Stabroek Market

Stabroek Market has anchored Georgetown since the 1880s, a huge cast-iron and corrugated structure with a clock tower that has become the city's emblem. Inside, it runs on the full mix of Guyanese life: Amerindian, African, Indian, Chinese and Portuguese threads visible in the produce, the spices, the salted fish and the cassareep needed for pepperpot, the national stew. Gold and jewellery sellers occupy one section, reflecting the interior's mining economy, while boats and minibuses depart from around the perimeter. It is loud, dense and the fastest way to understand the country's makeup.

History

The site on Water Street had long served as a market when the Georgetown Town Council officially designated it one in 1842. The present iron building was designed by the American engineer Nathaniel McKay and put up in 1880-1881 by the Edgemoor Iron Company of Delaware; it covers about 80,000 square feet, and its iron frame and clock tower recall the Victorian architecture of Britain (Wikipedia, Stabroek Market).

Highlights

• The cast-iron hall and clock tower - the 1880s structure itself.
• Cassareep and pepperpot ingredients - the makings of the national dish.
• The gold and jewellery section - the interior's mining trade in the city.
• Georgetown's wooden architecture - St George's Cathedral and colonial houses nearby.

When to go

Mornings are when the market is fullest and freshest; it winds down through the afternoon. Guyana's two dry seasons make walking the city more pleasant. Christmas week is peak pepperpot season and the market is at its busiest.

Practical notes

The area around Stabroek has a reputation for pickpocketing and bag snatching, and local advice is consistent: go in daylight, carry little, keep phones away and consider going with a guide the first time. The market is crowded and chaotic. Georgetown's drainage means streets flood quickly in heavy rain. None of this should put visitors off the market itself, which is the city's heart.

Nearby

St George's Cathedral, the Botanical Gardens and the seawall promenade.

Key facts