Historic Bridgetown and the Garrison Walking Tour

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, recognising one of the best-preserved British colonial towns in the Caribbean. This guided walk brings its streets, harbour and parade ground to life.

Start at the Careenage, the sheltered creek that was the island's first harbour, and cross Chamberlain Bridge to National Heroes Square. Above you rise the neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings, home to one of the oldest continuous parliaments in the Commonwealth. A few streets away, Nidhe Israel Synagogue was first built in 1654 by Jewish settlers from Brazil, one of the oldest in the Americas; excavations here uncovered a 17th-century mikveh. St Michael's Cathedral completes the picture of the old town.

The second part of the tour moves south to the Garrison, the 18th- and 19th-century military headquarters. See the Savannah, once a parade ground and now the island's racecourse, the red clock tower, the old cannons and George Washington House, where the future US president stayed in 1751 on his only trip abroad. Your guide ties it all together, from sugar and slavery to emancipation and independence.