Holiday in Bridgetown

What makes Bridgetown special as a destination?

Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011 — the historic old town and the Garrison form one of the best-preserved ensembles of British colonial architecture in the Caribbean. The city by Carlisle Bay is the economic and cultural heart of an island that proudly claims to be the birthplace of rum. The Garrison Historic Area was the British military headquarters in the Caribbean: the George Washington House (the future US president visited Barbados in 1751 as the only foreign destination of his life), the Main Guard House, and the Garrison Savannah (now a horse racing track) testify to 400 years of history. The Chamberlain Bridge and the Careenage harbor are the historical center. Mount Gay Rum is the oldest rum distillery in the world (since 1703). The rum tour through the distillery is a must — Barbados claims to have invented rum. St. Nicholas Abbey, a Jacobean plantation from the 17th century, also distills top-quality rum. The west coast (Platinum Coast) offers calm, turquoise beaches, while the east coast with Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl has surf waves that rival those of Hawaii. Oistins Friday Fish Fry is the largest weekly street festival in the Caribbean: grilled fish, rum punch, and calypso music under the stars.