Bridgetown
is the Caribbean in motion
Welcome to Bridgetown
Wandering bustling Bridgetown, with its many sights and old colonial buildings, can easily occupy a day. There is good shopping, especially along Broad St and on pedestrian-only Swan St, which buzzes with the rhythms of local culture. The entire downtown area and south to the Garrison was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 2012 for its historical significance.
Top experiences in Bridgetown
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Bridgetown activities
Barbados Catamaran Snorkeling Cruise
After hotel pickup, head to the marina in Bridgetown to board your catamaran, El Tigre, a 60-foot-long (18-meter) and 24-foot-wide (7-meter) schooner that’s big enough to carry 50 passengers but is limited to 36 per cruise to provide more space. The boat offers both shady and uncovered areas so you can choose to sit wherever you’ll be more comfortable. Pull out of the marina and head along the west coast of Barbados, enjoying the sea breeze on your face and admiring the picturesque coastline. While you sail, just relax, sipping a cup of coffee or a glass of juice, rum punch or beer, and enjoy a slice of coconut bread.Make your way to your first snorkeling spot, where you should be able to see sea turtles. Spend 45 minutes snorkeling, and then hop back on board the boat to sail to your second snorkeling location, a shipwreck that has become a habitat for many tropical fish. You have another 45 minutes to snorkel here.If you’ve chosen the 3-hour option, you’ll then be dropped off at a west coast beach, where your cruise ends. Your transportation will be waiting for you at this beach to return to your hotel.If you’ve selected the 5-hour option, continue along the west coast to a third location, where you’ll stop to enjoy lunch on board the boat. Then hop in the water to cool off, swimming up to the nearby beach, if you wish, for a stroll along the sand. Back on board, enjoy a cocktail and listen to soca — a style of Caribbean calypso music — while the boat returns you to the marina in Bridgetown, where your cruise ends.Unlimited drinks (soda, beer and rum punch) are provided on both cruise options.
Barbados Shore Excursion: Barbados Beach Day
Copacabana Barbados is located on the northern end of Carlisle Bay , just a short walk away from the island's capital of Bridgetown. Upon arrival at Copacabana Barbados you will be presented with a welcome drink and ushered to your very own place in paradise, complete with a beach lounger and shared umbrella. Copacabana has several bars available to enable quick and hospitable service. There is a onsite watersports center with several non moterized watersport rentals available and Snorkel excursions via Tranquility Cruises are also sold from this location There are two departures from the Bridgetown cruise ship port: 8:35am and 11:30am. Several return times are also available 12:30pm 1:30pm 2:30pm and 3:30pm.
Barbados Shore Excursion: Island Highlights Half-Day Tour
Everyone wants to spend a day in paradise and Barbados is truly just that. from your Barbados cruise port you will start your day with a journey over to the East Coast of Barbados. The first stop will be Cherry Tree Hill with its breathtaking views of the East Coast from there you will make your way to Morgan Lewis Windmill. The windmill is on the top 100 endangered historical sites in the world. As you come down onto the coastline you will travel through Cattlewash and make a stop in Bathsheba which was named for its great beauty. It is also the location of the Soup Bowl the favorite stop for surfers in Barbados. The next stop will be St John's Church one of the oldest churches on the island, set on a cliff and capturing spectacular views. From this Gothic church you will journey through the parish of St George past the Gun Hill signal station and the great white Lion as we make your way to the Garrison Historic area. The British built the first garrison in the West Indies at St Ann's Fort in 1705. The garrison, which served as the regional headquarters of the British Navy, soon expanded to include barracks and a parade ground. For more than a century was the largest British Colonial garrison. The Garrison has a special importance for the people of Barbados as it was here the flag of the independent nation was unfurled on 30th November 1966. After your tour you will have the option to be returned to the cruise ship or be dropped off in Bridgetown for shopping or at Pirates Cove for beach time. If you do select to be dropped off for shopping or beach time you will have to make your own way back to the port. The tour usually arrives in the Bridgetown and Pirates Cove area around 1pm - 1:30pmTour Itinerary Highlights(All times are approximate and subject to change)Cherry Tree Hill (15-minute photo stop)Morgan Lewis Windmill (5-10 minute photo stop)Bathsheba (15-20 minute photo stop)St John's Church (20 minutes)The Garrison Avg length (15 minutes)Bridgetown (drive through with historical commentary)
Barbados Shore Excursion: Coastal Sightseeing Tour
