freem32@cogeco.ca

7 Fun Things to Do in Grand Cayman

By freem32@cogeco.ca Caribbean, Caving, Stingrays, Tourist Attractions

Things to do in Grand Cayman include Stingray City, Golf, Fishing, Sailing, Caving and enjoying Nature!

Stingray City, Golf, Fishing, Caving, Amazing Nature and more…

A British Territory in the western Caribbean, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are peaks of the massive underwater Cayman Ridge. The Cayman Islands are located south of Cuba, between Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Jamaica.

There’s plenty of unique and interesting things to do in the Cayman Islands. Here’s a summary of some of our favourite attractions and activities on Grand Cayman Island.

Visit Stingray City

Not far from the northern shores of Grand Cayman there’s a shallow sandbar where friendly Southern Stingrays hang-out. It’s pretty amazing to stand in about 3 to 4 feet (1m) of water with these gentle creatures swimming around your legs. With help from a local stingray wrangler, you can also carefully hold and maybe even kiss one of the pre-historic animals. You won’t ever forget the feel of their soft velvety skin! There aren’t too many places in the world where you can enjoy this “once in a lifetime” experience – Take advantage of the opportunity when visiting Grand Cayman. Want to see what it’s really like? Check out our Grand Cayman Stingray City video on YouTube!

For more information, including a list of tour operators to get you out there, click on our Grand Cayman Ocean Excursions page

Play a Round of Golf

There’s few better ways to spend a relaxing yet fulfilling day in the Caribbean sun, than by getting on the links for a round of golf. There are two delightful courses on Grand Cayman – Both conveniently located near the island’s capital, George Town. The North Sound Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 71 championship golf course that plays to 6,605 yards and features spectacular views of the North Sound and the Caribbean Sea. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club offers a Greg Norman designed 9-hole, par 36 golf course that’s also set in an amazing tropical backdrop.

For more information, check out our Golf Grand Cayman page

Go Fishing

If you like to spend time at sea, you’re in for a real treat at Grand Cayman Island! Thanks to miles of coral reefs located just a few hundred feet from the island, there’s great opportunities for reef fishing and bottom fishing with plenty of Grouper, Snapper and Jacks to catch. You can also try Cayman Island fly-fishing, bone fishing and even fish for tarpon in Grand Cayman’s protected North Sound. If you’re looking for some of the best deep sea fishing in the Caribbean, look no further than the Cayman Trench – Located roughly 10 miles (18km) from the shores of Grand Cayman, this abyss reaches depths of 20,000 feet (6,000m)! If it’s big game fish you’re after, there’s plenty of Blue Marlin, Wahoo (kingfish), Mahi-Mahi (dolphin), Tuna and Barracuda to challenge your angling skills.

For more Cayman Islands fishing information, including a list of boat operators to get you out there, click on our Grand Cayman Fishing page

Enjoy a Day at Sea

For a more relaxing day at sea, sailing provides you with a view of Grand Cayman from a different perspective. See the North Sound and West coast from the sea to better appreciate it’s gorgeous aqua blue waters and beaches. Sit back and enjoy a quiet sailing cruise and if you’re feeling energetic, there is always warm waters at your back doorstep to enjoy swimming and snorkeling. If motor boats are more your speed, you can easily visit a number of the islands’s shoreline attractions in style. If you’re staying overnight in Grand Cayman, a ‘must see’ experience is to gently boat across the glowing blue waters of the bioluminescence bay. Finally, let’s not forget the opportunity to enjoy a romantic sunset, best enjoyed with an unobstructed view over the Caribbean sea!

