Georgetown: Gardens, Wooden Architecture and Market Life

If you are looking for a hotel in Georgetown, the themes that interest you in the city can provide a starting point. The Botanical Gardens connect nature with history; Main Street and Stabroek Market offer different perspectives on wooden architecture and goods. The Kingston Seawall Esplanade adds promenades and facilities to this selection.

Botanical Gardens: History and Nature

The Botanical Gardens were established in 1877 on a 78-hectare site. Newlyweds kiss on the Kissing Bridges after their wedding ceremonies, giving rise to a wedding tradition. Jenman House is a single-storey wooden building constructed in 1881. In the waterfall area, signs provide information about waterfall ecosystems and biodiversity. The focus thus shifts from a custom to a single wooden building and then to ecological connections.

Main Street and Stabroek Market

Main Street in Georgetown is a wide, tree-lined street with colonial-era wooden mansions. Compared with Jenman House, the scale shifts from a single building to the streetscape and its mansions. This shows wooden architecture in two different forms: as a single house and as part of a tree-lined streetscape.

Stabroek Market has a different focus from the buildings. The market offers gold jewellery and hammocks made by local artisans. The range of goods also includes mangoes, pineapples, bora beans, fresh gilbaka and butterfish, spices, cassava bread and hot pepper sauce. Handicrafts and food make up different parts of the selection; the availability of individual items may vary.

Kingston Seawall Esplanade

The Kingston Seawall Esplanade complements the historical themes with other visitor attractions. A September 2023 opening announcement listed a renovated bandstand, newly paved paths, a new restroom facility, two promenades, a new children's play area, 18 food stalls in a spacious food court and designated parking at the seawall. If any of these facilities are important to you, check their current availability before your visit.

Demerara-Mahaica in a Broader Geographical Context

In the wider destination of Demerara-Mahaica, the coast stretches from the east bank of the Demerara River to the west bank of the Mahaica River; to the south, the region extends to the Moblissa River. Demerara-Mahaica covers 835 square miles (2,165 square kilometres). Historical details of the region include the Kissing Bridges: the two iron bridges were brought from England to Guyana in 1884; at least one had been installed and was in operation by January 1885. The 1763 Monument commemorates the first strike for freedom on February 23, 1763. Stabroek Market in Georgetown is a cast-iron market hall whose history dates back to the 19th century. In the wider destination of Demerara-Mahaica is Hibiscus Plaza, a street market in central Georgetown whose shops offer handmade goods made from leather, cane, balata and fabric.

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