The sweetest summer festival is here again; the time for non-stop partying, pulsating music, and ever flowing drinks is upon us and we love it. Visitors from around the world love to come to the island this time of the year for that exact reason; simply put, it’s a party atmosphere.

But what if the partying scene isn’t for you? What if the constant reveling feeling is not what you came here for? Maybe you came here to relax in the sun, and enjoy what the island has to offer, apart from the fete life.

Well you are in luck, Crop Over has plenty of events that will cater to your very needs.

Today we will focus on the ever popular Heritage Tours that occur at varying times during the year, but especially during Crop Over time.

So, a question for you, when you think heritage tour, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe old buildings? A tour guide going on and on about history you may or may not already know about? While that is all part of it, in Barbados, heritage tours are so much more than that.

Apart from being educational affairs, they also offer social experiences for their patrons. The locals on the island love to talk and share laughs with most persons they meet in such casual settings. Trust me, we bajans will teach you plenty about our way of life on these excursions.

You will get to visit such picturesque locations such as St. Nicholas Abbey, one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere. When one visits these locations, we often take a nice walk down memory lane, and learn so much about this little rock we live on. Mount Gay Distilleries is also a popular location to visit for locals and tourists alike; after all it is the world’s oldest commercial rum distiller, and is well known for its award winning spirits.

Rum may not be your drink of choice, maybe you are a foodie, or as us Barbadians would say, “Yuh belly aint got no bottom.”

We’ve got something to offer you as well, for you have landed on the island of flying fish and coucou. There is no heritage experience that will be complete without moments to dive right into what Barbados has to offer on the culinary scene. You like fish? A stop at Oistins in the south, to even Fisherman’s Pub in the north will make your mouth water with delight at the seafood creations they have in store for your taste buds to enjoy. Whether you love your fish fried, steamed, grilled, or handed to you straight from the ocean, Barbados has you covered.

Pork maybe your meat of choice, if that is the case, you are in “pork mout”country. Bajans would find any excuse to eat pork. Birthday celebrations? Christmas day? Someone close to you died? More reason to throw some pork between a nice local salt bread and down it with a Banks Beer.

Crop Over has been known for years as our version of Mardi Gras celebrations found all over the world, which anyone can see why. The festive atmosphere is not one you can easily miss, with pumped up nightlife found during these celebrations, filled with colourful costumes and more.

However Crop Over for us is so much more; it’s about remembering our sugar cane history, how it has built our country and helped us seal our fate on the world stage. These heritage tours remind of these things, things that will help tourists on our island enjoy our carnival experience even more.

With knowledge in the brain, a Banks beer in your hand and great food your stomachs.