April and hovers around 87 degrees from June through October.

Rainfall is light in the winter and spring, moderate in the summer and heavy in the fall.

Total rainfall is about two inches a month from January through April and peaks at more than five inches in September through November.