The Part-Time Backpacker

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Day 15 - Barbados 🇧🇧

Boats on a beach in Paynes Bay, Barbados

Today we head back to the Caribbean for the second time this week. Barbados is a tiny island nation in the Lesser Antilles and is the most easterly Caribbean island.

Its location is quite fortuitous as unlike most other Caribbean nations it is generally not in the path of incoming hurricanes, last being Hurricane Allen in 1980.

Barbados was first claimed by Portugal in 15th or 16th century, while en route to Brazil. Barbados then became a British colony for over 300 years until 1966. During that time, it grew lots of sugar, unfortunately, was home to many slaves and started distilling rum. In fact, Mount Gay Rum claims to be the world's oldest commercial rum distillery.

Barbados has more than you’d expect in common with Bahrain. Like Bahrain, Barbados is one of the world’s most densely populated isles. It also has a Concorde connection and was the only holiday destination in the world to be privileged enough to have a regularly scheduled Concorde flight. In fact one of British Airway’s Concordes now lives in a museum right next to Grantley Adams International Airport.

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