Cidade Turismo
Guyana
Georgetown

Demerara-Mahaica · Guyana

Georgetown

The capital of Guyana at the mouth of the Demerara River: wooden colonial houses, the Catedral de São Jorge, the clock at Stabroek Market, the Sea Wall and the manatees of the Jardim Botânico.

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In the photo: Stabroek Market

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and lies on the right bank at the mouth of the Demerara River, facing the Atlantic. The town was laid out by the Dutch and expanded by the English, and much of it sits below high-tide level: a protective wall, the Sea Wall, holds back the sea, and gated drainage channels, the kokers, drain the streets. Wide avenues with central medians, once canals, cut through neighborhoods of white wooden houses on stilts, with louvered windows and verandas.

The city centre is walked on foot. The Catedral de São Jorge, made of wood and 43.5 meters tall, dominates the Cummingsburg district. Nearby are the Museu Nacional, the Museu Walter Roth of anthropology and the Promenade Gardens. On the riverfront, the iron Stabroek Market with its clock tower houses fish, fruit, spice and craft stalls, and next to it stands the Parliament, dating from 1834. To the east, the Jardim Botânico has lakes with manatees, and the National Park is the place for late-afternoon walks.

Guyana’s official language is English, but Guyanese Creole is heard in the streets, and the cuisine mixes Indian, African, Chinese, Portuguese and indigenous influences: pepperpot, cook-up rice, roti com curry and metemgee. The currency is the Guyanese dollar.

This destination brings together 1 city: Georgetown.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Georgetown is
Georgetown

Contornos: OpenStreetMap (Wambacher), via geoBoundaries (ODbL 1.0). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Georgetown

✈ Aeroporto Internacional Cheddi Jagan (GEO), in Timehri · 41 km to Georgetown

✈ Aeroporto Internacional Eugene F. Correia (OGL), in Ogle · 8 km to Georgetown

Check before booking. The Aeroporto Internacional Cheddi Jagan is in Timehri, about 41 km south of the centre; the Aeroporto Eugene F. Correia, in Ogle, handles regional flights. By land from Roraima, you cross the Bonfim bridge to Lethem and continue by bus along the interior road or by domestic flight to the capital.

The local experience

Things to do in Georgetown

Catedral de São Jorge (St. George's Cathedral)
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Church

Catedral de São Jorge (St. George's Cathedral)

Anglican wooden cathedral in neo-Gothic style, 43.5 metres high, completed in 1894. White walls, a pointed tower and an interior of dark wooden beams and arches in the Cummingsburg neighbourhood.

Stabroek Market
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Market

Stabroek Market

The iron market dating from 1881 on the banks of the Demerara River, with the clock tower that became the city's postcard. Inside are stalls selling fish, fruit, spices, clothing and crafts.

Parliament Building
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Palace

Parliament Building

The Parliament building of the Guiana, completed in 1834 in neo-Renaissance style, with columns and a white façade. It stands next to the Stabroek Market, in the old center.

Guyana National Museum
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Museum

Guyana National Museum

The national museum of the Guiana, founded in 1868, with collections of natural history, colonial history and the life of interior prospectors, in a two-storey building in the center.

See 6 more places in Georgetown
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Museum

Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology

Anthropology museum in a colonial house on Main Street, with objects and the history of the indigenous peoples of the Guiana, from the Wai-Wai to the Makushi, and artifacts from archaeological sites across the country's ten regions.

Promenade Gardens
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Garden

Promenade Gardens

19th-century garden in the Cummingsburg neighborhood, with a bandstand, flowering trees, shaded benches and a lily pond, between Carmichael Street and Middle Street.

Guyana Botanical Gardens
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Park

Guyana Botanical Gardens

The Jardim Botânico de Georgetown, created at the end of the 19th century on a former sugar plantation, with lily ponds, wooden bridges, palm trees and manatees that live in a pond near the zoo.

National Park (Georgetown)
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Park

National Park (Georgetown)

Urban park of 23 hectares in the Thomas Lands neighborhood, opened in 1966 on a former plantation and golf course, with a manatee lake and the circular road where people walk and run in the late afternoon.

Sea Wall
Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Monument

Sea Wall

The wall that protects Georgetown from the Atlantic, with the Kingston section finished in 1860 and the iron bandstand from the early 20th century. It is the esplanade where the city gathers in the late afternoon.

Georgetown · Demerara-Mahaica · Monument

Umana Yana

Large conical thatched hut, 17 meters high, built by Wai-Wai craftsmen using traditional techniques, without nails, near the Sea Wall in Kingston.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

The climate is hot and humid year-round, with highs around 30 °C. The heaviest rains usually fall from May to July and from December to January. From September to November the weather tends to be drier, the best time to walk around the centre and along the Sea Wall. In February, Mashramani fills the streets with parades.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Two days are enough for the centre, Stabroek Market, the museums, the Jardim Botânico and the Sea Wall at sunset. Those who want to see the Kaieteur Falls should add a day for the round-trip flight, which normally departs in the morning and is weather-dependent. For the interior, such as the Rupununi, allow another three or four days.

Which city to stay in

Cummingsburg and Kingston, in the north of the centre, concentrate hotels close to the Sea Wall, the cathedral and the museums, and are within walking distance of Stabroek Market. Queenstown and Bel Air, to the east, are quieter residential neighbourhoods with guesthouses in wooden houses and restaurants. Near the Timehri airport there are hotels for those arriving late or departing early.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Georgetown

How many days should I stay in Georgetown?

Two days cover the centre, the museums, the market and the Jardim Botânico. With a third day you can take the flight to the Kaieteur Falls. The city is usually the base for those heading into the interior.

Do I need a car in Georgetown?

No. The centre is walked on foot, and taxis are the common way to get to the Jardim Botânico, the National Park and the airport. Remember that in Guyana you drive on the left.

Can you go to the Kaieteur Falls from Georgetown?

Yes. The falls are inland, far from the capital, and the usual option is a day trip by small plane, departing from Georgetown and dependent on the weather. Confirm the departure before booking.

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