Barbados is a distorted pear-shaped island lying 2585km (1610mi) southeast of Miami and 860km (535mi) northeast of Caracas, Venezuela. It's about the size of a large US city. The western coast has white-sand beaches and calm turquoise waters, while the cliff-lined Atlantic eastern coast is much more turbulent. Coral reefs surround most of the island.

Over eons the buildup of coral on sedimentary rocks has created the bulk of the island. Water permeates its soft coral cap, creating underground streams, springs and limestone caverns. The most notable of the caverns, Harrison's Cave, is one of the island's leading tourist attractions. Although most of the island is relatively flat, the interior is hilly and the northeastern area, known as the Scotland District, rises to a lofty 340m (1115ft) at Mt Hillaby.

Early settlers leveled most of Barbados' native forest for farming, and today the landscape is mainly sugar cane fields, pasture and scrubland. Small areas of native woodland remain in gullies and clifflands too steep for cultivation. One of the island's most common trees is the bearded fig tree, for which the island was named (

A few introduced mammals are found in the wild, including mongoose, European hares, mice and rats. The island's ubiquitous green monkeys were introduced as pets from West Africa some 350 years ago. Found only on Barbados is the non-poisonous and rarely seen grass snake. The island also has a small harmless blind snake, whistling frogs, lizards, red-footed tortoises and eight species of bats. Hawksbill turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the island's sandy beaches on a regular basis, and the leatherback turtle is an occasional nester. More than 180 species of birds have been sighted on Barbados. Most are migrating shorebirds and waders that breed in North America and stop over on the island en route to winter feeding grounds in South America. Only a fraction actually nest on Barbados; these include wood doves, blackbirds, bananaquits, guinea fowl, cattle egrets, herons, finches and three kinds of hummingbirds.

Barbados boasts 3000 hours of sunshine every year, and the constant air conditioning of trade winds keeps daytime temperatures down. In January the average daily high temperature is 28°C (83°F) while the low averages 21°C (70°F). In July the average daily high is 30°C (86°F) while the low averages 23°C (74°F). February to May are the driest months. In July, the wettest month, there's measurable rainfall for an average of 18 days, while April, the driest month, averages seven days.

Comfortable travel on Barbados can easily cost US$250 a day. A moderate budget will fall in the US$100-200 a day range if you hire a car occasionally and don't party too hard. Budget travelers can get by on between US$50 and US$75 a day if they confine themselves to public transport.

You'll want some Barbados dollars for incidentals, but most larger payments can be made in US dollars or with a credit card. Hotels and guesthouses quote rates in US dollars, although you can use either US or Barbadian currency to settle the account. Most restaurants, hotels and shops accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards, and a few also accept the Discover Card. Banks are easy to find in the larger towns and major tourist areas. Most hotels add a 10% service charge.

The best time to go to Barbados is during the cooler, drier months of late winter and early spring (February to May). Keep in mind that this is also the peak tourist season when prices are higher and places most crowded.