Is one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean
and is the capital of Barbados. It was originally named "Indian
Bridge" after a make shift bridge bult over the river (now called
the careenage) by the Indians. later it became the "town of St.
Michael", before finally becoming Bridgetown.
The Chamberlain Bridge was first constructed in
1872 and had a swing bridge to allow boats into the inner basin,
in 2006 this was renovated and now has a modern lift bridge.
Trafalgar Square has a statue of Lord Admiral
Nelson which erected on 22 Mar 1813, it is older than the statue
and square of the same name and fame in London. In April 1999 it
was officially renamed National Heroes Square, in honour of the
national heroes of Barbados. Opposite are the Parliament
Buildings, established in 1639 it is the 3rd oldest parliament in
the Commonwealth.
Broad Street contains many duty free shops and
banks, amidst a few old colonial buildings.
Sunset Apartment - Island Information
Geography:Barbados is the most easterly
of the Caribbean islands it is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide which is
166 square miles. There are 11 regions called Parishes. The capitalis
Bridgetown
Government: Barbados gained it's independence
in 1966 it is still a member of the Commonwealth. It has a Prime Minister.
Money & Banks: The currency is the Barbados
Dollar which is directly linked to the US$ the rate is US$1 = BDS $1.98.
US$ are readily accepted and there are several ATM's, major credit cards
and travellers cheques are also accepted in stores and restaurants. Banks
open 8am to 3pm Mon-Thurs and 8am to 5pm on Friday, they are generally
busy and a long wait in line should be expected.
Taxes: 15% VAT on purchased goods. $25 BDS
Departure tax paid at the airport when departing.
Duty Free Goods: Duty free goods can be found
in many stores, alcohol and cigarettes are wrapped and delivered to the
airport where they are collected on departure.
Business Hours: Stores open between the hours
of 8.30am to 5pm but close by 2pm on a Saturday. A few supermarkets and
hardware stores open on a Sunday. Petrol/Gas stations have food and other
items for sale and are generally open longer hours than ordinary stores
Electricity: is 110V @ 50Hz and the receptacles
are US style 2 or 3 pin. Sunset apartment has one English 3 pin 240V
socket and also provides a travel adapter for multi-voltage appliances.
Time: GMT -4 hours in winter and -5 hours in
summer.
Emergency Services: Police 211, Ambulance 511,
Fire Brigade 311
