There’s more to Barbados than sitting in the sun

Rory Bremner visits the island’s interior and discovers a rich history away from the sands and sundowners

This remarkable man used a lifetime of knowledge to create a botanical garden, in a sinkhole

Loud reggae music blares from speakers stacked at the side of the street. Queues of people snake around dozens of makeshift shacks and stalls, browsing the craftwork and jewellery before finding a bench at one of the outdoor tables; a three-piece band moves through the throng, accompanying a brightlyclothed lady as she twerks in the delighted faces of locals and tourists alike. And everywhere, the smoke and smell of fresh fish cooking on open grills. It’s Friday night at Oistins, a fishing village just outside

Bridgetown, and that means one thing: the Friday Fish Fry. It’s a busy, bustling, crowded scene, a Bajan tradition, where some come dressed to dance (there are two music stages), some come to just hang out and take in the atmosphere, but most come to sample the fish – marlin, mahi-mahi, kingfish, flying fish, shrimp and lobster – cooked at any of the many open-air shacks or established grills. It’s a pig (or rather a shrimp) in a poke (we chose Uncle George’s restaurant, others recommend Cristal’s Bar) and you have to be prepared for quite a wait, especially after 8pm, but the company, the local Banks beer and the theatre all around you help to pass the time. Relax.

That’s what you’re here for, presumably – to relax, lie in the sun, sip rum punch, maybe watch some cricket, walk along the beach, enjoy

GOOD IMPRESSIONRory Bremner at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion, left and main; at St Nicolas Abbey, right; aerial view, far right