So you think you know Barbados? Put yourself to the test! How many of these 10 fun facts did you know before reading this blog post? Leave us a comment to let us know.
  

1.     Barbados is Named After a Tree
Barbados was named by the Portuguese who first discovered the island in 1536. The name “Los Barbados” meaning “bearded one” was given to the island by the Portuguese sea captain Pedro a Campus because of the bearded fig trees which were once found all over the island. You can still find beautiful bearded fig trees around the island today.
 

2.     Barbados has the third oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth.
The Barbados Parliament was established in 1639 and is the third oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth. The Parliament Buildings of Barbados are located on Broad Street in Bridgetown, the island’s capital. They were built between 1870 and 1874 and are reminiscent of the Victorian era of Great Britain with the neo-Gothic architectural style. Explore the Historic Bridgetown on your next visit to Barbados. 
  

3.     The Barbados flag was designed in a contest.
Barbados became independent from England on November 30, 1966. On that date the Union Jack flag was lowered, and the Barbados flag was raised for the first time. The flag design was chosen from an open competition with thousands of entries. Grantley Prescod’s design was chosen as the flag of Barbados. The blue on the flag represents the ocean and sky and the yellow represents the sand, the broken trident represents breaking free from its status as a colony.
Fun Fact: The Barbados flag was first raised at the Historic Garrison Savannah in 1966. Today, at the same location, you can find the largest flying Barbados flag on the island, raised on the 50th Independence in 2016.
 

4.     Barbados is the Birthplace of Rum
Rum originated in the West Indies and was first mentioned in records from Barbados in about 1650. The drink was called “kill-devil” or “rumbullion” and by 1667 was simply called rum.
Barbados is home to the popular Mount Gay Rum – the rum that invented rum. Mount Gay Rum is the oldest rum brand in the world with the company deed dating back to 1703. Today the rum is exported to 110 countries globally and enjoyed locally at the close to 1,500 rum bars on the island.
According to the Guinness World Record, the oldest existing bottle of rum today was also from Barbados. In 2011, fifty-nine bottles of forgotten rum were discovered in the basement of Harewood House in the UK. The Harewood rum was believed to have been distilled in 1780 in Barbados. 
  

5.     Barbados invented a sport!
While cricket is the national sport of Barbados, the islands claim to fame is road tennis. Road tennis was invented in Barbados in the 1930s. It is a variation of tennis created by those who could not afford lawn tennis. With its fast volleys, road tennis looks like table tennis without a table. A 20 x 10 feet court is marked out on the road with chalk or tape with an 8 inch ‘net’ usually a plywood board. The bats are similar table tennis rackets, but without the rubber and the balls are like tennis balls but without the fur and deflated to reduce bounce. Each player takes five serves per turn and the first person to score 21 points wins.
 

6.     Barbados is the Foodie Capital of The Caribbean
Known for everything from world-class fine dining restaurants to fabulous street food and everything in between. Barbados is often referred to as the culinary capital of the Caribbean. Barbados loves its food so much that there is an entire festival dedicated to it. The Food and Rum Festival is held every October and features local and international chefs and mixologists. 
Some local delicacies include fish cakes, flying fish and macaroni pie, roasted breadfruit, pudding and souse and the National Dish of Barbados cou cou and flying fish. 
 

7.     The Grapefruit originated in Barbados
The grapefruit was first found in Welchman Hall Gully in St. Thomas, Barbados in 1750. It is said to be the result of natural cross-pollination between a Shaddock and a Sweet Orange. It was first known as the “Forbidden Fruit” and later named grapefruit after the way it grew in clusters like grapes. 
 

8.     Barbados has some of the purest water in the world 
The island of Barbados is a made of a 20-30-meter-thick layer of coral limestone, that was formed 600 thousand years ago when the island was uplifted by earth movements. Thanks to this layer of limestone, Barbados has some of the purest waters in the world! The limestone acts as a natural filter and reduces the acidity in the water bringing it back to a neutral pH state.
When it rains, water is absorbed into the earth and slowly, over years, through the thick limestone layer and into underground caves where you can find underground rivers and waterfalls. One of the most magical places in Barbados is Harrisons Cave where you can see beautiful limestone formations and underground waterfalls. Definitely a must visit!
Fun Fact: Barbados was the first Caribbean island to have piped water.
 

9.     Barbados is home to one of the last remaining Concorde planes.
Barbados was the only tropical destination with a scheduled Concorde flight. You could get from London, England to Barbados in just 4 hours. In fact, at certain times of the year when there is a 4-hour time difference between Barbados and London, if the pilots made good time and arrived in less than 4 hours, the Concorde would appear to land in Barbados before it left London!
On 17 November 2003 the Concorde made its final flight to Barbados. Today you can tour one of the retired jets at the Barbados airport. Board the plane, sit in the seats and learn all there is to know about this fascinating jet. 
 

10.    Barbados is below the Hurricane Belt
Knock on wood but there hasn’t been a hurricane in Barbados since Hurricane Janet in 1955! Barbados is the most easterly country in the island chain known as the Lesser Antilles and it is just 13 degrees north of the equator. This unique location puts the island outside of the main hurricane belt, so it is often spared the wrath of hurricanes. This makes Barbados an ideal destination to vacation or invest in your second home. Looking to learn more about vacationing or investing in Barbados? Contact our team at Realtors Limited by emailing info@realtorslimited.com for villa rentals or sales in Barbados.