Barbados was discovered by Portuguese explorer Pedro Campos in 1536, when he named the island  Os Barbados (“The Bearded Ones”) which was subsequently shortened to Barbados.  The Island is located just off the coast of South America, with Venezuela the nearest major neighbour.  The island of Barbados is situated in a group of islands which include the tourist havens of Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados itself is part of the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 430 square kilometres (23 kilometres wide and 34 kilometres long at the widest points). It offers a relatively flat landscape, which rises slightly in the centre of the island - offering beautiful views of the beaches.