Bridgetown Map

Description: This map shows streets, roads, beaches, piers, rivers, buildings, shops, churches, parking lots, and parks in Bridgetown.

Description: This map shows streets, piers, beaches, houses, buildings, cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, museums, monuments, parking lots, shops, churches, points of interest, and parks in Bridgetown City Center.

Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of Barbados. It lies in the parish of Saint Michael, on the shore of Carlisle Bay on the island's southwestern coast. The city is the country's main commercial, administrative and cultural centre, and it has the island's principal seaport.

English settlers founded the town in 1628. Its name comes from a simple bridge over the Careenage, a small inlet at the mouth of the Constitution River. The bridge is thought to have been built by the island's Indigenous inhabitants before the English arrived, and early settlers called the place "Indian Bridge." Bridgetown soon became one of the busiest ports in the British Caribbean. It was a key point in the Atlantic trade in sugar and enslaved Africans.

The city has several notable landmarks. The Parliament Buildings were completed in the 1870s in the neo-Gothic style. They house the Parliament of Barbados, one of the oldest legislatures in the Commonwealth, which dates back to 1639. Nearby, National Heroes Square was formerly called Trafalgar Square. A statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson stood there from 1813 until it was removed in 2020. The Nidhe Israel Synagogue was first built in 1654 and rebuilt in 1833. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere.

In 2011, Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO recognised it as an outstanding example of British colonial architecture and town planning.

George Washington visited Barbados in 1751. It was the only time he travelled outside mainland North America. The house in the Garrison area where he is believed to have stayed is now a museum.

The Deep Water Harbour opened in 1961 and is a major stop for Caribbean cruise ships. Bridgetown is also home to Kensington Oval, a cricket ground that hosted the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. On 30 November 2021, the ceremony marking Barbados's transition to a republic took place in the city.

Main sights in Bridgetown