Georgetown: Guyana’s Capital City with a Wealth of History

Located on the Atlantic ocean coastline, at the terminal of the Demerara river is Georgetown, Guyana’s capital city. With its location in the midst of a dense forest and adjacent marshlands, the town is at the center of the surrounding nature. With plenty of attractions and historical monuments in the gateway to Guyana, here are the top things to do in Georgetown, Guyana.

1. The Guyana National Zoo

Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

Located on the immediate outskirts of the city, this park deserves a top spot in a tourist’s itinerary. It is home to an array of birds and animals that are synonymous with Guyana. For a fairly inexpensive admission fee, individuals get to be up close and personal with flora. The animals offer a great reception as they are easily welcoming to all who want to feed them with feeds purchased at the entry points. Some of the animals in this park are caimans, otter tapir, jaguars, macaws, parrots and manatees. This zoo promises to be a good way to start a sightseeing adventure.

2. Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology

Photo by David Stanley

Guyana is a nation that is really loyal to its past and cultural trademarks, making it a city in no rush to modernize. This museum offers tourists a really quick method to crash course on the city’s roots. The museum displays the cultural artefacts and informative articles of the Amerindian people. The displays are done traditionally, giving a near real experience. Photos depicting the city’s growth throughout its lifespan, from as early as 1900, are on display. Replicas showing paradigm changes to an independent nation from a previously British colony are also found here.

3. Promenade Gardens

Photo by David Stanley

Located in the midst of the chaotic city, these gardens are a perfect place to restore sanity and tranquilly in one’s spirits. The gardens are quiet and extensive stretches great for sightseeing and photo sessions. Made of a large field that is as green as a golf course and dotted with trimmed trees shading benches, the gardens are a sight to crave for. Flower-filled gazebos are also found in the garden, attracting birds with their fragrances. At the center of the gardens is a statue of India’s Mahatma Gandhi.

4. Parliament Building Guyana

Photo by David Stanley

The parliament buildings are found in the heart of the city as if to serve as a reminder that despite Guyana’s chaotic past, the law is meant to prevail and invite order. The parliament is an old, well-maintained building that seems to defy age. It is designed in the famous Neoclassical architectural style. It has a couple of gardens in its courtyard, with ancient firearms on them. A bronze statue of the famous unionist is found at the center of the garden. Two cannons captured during the historic Sebastopol battle are also housed here.

5. St. George’s Cathedral

Photo by Matyas Rehak

Georgetown is a great city for sightseeing, dotted with a couple unique architectural landmarks. This cathedral is considered to be the tallest wooden structure globally. The Anglican church is designed in the middle age famous Gothic architectural style. The church has large windows admitting light, making it have a bright interior thanks to its already white walls. The church is entirely made of wood and has defied the test of time, being sanitary since the late 1800s. The wood mainly used is from the hardwood tree, the greenheart.

6. Stabroek Market

Photo by kakteen/shutterstock.com

Georgetown has been bursting with activity since the 1800s. The Stabroek market stands at the center of the city and has been a famous trading center since its establishment in 1880. It is an old school architectural masterpiece, a building made of cast iron with a clock tower made from corrugated iron. Inside the market are retailers selling a variety of food products, mainly meat and groceries, at cheap prices rivalling malls. The market is as chaotic as the ancient trading hubs, giving it a classical feel. The air here reeks of spices, easily deceiving one to feel famished.

7. Guyana National Museum

Photo by David Stanley

Georgetown is filled with various exciting and adrenaline invoking sightseeing places. The nation at large has made great efforts to conserve its history and unique features. The national museum is home to an array of sociopolitical, cultural and historic items. Taxidermy has been used to a higher notch here, with various stuffed animals typical of Guyana, spread around the museum. The museum displays artefacts, skeletons and shells of various living things. The main landmark in the museum is a reconstruction of the famously slow mammal, the sloth, a giant figure at the center of the museum.

8. Demerara Harbour Bridge

Photo by amanderson2

Guyana’s main entry and exit point is an antique architectural masterpiece, that forms a good evocative sightseeing point. This is a floating bridge along the muddy watered, mineral wealth Demerara river. It’s referred to as a floating bridge since some of its sections float during high tides. It forms a good place to explore the extent of Guyana’s beauty along the Demerara river. The bridge accommodates one-way traffic at any go. It is therefore advisable to brace for heavy traffic near the bridge, which can only be beaten by masters of its schedule.

9. Guyana Botanical Gardens

Photo by Dan Sloan

For a city located in the center of a jungle, with seawaters on one end, it comes as no surprise that wildlife easily forms part of this sightseeing itinerary. The Guyana botanical is the city’s top not gardens that hosts a variety of wildlife; a plethora of species, both flora and fauna. Housed here are animals synonymous with Guyana as well as an exotic collection of breeds. Its gardens are well maintained and flower filled with the immediate surrounding reeking of nature’s floral fragrances. Monkeys, manatees, pumas and anacondas are some of the animals that can be found here.

10. Pandama Retreat and Winery

Georgetown may be mainly described as a chaotic city, bustling with activity since its establishment to the present day. On the outskirts of the city, however, is a retreat center that screams peace, located in the jungle. On offer are tree houses and cabins for boarding by visiting folk. Hammocks and benches are found all over the place, for hanging out during the day. A creek and a lagoon with black water are natural swimming places. A Winehouse is also found within the center, making it a must visit for liquor connoisseurs. The relaxing atmosphere here is meant to heal the soul a great sightseeing place.

Conclusion of Things to Do in Georgetown, Guyana

Georgetown is a one of a kind city. Dubbed the Garden city of the Caribbean due to its beauty and eternal summer climate, it is a mix of chaos and tranquility all rolled in one. It forms a good sightseeing and touring place fit for people who would love to experience tourism in its rawest form.

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