Barbados

Barbados is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles. Its name comes from the bearded ones in either Spanish or Portuguese. Coral rings the island, making for excellent snorkeling and diving. Summer’s Crop Over festival is the largest carnival of the year, and continues until Kadooment Day in early August. Tourism is an important source of revenue along with sugarcane and manufacturing. The people of Barbados are a real mix, composed largely of AFro-Caribbean, British, Indian, and Chinese roots. Arabs and Jews form a small minority. The regional variant of English, Bajan, is the most common language, although standard English is the official tongue.

There are vegan-friendly Caribbean food, juice bars, and varied organic eateries from Rockley Terrace to Bridgetown. Get your okra on or try some pumpkin ground nut soup! Cou-cou porridge, sorrel tea, and Bajan pepper sauce are other interesting local specialties.