You can hire a car and drive straight to the beautiful beaches of the island but on the way there’s a couple of unusual things that are worth seeing.
For many years a BA Concorde made the journey from Heathrow to the island and when the route was decommissioned, BA gave the Concorde to Barbados which promptly opened a Concorde Museum near the airport. Full of fascinating facts and great images, the whole family will enjoy this. Then for the sports enthusiast, watch an international cricket match at the Kensington Oval, the most famous cricket ground in the Caribbean.
Barbados Airport Mini Guide
Your First Stop in Paradise
The island of Barbados has only one airport situated in Christchurch, in the south of the island. Originally named Seawell Airport it was re-named after Grantley Adams who was the first Premier of Barbados in 1976. Nowadays it is the main gateway to the eastern Caribbean and operates direct flights to and from many cities in Europe, Canada and North America. It is an important link for cruise passengers departing from Bridgetown, the island's capital as they fly into there from all over the world before picking up their ship.
A Warm Welcome and a Smooth Departure
After having undergone extensive renovations and re-building between 2002 and 2006 Grantley Adams Airport now offers all the modern facilities that passengers expect – and having the reputation for luxury that the island does, there are many very picky and discerning passengers travelling through this airport!!
Customs and immigration are usually done with quite quickly and there are ample baggage carousels for the number of aircraft landing. On receipt of your baggage why not make use of one of the many porters waiting to assist you – OK you have to pay a little, but you're on holiday! You will find duty free shops and all the usual facilities for your comfort which make for a hassle free wait for your flight in the departure areas.
The Concorde Experience
Barbados Airport hosts a unique museum housed inside a genuine Concorde aircraft – British Airways used to fly to the island regularly from the UK in the days of supersonic travel, so you can experience the luxury of this kind of travel for yourself, even if only for a short time and whilst staying on the ground. Although you are not likely to feel like visiting there on your arrival after what was probably a long haul flight, it's well worth arriving at the airport a little early for your departure to make time for a visit.
Getting Around Barbados
Barbados is a very compact island to travel around. The capital, Bridgetown is on the south east coast and the airport is situated just a few kilometres away on the south coast. All major car hire companies are represented at the airport and it really is a very easy place to drive around. There is a very easy, mainly flat coast road running all the way up the west coast of the island, passing the most exclusive hotels and resorts, including the famous Sandy Lane and also many of the houses of the celebrities who have properties there – Sir Cliff Richard and Wayne Rooney to name but two.
Don't Forget the Cricket
Many of the world's finest cricketers have hailed from Barbados including Sir Garfield Sobers and Joel Garner. They first learnt to play the game barefoot on the beach when they were young boys, so even if you can't manage to catch a game at Kensington Oval, you could be seeing the stars of the future playing cricket on the beach.
Car Rental Barbados Airport Useful Links: