Bridgetown Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Bridgetown

Bridgetown is the largest city on the island of Barbados. It was founded on the shores of Carlisle Bay, a cove on the southwest coast. The harbor is the natural location for ships to anchor, and Barbados is one of the first landfall points after crossing the Atlantic from Europe.

Originally, the island of Barbados was visited by various Amerindian tribes. Evidence has shown that permanent settlement may have begun between the 4th and 7th centuries AD.

For centuries, Barbados was mostly ignored by the European powers. It's uncertain when the first European contact occurred, but it was likely the Spanish. The Portuguese came sometime between 1532 and 1536, but they abandoned Barbados by 1620.

The British arrived in 1625 and found the island uninhabited. The remains of a primitive bridge over the Careenage were believed to have been built by the Taino Indians. As a result, the area was first called Indian Bridge by the English and later the Town of Saint Michaels. St. Michael's Cathedral was originally built in 1665, but the present structure replaced it in 1789.

Bridgetown was named for Sir Tobias Bridge, who fought with Oliver Cromwell during the Interregnum and later came to the island.

The plantation economy relied on slave labor until the Slave Abolition Act of 1833. The primary crop on the island was sugar cane, a crop introduced by Jewish immigrants from Brazil. Learn more about their contributions at the Nidhe Israel Synagogue Museum.

In 1966 Barbados became an independent state within the Commonwealth, and in 2021, Barbados became a republic. Visit National Heroes Square and the Parliament Buildings and Museum to learn more about the nation's history.

Bridgetown and the Garrison are listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is a major tourist destination and cruise ship port of call, known for the gorgeous Carlisle Bay Beaches and shopping on Broad and Swan Streets. So grab your sunblock and flip-flops, and let's explore this amazing city with a self-guided walking tour.