Museums & Heritage · Our pick in Barbados
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison (UNESCO)
The 17th-century port and its garrison
1 / 2
About Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison (UNESCO)
UNESCO inscribed Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison in 2011. As one of the earliest fortified port towns in the Caribbean network of British military and trading outposts, it was the focus of English expansion in the Americas, and by the 17th century it had become an entrepôt for sugar and for enslaved people destined for Barbados and the rest of the Americas. Its irregular 17th-century street plan survives, and the property covers 187 hectares, from the old town and the Careenage to the Garrison Savannah and its forts. Start at Parliament and National Heroes Square, then walk to the Synagogue district, and take a taxi out to the Garrison.
Why it's on our list
- Inscribed 2011
- 17th-century street plan
- Old town and Garrison
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison (UNESCO) before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison (UNESCO) are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Bridgetown (Parliament)500 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Carlisle Bay1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 5 min
- St. Lawrence Gap5.8 kmCycle 23 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Sandy Lane8.2 kmCycle 33 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Oistins9.0 kmCycle 36 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Holetown (Limegrove)10 kmCycle 40 minCar or taxi 23 min
- Harrison’s Cave11 kmCycle 43 minCar or taxi 25 min
- Grantley Adams airport14 kmCar or taxi 32 min
- Bathsheba16 kmCar or taxi 36 min
- Speightstown17 kmCar or taxi 37 min