For more information, including a list of boat operators to get you on the water, click on our Grand Cayman Sailing and/or Grand Cayman Ocean Excursions pages

Venture Into a Cave

Another unique Grand Cayman experience is to venture underground into a subterranean world full of history and intrigue. Explore limestone caves where eerie stalagmites, stalactites and limestone pillars will captivate you… and watch out for the occasional bat. There are literally hundreds of caves throughout the Cayman Islands – A couple of them on Grand Cayman are open to the public. Cayman Crystal Caves, consists of three caves located beneath a tropical forest on the north side of the Island. Meanwhile, on the south/west side of the island near Bodden Town, Pirates Cave is a kid friendly underground tourist attraction.

For more information on Cayman Islands caving, including a list of tour operators to get there, click on our Grand Cayman Caves page

Horseback Ride Along a Beach

Things to do in Grand Cayman include Stingray City, Golf, Fishing, Sailing, Horesback Riding and enjoying Nature!

Ever dreamed of riding along a beach in a tropical paradise? If so, make your dream a reality in Grand Cayman. The island’s uninhabited areas around Barker’s National Park provide an ideal location for riding quiet nature trails and un-populated shorelines. Bond with your well trained horse and wade into the sea for a refreshing dip. You can just ford through the calm and beautiful Caribbean Sea or perhaps try riding bareback while your horse actually swims in deeper water. Either way you’ll enjoy calming views of North Sound and Stingray City. There’s daytime rides, sunset rides and even opportunities to ride at night under a full moon!

For more information about equestrian stables offering guided horseback rides, check out our Grand Cayman Land Excursions page

Spend Some Time in Nature

Looking to slow the pace outside to appreciate Grand Cayman’s natural beauty? If so, you’ll enjoy the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, which features lovely gardens, a lake, a tea house with a wonderful view of natural habitat for birds and the famous Cayman Blue Iguana. If you’re looking to get a little more exercise while you’re getting some fresh air, guided tours are available in the Blue Iguana Nature Reserve’s mile-long forest trail, where you have the opportunity to view the large reptiles in their natural environment. There’s also Governor Gore’s Bird Sanctuary, which has a short boardwalk over a small pond where you can view birds and butterflies, as well as the fresh water Hickatee Turtle.

Then there’s the major ‘nature themed’ attraction on Grand Cayman – the Cayman Turtle Centre & Island Wildlife Encounter. Here you’ll enjoy a number of exhibits and attractions including a turtle breeding pond, a large tank with underwater viewing areas, an aviary (bird) centre, butterfly garden, nature trail and an area that even allows you to swim with the turtles!

There’s also Starfish Point and Rum Point, located on the north-eastern tip of North Sound – A couple of great places to relax away from the more touristy places on Grand Cayman.

For more information, including a list of tour operators to show you around the island, click on our Grand Cayman Land Excursions page

Finally, I’ll also mention the annual Cayman Islands Pirates Week Festival – Participate in the Caribbean’s premier pirate festival and the Cayman Islands’ largest national event which includes parades, costume contests, scavenger hunts, street parties, boat races and more.

ACT Staff

If you’re looking for something more exciting, that will raise your pulse rate a bit, check out our Cayman Islands Adventure recommendations

For our overview of the beautiful and diverse islands that make up the Caymans, click on Cayman Islands Vacations

Enjoy!

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Dominica’s Best Waterfall Trail – Middleham Falls

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Tourist Attractions, Waterfalls

What a way to spend the morning – Dominica Hiking to a Secluded Waterfalls

Dominica Hiking to Middleham Falls - A great way to spend the morning

There may be a couple of taller waterfalls in Dominica, or some that are much easier to get to, however there’s no better balance on the island between ‘ease of access’ and remoteness. The trail to Middleham provides an enjoyable Dominica hike through the rain-forest to one of the tallest waterfalls on the island. Conveniently located near the island’s capital Roseau, we just headed towards the town of Laudat, then followed the signs “to Middleham Falls”.

