Georgetown Holidays

Georgetown the chief port, capital and largest city of Guyana is situated on the right bank of the Demerara River Estuary.  It was chosen as a site for a fort to guard the early Dutch settlements of the Demerara River. 

The city of Georgetown was designed largely by the Dutch and is laid out in a rectangular pattern with wide tree lined avenues and irrigation canals that criss cross the city.

Most of the buildings in the city are wooden with unique architecture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.  For the most part the buildings have Demerara shutters and designed fretwork which trim eaves and windows.  Main Street, Georgetown provides several excellent examples of old colonial homes, a prime example of which is the State House, built in 1852. The State House is set in large gardens and is painted green and white and has hosted many visiting dignitaries.

There are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed: the most famous being St. George’s Cathedral.  The Cathedral is one of the world’s tallest free standing wooden buildings and was consecrated on 1892.  The foundation stone was laid on November 23, 1890 and the building was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield.  The story of the cathedral is told on the interior on tablets and memorials of a historical and sentimental nature: it is the tale of the history of Guyana in general and of the Diocese in particular.

At the beginning of the Avenue of the Republic stands the Public Library housed in the Carnegie Building.  Other historic buildings along this promenade are the Town Hall, a splendid example of Gothic architecture, and further along are the Victoria Law Courts and St. Andrews Kirk.  St. Andrew’s is the oldest surviving structure of any church in Guyana.

The famous Stabroek Market, once described as a “bizarre bazaar”, contains every conceivable item from house hold goods and gold jewellery to fresh meat and vegetables brought to town on the river daily.  The clock tower can be seen for miles around and is a famous landmark.

No trip to Georgetown would be complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens and zoo. The Botanical Gardens houses one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean and are laid out with ponds, canals, kissing bridges and bandstand.  Over 100 species of Guyanese wildlife can be observed at the Zoo including a wide variety of birds.

Georgetown is the gateway to Guyana’s interior and visitors tend to take a scheduled flight into the heart of the country to experience different community lodges, nature walks, boat trips, village visits and see a whole wealth of wildlife.