Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens were established in 1878 and 1879 on the eastern edge of Georgetown, on land that had been a sugar plantation, and they remain the largest open space in the city. The gardens are laid out with avenues of palms, ponds and canals in the old Dutch manner, and they are known for the Victoria regia water lily, Guyana's national flower, and for the manatees that live in the waterways.

Within the grounds are the Guyana Zoo, the Seven Ponds, the burial place of presidents including Forbes Burnham, whose mausoleum stands there, and a bandstand and kissing bridge that appear in many old photographs of Georgetown.

The gardens are a favourite with birdwatchers: more than a hundred species have been recorded, and early morning is the time to see them. The gardens are about a 50-minute walk from Kingston, so most visitors take a taxi.