What to See in Bridgetown (Barbados)

By | July 9, 2022

According to SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES, Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados. It is located in the southern part of the country’s west coast in St. Michael’s County. The city stands on the shores of Carlisle Bay along the delta of the Constitution River. Nearly half of the country’s population lives in Bridgetown and its environs. The name of the country’s capital is translated as “bridge city”. And in fact, the two parts of the city, which stretch on both sides of the Constitution River, are connected by two bridges: the Chamberlain Bridge and the Charles O’Neal Bridge, the first being built back in 1872. The main attractions of Bridgetown are located on the north side of the Constitution River Delta. Heroes’ Square occupies the central place here., which until 1999 was called Trafalgar Square. Heroes’ Square is a copy of the square of the same name in London. Here you can see the statue of Lord Nelson, which was installed in Bridgetown earlier than on London’s Trafalgar Square – in 1813. Also in 1861, a Fountain was installed in Heroes’ Square – a gift to Bridgetown from merchant John Montefiore. In the vicinity of the square are the Harford-Chambers Attorney’s Office, St. Michael’s Anglican Cathedral, the Central Bank Building and the Houses of Parliament. The Parliament of Barbados was created in 1639 and is thus the third oldest such structure in the Commonwealth of Nations. From the Houses of Parliament to the west stretches the main street of Bridgetown – Broad Street.. It contains the main shopping areas of the city with many souvenir shops, shopping centers and duty-free shops. The street is always crowded. To the east of the Heroes’ Square, the Royal Park is interesting, in which a baobab grows over 1000 years old and 18 m in diameter, and to the north – a synagogue, which was built here back in 1654, and later (in 1833) was rebuilt.

It is also worth visiting the southern part of Bridgetown, where there is a whole open-air museum – the barracks of the Garrison of the 17th century. On the territory of the barracks, the systems of English fortifications and a collection of English artillery pieces of the 17th century are well preserved, the oldest of which was cast in 1620. A little to the east stands the Museum building. Barbados . The museum is known for its rich historical collection, which tells about the geological history of the island and the history of its settlement. Here you can see collections of 18th century furniture that adorned the homes of planters, collections of ancient maps of the island, and a library that contains rare materials about the West Indies dating back to the 17th century. The George Washington House, restored in 2006, is located in the southern part of Bridgetown. Before becoming President of the United States, George Washington visited Barbados in 1751 and lived in this mansion for about 2 months. Furniture of those times, household items and unusual things of the second half of the 19th century have been preserved here. bridgetown – a paradise for shoppers. The city is famous for its many duty free shops. The main commercial arteries of Bridgetown, in addition to Broad Street, are Swan Street, Roeback Street and Tudor Street. It is worth remembering that when buying goods in duty-free shops, you must provide your passport and provide details of your place of residence on the island. Alcoholic and tobacco products purchased in such stores are not handed out, they will be delivered to the airport by the time of your departure. In addition, Foodstalls Street, which is full of small private shops and shops, and Baxter Road with rum shops are interesting in Bridgetown.

In the vicinity of Bridgetown stretched such popular beach areas as Brandons, Butts Rock and Fitts Village. The sea here is calm, as on the entire western coast, and the beaches are composed of white coral sand and surrounded by palm groves. All beaches in Barbados are municipal, that is, absolutely all beaches are open to tourists. Beach areas are equipped with changing cabins, showers, picnic areas and playgrounds.

In addition to the beach holiday Bridgetown offers the most diverse excursion program (from here you can easily get to any point of the island, because its size is small) and has the opportunity to engage in various types of tourism. There are many travel companies in the city where you can book an excursion, as well as many centers for renting equipment for water sports.

Bridgetown is surrounded by coral reefs. They are great for diving and snorkelling. Coral reefs are located both in close proximity to the coast and at a distance of up to 3 km from it. A wide variety of tropical fish and larger marine life are found here – barracudas, hawksbill turtles, huge sand eels and rays. The most popular dive sites around Bridgetown are Shark Bank (diving depth here reaches 45 m) and Bell Buoy with coral gardens, among which shoals of tropical fish sweep. Also near Bridgetown near Carlisley beach, 4 sunken ships lie at the bottom: Berwyn, Eilon, Sea Track and Fox. This is a great place for beginners looking to learn wreck diving. Nearby is another dive site – Friars Crack. Here, at a depth of 17 m, lies a German cargo ship that sank in 1984.

In the immediate vicinity of Bridgetown, just north of the city, the historical village of Tyrol Kot is interesting.. Opposite it stands the house where the country’s first prime minister, Grantley Adams, lived. This building was built in 1854. The village itself tells about the way of life of the local population, it also presents products of local artisans. The village has a traditional rum shop and a small gift shop. Not far from here, in the vicinity of Butts Rock Beach, there are Lazaretto Gardens with tropical plants and flowers. Also to the north of the capital it is worth visiting rum factories, for example Gay Rum Factory, where you can learn about the history of the appearance of this drink, get acquainted with the technology of its production and taste the best varieties.

Bridgetown (Barbados)