City centre
Buses, historyThe old town around the Careenage and the bus terminals.
City guide
Things to do in Bridgetown
The Barbadian capital: a UNESCO-listed old town and Garrison, one of the oldest parliaments in the Commonwealth, turtles and shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay, cricket at Kensington Oval and the hub for buses across the island.
2011
UNESCO-listed
1–2
Days to see it
The capital and its Garrison
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados and its only real city, set around the Careenage, a narrow inner harbour where sugar and rum were once loaded onto ships. Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, recognised as one of the best examples of British colonial town planning and military architecture in the Caribbean.
The centre is compact: the neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings, home to one of the oldest parliaments in the Commonwealth, National Heroes Square, the busy shopping streets of Broad Street and Swan Street, and the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, one of the oldest in the Americas. South of the centre, the Garrison Savannah has horse racing, the Barbados Museum and George Washington House, where the future US president stayed in 1751, his only trip outside North America.
Right next to town, Carlisle Bay has calm water, shipwrecks and turtles. Bridgetown is also the hub for buses to every corner of the island. Most visitors stay on the south coast and come in for the day, but a night or two works well. Give it one or two days.
Where to base yourself
In the centre for buses and history, around the Garrison and Carlisle Bay for the beach, or on the south coast a short bus ride away.
The Garrison
History, Carlisle BayThe Garrison Savannah and the beaches of Carlisle Bay.
Hastings
Beach, near townThe start of the south coast, a short bus ride away.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Bridgetown
Walk the old town: the Parliament Buildings and their museum, National Heroes Square, the Careenage and the Chamberlain Bridge. Visit the Nidhe Israel Synagogue and its museum, which tell the story of the island's Jewish community since the 1600s, and browse Cheapside Market on a Saturday morning.
At the Garrison, see the Barbados Museum in the old military prison, George Washington House and the tunnels underneath it, and watch horse racing on the Savannah. Cricket fans can watch a match at Kensington Oval.
Swim and snorkel in Carlisle Bay, where turtles and several shipwrecks lie in shallow water; boat trips from the harbour combine both. Tour the Mount Gay Visitor Centre, just north of town, for the history of the island's oldest rum brand.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
All beaches in Barbados are public, so Carlisle Bay, Pebbles Beach and Brownes Beach are free. Walking the UNESCO-listed old town, the Careenage and National Heroes Square costs nothing.
Cheapside Market is free to browse, and watching training gallops on the Garrison Savannah in the early morning is free.
Snorkelling from the beach in Carlisle Bay is free with your own mask.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Try cou-cou and flying fish, the national dish, and a cutter, a salt bread roll filled with flying fish or ham, from a rum shop or snackette. Macaroni pie and fishcakes come with most meals, and pudding and souse is the Saturday tradition.
Cheapside Market and the street stalls around Swan Street sell fruit and snacks. For a proper Friday night out, take the bus to the Oistins fish fry on the south coast.
Banks is the local beer. A service charge of 10 per cent is often added to restaurant bills.
Nightlife
Going out
Bridgetown is quiet at night, with a few bars along the waterfront and rum shops in the neighbourhoods. Most people head to St Lawrence Gap on the south coast, or to Oistins on Friday nights.
During Crop Over, in July and August, Bridgetown hosts big parties, and Grand Kadooment, the closing road march, ends near the city.
Use licensed taxis after dark.
Getting around
Getting around
Blue government buses, yellow minibuses and white ZR vans all charge a flat fare of BBD$3.50 (about €1.50) to anywhere on the island. Government buses take exact cash only, with no change given. Bridgetown is the hub: buses for the south and east leave from Fairchild Street, and for the west and north from Princess Alice terminal.
Grantley Adams International Airport is around 25 to 30 minutes away by taxi or bus. Taxis are unmetered, with set rates, so agree the fare first.
The centre is easy on foot. Cruise ships dock at the Bridgetown Port, a short walk or taxi from town.
Costs
What Bridgetown costs
Barbados is expensive for the Caribbean. Guesthouses near Bridgetown start at around €35 to €70 a night. A cutter from a rum shop costs about €4 to €8, while restaurant mains are €22 to €40.
The flat bus fare of about €1.50 is the best value on the island.
The Barbados dollar is fixed at two to one with the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted almost everywhere.
Safety
Safety and scams
Bridgetown is generally safe by day. Bag snatching and petty theft happen, especially after dark, when the centre empties. Avoid unlit streets at night and use licensed taxis.
On Carlisle Bay, do not leave belongings on the sand while you swim, and swim within the marked areas, away from boats.
Hurricane season runs from June to November, though Barbados is hit less often than islands further west. In an emergency, call 211 for the police or 511 for an ambulance.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Crop Over, cricket and Independence.
June to August
Crop Over
Bridgetown and across the island
The island's carnival, ending with Grand Kadooment.
30 November
Independence Day
Bridgetown
Celebrations marking independence in 1966.
Varies by season
Cricket at Kensington Oval
Bridgetown
International matches at the home of West Indies cricket in Barbados.
When to go
December to April is the dry season, breezy and sunny, and the busiest and most expensive. Crop Over runs from June to August. September and October are the wettest and quietest months.
Jan
Dry, breezy, peak season
Feb
Driest month, Holetown Festival
Mar
Dry and warm
Apr
Excellent, quieter at the end
May
Good value
Jun
Rains begin, Crop Over starts
Jul
Crop Over building
Aug
Grand Kadooment
Sep
Wettest, peak hurricane risk
Oct
Quiet and cheap
Nov
Independence, 30 November
Dec
Dry season returns
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, rounded. Warm all year, with the east coast windier.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Bridgetown prices.
Treat these as a guide. Boat trips and rum tours cost extra.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bridgetown questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Bridgetown worth visiting?
Yes, for a day or two: the UNESCO-listed old town, the Garrison, Carlisle Bay and its turtles.
Where should I stay, Bridgetown or the south coast?
Most visitors stay on the south coast for beaches and nightlife, and visit Bridgetown by bus.
How do I get from the airport to Bridgetown?
By bus or taxi, in around 25 to 30 minutes. Agree taxi fares before you get in.
Can you swim with turtles near Bridgetown?
Yes, in Carlisle Bay, on boat trips from the harbour.
How much is the bus in Barbados?
BBD$3.50, about €1.50, to anywhere on the island. Government buses take exact cash only.
Is Bridgetown safe?
Generally yes by day. Avoid unlit streets at night and use licensed taxis.
When is Crop Over?
From June to August, ending with Grand Kadooment.
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