COVID 19 Travel Protocols

Border Status: Open to international visitors.

Pre-entry negative COVID-19 PCR test proof: Advised.

COVID-19 testing on arrival: Required for travelers without proof of negativeCOVID-19 PCR test.

Entry procedure: Travelers required to complete online immigration/customs form (www.travelform.gov.bb) and submit 24 hours prior to travel. Visitors advised to take COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival to be considered for fast-track processing. Traveler’s risk category determined by risk associated with any country he/she has traveled to or through within 21 days of arrival at Barbados. U.S. travelers deemed “high risk;” Canadian travelers “medium risk.”

Travel insurance: Not required.

Updates: www.visitbarbados.org/covid-19-travel-guidelines-202

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Find your private villa in Barbados by Dreams R Forever

At the height of the Roman Empire, wealthy merchants and landowners would construct large private homes; called villas, in the hills of Tuscany or at the shores of the Amalfi Coast to use as seasonal homes during the heat of the summer. These homes, or villas, also served as a place for family gatherings. Today, villas are often used as vacation homes and are usually found in Italy, England, France and the Caribbean Islands.

Barbados, the easternmost Caribbean island, is a popular tourist destination due to its wonderful year-round climate, gorgeous landscape, and friendly people.

Contact Dreams R Forever for more details or to book a luxury villa in Barbados!

Population:
279,254 (2005 Estimate)

Size:
431 square kilometers

Highest Point:
336 m – Mount Hillaby

Currency:
The Barbadian dollar is used but US Dollars are also widely accepted on the island, and well-known international credit cards and traveler’s checks are accepted in most stores and restaurants. Banks and ATMs are freely available and cash withdrawals can be made.

Entry Requirements:
Entry requirements vary for each destination; it is your responsibility to verify you have the correct documents prior to travel.

Time Zone:
Barbados lies within the Atlantic Time Zone, four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Savings Time is not observed.

Driving:
Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road on Barbados (like England).

Voltage:
Some outlets on Barbados use the same voltage as the mainland US, 110 volts. Others use 50 Hz.

Language:
English is the official language.

Certified Travel Specialist
If you are interested in renting a private villa in Barbados, contact Dreams R Forever. Dreams R Forever includes complementary concierge service with villas rentals in the Caribbean Islands. This exclusive service saves you time by allowing our concierges to arrange for car rentals, airport transfers, personal chefs, private spa treatments, reservations at the finest restaurants, yacht charters, baby sitters and much, much more. Guest Service coordinators make it their priority to ensure that your needs are met from the time you make a reservation until you return home from your Caribbean Dream Vacation – relaxed and rejuvenated.

The history of Barbados is being rewritten as recent archaeological discoveries suggest the island was inhabited as early as 1600 B.C. The first inhabitants were the Amerindians (Arawaks then Caribs), who arrived from Venezuela. The Arawaks, an agricultural society, were conquered by the savage Caribs, a cannibalistic society, around 1200 AD.

Pedro a Campos, a Portuguese explorer, stopped on Barbados is 1536 en route to Brazil. He named the island Los Barbados (the bearded-ones), presumably after the island’s fig trees, whose roots have a beard-like resemblance.

When in 1625 Captain John Powell landed on Barbados, he found the island uninhabited and claimed it for England. The Caribs may have deserted the island, or they may have been overtaken by Spaniards who imposed slavery on them and brought slavery to the island before deserting it in favor of the larger Caribbean islands. In 1627, John’s brother Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves, establishing the island’s first European settlement at Jamestown, on the west coast near what is now Holetown. Early on, settlers cleared the land for tobacco and cotton crops; however, these proved to be unprofitable, so sugar cane was selected as an alternative. The shift to sugar cane production had a tremendous impact on the island’s future, as it brought many changes. First, sugar production was not viable for small farmers due to the financial outlay; large plantations soon took over. The sugar industry prospered, and the ‘landed gentry’ from England flocked to Barbados hoping to make their fortunes. They lived extravagantly, as is evident in the many ‘great houses’ across the island, many of which are open for public viewing today. Finally, African slaves took the place of European indentured workers, drastically decreasing the white population of the island. In 1816, a slave named Bussa led the island’s first slavery uprising. Today, Bussa is a national hero, and the Emancipation Statue bears his name. The slave trade continued until 1834, when the Emancipation Act was passed, introducing a four-year apprenticeship period until the complete abolition of slavery in 1838.

Barbados remained a British colony until 1961, when the island was granted internal autonomy. On November 30th, 1966, led by premier Errol Barrow, Barbados became an independent nation. Today, the country maintains ties to the British monarch through the Governor General, and is a member of the commonwealth.

Tourism dates back to the 1700s, when George Washington visited the island with his brother-in-law who had tuberculosis, hoping to improve his condition. It wasn’t until the 1950s and 60s that visitors from Canada and the United Kingdom started transforming tourism into a major industry. Today, the island’s economy is a healthy mix of tourism, financial services, informatics, and light industry.

Contact Dreams R Forever for more details or to book a luxury villa in Barbados!