The Bearded Ones

One last trip of the year, and beginning of the next to discover some Caribbean islands on a winter cruise, escaping the cold weather back in Europe. A cruise is actually the only feasible way to visit these islands, many of which are tiny independent country-islands and therefore, rising the total count of countries visited so far to date to 99 by the end of the cruise; over half of the world’s total which stands as of December 2018 at 195. So starting with one of the largest, Barbados, all the way up towards the farthest port in the trip, Puerto Plata, and plenty more in between.

Its beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site listed colonial capital, Bridgetown, is one of the major international ports in the Caribbean for cruises. Founded by the British on 5th of July 1628 as a traditional English medieval market layout town, was raised to city status from 1842 after the Saint Michael’s Parish Church was elevated to the status of Cathedral. Then considering all other islands and their respective capital cities, Bridgetown remains as one of the largest and one of the most historic and therefore, touristy due in part for the large amount of colonial structures so well preserved and of course, the beaches and great resorts around the rest of the island.

Now, considering the fact of how small it is and how straightforward it is to visit, there won’t be too much more to add rather than the obvious section of what to see and do. Still, Barbados has more to offer than just Bridgetown or what many see it as their port of arrival. The island was visited by Spanish navigators in 1511 who claimed if for the Crown, however not much they did until the arrival of the English, developing it into an important sugar cane production, and leaving quite a large legacy of structures all over the island.

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