Car hire Bridgetown

Introduction

Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados, the easternmost island of the Caribbean. Many cruise ships moor in the harbor, not least because of the duty-free shops in Bridgetown. There are also many luxurious yachts and catamarans in the harbor. When the British arrived in 1628, they found a bridge across the river, built by the original inhabitants of the island. Hence the name Bridgetown.

Population

Almost 100,000 inhabitants live in the entire metropolitan area of Bridgetown.

Location

The city is located in the southwest of Barbados on the Careenage River, a natural harbor which dispatches into the Carlisle Bay. The Careenage is fed by the Constitution River, but only in rainy season. In dry season hardly any water runs through the riverbed.

Economy

Barbados and therefore also the capital Bridgetown rely heavily on the export of sugar, rum and molasses. Tourism is also important and many offshore companies are active in the city.

Airports

Barbados Airport is officially called Grantley Adams International Airport and is situated 10 kilometers east-southeast of Bridgetown, near the town of Seawell. The airport is easily reachable via the Tom Adams Highway. The way and exit to the airport are clearly signposted on this road.

Public Transport

Bridgetown has good public transport in the form of city buses. Buses also run from the capital to several other destinations on Barbados. There are two bus terminals: in the north of town near the Cheapside Market and near the city center, where buses arrive and depart to and from the southern part of the island. Not all tourist places of interest can be reached by bus though.  In that case you can opt for the 'route taxis' which like the buses run a set route, but have many more destinations.

Traffic and Parking

Bridgetown is a small, but extremely busy city with many one-way streets. It may therefore be difficult to find your way around the capital of Barbados. Parking is no problem, but it's best to park your rental car on one of the guarded parking lots and not in the street.

Hotels

Barbados' capital doesn't offer a large range of accommodations and those available can be of dubious quality. Most tourists stay in one of the seaside resorts on the south coast or the holiday resorts on the west coast, like near Speightstown and Holetown.

External Sources

For more information about Bridgetown, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Bridgetown
• Official website Barbados
• Tourist Information Bridgetown