Jaunted

· Hike Barbados – Sundays January through December
See the range of Barbados' natural beauty—and do some last-minuting toning before hitting the beach—by hiking through the cane fields, gullies, tropical forests and coastal communities. The free three-hour hikes depart from different locations on the island. You can choose from two-mile jaunts to nine-mile treks in either the morning, afternoon or evening.

· Slam-a-Dom Extravaganza – January 21, 23, 24
Apparently, the sport of dominoes—we had no idea it was considered a "sport"—is huge among Barbadians. So much so that they created the international Slam-a-Dom tournament to promote it. We'll bring our face paint and get our wave ready for the competition.

· Waterman Festival – February 6-7
Since it's an island, of course there has to be a fest dedicated to water sports. The Waterman Festival celebrates surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing with a series of competitive events. Activities take place all over the island and are mainly for the pros, but amateurs can give it a go as well.

· Crop Over Festival – July 3–August 2
Crop Over is Barbados' biggest, loudest and best-loved festival. Dating back to the 1780s, when the island was one of the largest sugar producers in the world, the end of the sugar cane harvest was marked with a big bash, and the tradition continues today. The party doesn't stop for five weeks with live music, dancing, carnivals, markets, cultural presentations and more. The fun ends on Kadooment Day (August 3) with a festival and parade, complete with colorful costumes, calypso music and plenty of rum.

· Barbados International Film Festival – December 1-5
This annual festival features independent cinema from all over the world, but the reason to see it is the locally made Caribbean and Latin American flicks.

Related Stories:
· Barbados Tourism Authority [Official Site]
· Barbados Will Be Sunny and Warm, Or Your Money Back [Jaunted]
· Can 'Anyone' Really Learn to Surf? [Jaunted]

[Photo: Barbados Tourism Authority's Facebook]