Colourful, compact and steeped in history, Bridgetown is the perfect place to take a walking tour. Here are three of the best:
(Photo: getyourguide.com)
Bridgetown is a bustling city that is home to almost half the inhabitants of Barbados. It is an intriguing mix of old and new, with colonial relics towering above colourful fruit stands and the chance to try everything from centuries old rum recipes to contemporary locally made jewellery. To really get a feel for Bridgetown it pays to take a walking tour where a few hours will get your fully acquainted with the city. Here are three of the best on offer:
Historic Guided Walking Tour
At first glance this seems like a fairly standard walking tour of Bridgetown’s 17th century history but there are plenty of lesser-known insights into this buzzing city. The local guide is a historian and well-versed in explaining the stories of this, at times, timewarp port and what it would have been like to live in a British colonial seat of power before independence in 1966. It’s a city full of colours and contrasts and in between visiting buildings from the 1600s there are opportunities to try local fruit and juices too. It’s a well-run tour with a good pace, capturing most of the important sights throughout three hours – highly recommended. From € 26.20.
Book at GetYourGuide
Historic Walking Tour of Bridgetown Barbados
One of the most popular and best-reviewed tours in Bridgetown, this two-hour walk takes in both the city’s history and its modern day life. This means that while you’ll see the Independence Arch and the parliament building of the 1870s, there is also an opportunity to Bridgetown Fish Market, the second oldest in the country, as well as fish vendors boning their fresh catch. There is also 20 minutes to have a quick look at Pelican Craft Center, with more than 30 shops, locally made jewelry, clothing, leatherware and even a cigar factory. From €21.08.
Book at Viator
A Guided Walking Tour of The History of a City – Bridgetown
(Photo: getyourguide.com)
This tour takes a deeper look at the, at times, darker past of Barbados’s history, charting the hundreds of years between colonisation and independence. One of the main stopping points is in homage to the unceremonial ‘burial ground’ where slaves first set foot on the island. There is a chance to learn about one of oldest parliaments in the Commonwealth and also the Blackwood Screw dock that dates back to Victorian times. The sacrifices of the men who fought in two world wars are observed at the Cenotaph, as well the story of how independence was later gained. It’s powerful stuff and anyone who wants to know about the real history of this small nation should set aside two hours for. From € 23.43.
Book at GetYourGuide