The hook
A faded, ramshackle colonial capital of grand wooden buildings and bustling markets, a Caribbean-flavoured city on the South American coast and the gateway to Guyana's vast rainforest interior.
01Why it's worth it
Guyana is a curiosity: geographically part of South America but culturally Caribbean, English-speaking, and shaped by African, Indian, Amerindian, and other heritages, and its capital, Georgetown, reflects that mix. Built by the Dutch and British below sea level behind a long seawall, it is a low-rise city of decaying but atmospheric colonial architecture, above all in timber: it is famous for its grand wooden buildings, including St George's Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, and rows of white-painted colonial houses with shutters and fretwork, faded and weathered but full of character. Its markets, especially the sprawling Stabroek Market under its landmark clock tower, buzz with the country's ethnic and culinary diversity, and the seawall is where the city gathers. Georgetown is not a polished destination, and it has real urban rough edges that call for normal caution, but it is an authentic, characterful, and welcoming introduction to one of South America's least-visited nations, and the essential jumping-off point for flights and journeys into Guyana's spectacular, pristine rainforest interior. It rewards curious travellers heading off the map.
02How to experience it
Wander Georgetown's wooden colonial architecture (St George's Cathedral, the old houses), the bustling Stabroek and Bourda markets, and the seawall, sampling the country's diverse food. Use normal city caution. Above all, use it as the base for flights into the interior, to Kaieteur Falls and the rainforest and savanna beyond.