Stabroek Market

Stabroek Market is the largest market in Georgetown and the symbol of the city. The name is the old Dutch name of the town itself, after Nicolaas Geelvinck, Lord of Stabroek. The present building, a structure of cast iron and steel covering more than an acre on the bank of the Demerara, was manufactured by the Edgemoor Iron Company of Delaware and erected in 1880 and 1881. Its four-faced clock tower is the image on postcards and banknotes.

Inside, hundreds of stalls sell everything: fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, clothing, household goods, jewellery and gold. Outside, the market square is the terminus for minibuses and the ferry and water taxis to the West Bank. It is loud, crowded and alive from dawn.

Keep valuables out of sight and go in the morning when the market is busiest and freshest. Parliament Building is next door and City Hall a five-minute walk up the Avenue of the Republic.