After pick up from your cruise ship port the tour will begin in the Barbados capital of Bridgetown. Your driver will take you through the city pointing out historical sights along the way. From there you will travel up the south coast making the first stop at the historic Garrison. Then you will make your way up the coast and through the popular fishing village of Oistins, where you will make the second stop at Miami Beach. Miami Beach is a favorite with visitors and locals alike. Whilst at the beach you will sample some local fish cakes and coconut punch.Leaving Miami Beach you will drive further up the south coast to Foul Bay, a long and wide beach whose shores are washed by turquoise waters. The next stop is Codrington College. Codrington College was built in 1715 and is the oldest Theological College in the western hemisphere. Just up the hill from Codrington College is the next stop St John's Church. St John's Church, one of the oldest churches on the island, is set on a cliff and captures spectacular views of the East Coast of Barbados. From this Gothic church you will journey through the Parish of St John and into St Joseph down into Bathsheba which was named for its great beauty. It is also the location of the Soup Bowl - the favorite stop for surfers in Barbados.After a morning of beauty it will be time to taste the flavors of Barbados with local cuisine served up at our lunch stop at the Animal Flower Cave Restaurant located at northern tip of the island. The Northern point of the island differs drastically from most of the island. Here you will find waves crashing into limestone cliffs in a most dramatic fashion. Whilst at North Point you will be served refreshments. Leaving North Point you will head down the West Coast of the island through two of the island's oldest towns Speightstown and Holetown. Speightstown was also known as "Little Bristol" and was once the main port on the island. After driving through these towns you will be taken back to your hotel or cruise port.Tour Itinerary Highlights(All times are approximate and subject to change)Bridgetown (drive through with commentary)Garrison (5-10 minutes)Miami Beach (20 minutes)Foul Bay (10-minute photo stop)Codrington College (15-minute photo stop)St John's Church (20-minute photo stop)Bathsheba (10-minute photo stop)View of Morgan Lewis Windmill (5-10 minutes)North Point and Lunch (1 hour)Speightstown (drive through with commentary)Holetown (drive through with commentary)
Barbados Island and Beach Tour
Your Barbados island tour starts with hotel pickup by van in Bridgetown, followed by a drive up the west coast of the island — the Caribbean side. This stretch of shoreline is often called the ‘gold coast’ due to its beautiful hotels like the Sandy Lane and large homes, including the house where native daughter Rihanna stays when she’s in Barbados. When you reach Holetown, make your first stop at St James Parish Church, the site of the oldest church on the island, originally founded in 1628. Take a brief tour of the small church before heading about 20 minutes northeast to Cherry Tree Hill for a photo op. At 850 feet (260 meters) above sea level, Cherry Tree Hill offers a beautiful view of the coast and the lush landscape of St Andrew Parish. Once flanked by cherry trees, the road to the lookout point is now lined with mahogany trees. Continue your tour east to the Atlantic side of the island, and stop at Barclays Park, a popular, 50-acre (20-hectare) park that climbs up a beachside hill. (Fun fact: It was opened in 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II.) Have a seat with your guide at one of the many picnic tables and enjoy a refreshing beer, glass of rum punch or other provided beverage. Then head down the east coast about five minutes to Bathsheba for your last stop before hitting the beach. Enjoy a photo opportunity in the picturesque surfing and fishing village, and then make the 30-minute drive back across the island, this time traveling through the sugar cane fields, to Carlisle Bay, where you have two hours of free time on the beach. Swim, go snorkeling, take a nap on the sand, buy lunch at the beach bar — the time here is yours to do as you wish (any activities, food and drinks at the beach are at your own expense).Your Barbados island tour ends with hotel or seaport drop-off in Bridgetown.
Barbados Full Island Tour with Lunch
Full of local knowledge and smiles, your driver and guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning then it’s time to explore the beautiful Island of Barbados. Passing through the capital city of Bridgetown and heading north up the “Platinum” West Coast to make the first stop in the historic Speightstown. The next stop is the rugged scenery and magnificent blowholes at Little Bay before heading toward Cherry Tree Hill for incredible views of the Eastern sections of the island. Next you will head off to the breathtaking East Coast and to the home of crashing Atlantic waves in Bathsheba where you'll have lunch by the sea. The next attraction to enjoy is St. Johns Church with its splendid architecture, historic tombs and gravestones dating back to the 1600's. Last, but not least, make a stop at Crane Beach. After your full day of exploring each coast of Barbados, the group will head back south and return to your hotel for drop-off. Drinks will be provided throughout the tour.