I have to say that our excursion wasn’t without any unplanned incidents though. I wasn’t sure where I was going and being so excited to get on the trail, I inexplicably left the main road and briefly explored one of the dirt tracks that invitingly led into the rain-forest. Anyone who knows Dominica understands that these dirt roads are very narrow, and also knows that the main roads on the island have cement curbs with deep ditches to allow the flow of rain-water. Anyways, realizing that I needed to get back to the main road, but not having any room to turn around, I drove in reverse back up to the main road. I then turned just a little too sharply while backing onto the main road and just rubbed the tall cement curb. Well, I suddenly heard a loud hissing sound and realized that I had sliced the tire. After a brief delay to change the tire, we were back on course.

Low and behold, following the signage on the main road, we eventually turned onto a secondary road which led to a small parking lot at the Morne Trois Piton National Park trail-head for Middleham Falls. OK, now we were off and running – well walking…

This Dominica hike started with a gradual incline on a natural path, although the trail was supplemented along the way with wooden step sections that provide great traction for ascending and descending, as well as for areas that are prone to flooding. The trail twists and turns a bit, following then crossing over a really nice ridge on the way to the waterfall. The ridge’s high ground provides some nice views of the surrounding valleys and mountains in the distance.

While we considered this a fairly leisurely walk over-all, the trail had just enough short steep stretches to make it “interesting” now and again. We encountered some muddy areas that were a bit slippery, and a few streams had to be crossed as well. This along with a number of small waterfalls encountered, all added to the diversity of the hike. Fortunately, the streams were shallow, so we easily crossed them by carefully stepping on the rocks that were above water. We didn’t take any headers and we managed to stay fairly dry 🙂

Other interesting features of this Dominica hike included tiny brown lizards that seemed quite at home in the mud, and it was wonderful to see life growing everywhere in the rain-forest, including the mossy carpets on some of the rocks in and near the streams. We also encountered some Park Rangers who were chain-sawing small logs and repairing sections of the wooden stairs that had rotted away under the rain and mud.

Eventually, we came to a staircase that took us to a concrete platform that provided excellent views of the dramatic falls and the pool it spills into. We were about halfway between a lush green ledge above us and a rough rocky river below us. The water streams from a hole in the vegetation at the top of the horseshoe-shaped ledge down about 260 feet (80m) into a large pool at the bottom. The water hits the pool with so much force that there’s a constant mist in the air, which results in a near-constant rainbow being beautifully painted across the bottom of the falls. It’s a breathtaking sight gazing at the lush green walls and down into the pit at the bottom.

As we had lost some time before the hike, due to the tire repair, and we had planned for a nice restaurant lunch in the area, we decided not to continue down the steep stairs and path to swim in the pool – It looked really cool though! We could see a notch in the cliff face just above the water where folks can hang-out and dive into the pool for a swim.

On the way back to the car, we came across a nice young couple on their way to the falls – They were very excited to hear that they were going to be able to have a private swim in the remote pool. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination!

This is what Dominica Hiking is all about… Quiet, unspoiled nature, with great hiking and waterfalls to enjoy!

ACT Staff

* Please note that this review was done prior to Hurricane Maria in 2017 – The trail conditions/characteristics may have changed as the island recovered *

For the trail details as well as much more information on travelling to Dominica, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Hiking Dominica’s Middleham Falls

Dominica Hiking Trails

Dominica Vacations

For an overview of what the Caribbean has to offer intrepid vacationers, check out our Active Caribbean Travel page

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Saint Lucia Rainforest Hike with Cascading Waterfalls

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Nature, Waterfalls

St. Lucia hike on the Enbas Saut Falls Trail is a diverse hike through lush green rainforest to swim beneath a natural cascading waterfall

Saint Lucia Hiking to Enbas Saut Falls – A Stairway to Adventure

Saint Lucia is one of the most popular Caribbean Islands for good reason. Located just south of Martinique and west of Barbados, the island is a mountainous green paradise surrounded by inviting blue waters. Best known for its distinctive twin Pitons, St. Lucia offers a variety of hiking trails for those looking to be active in the Caribbean. There’s something for everyone, from short nature walks to intermediate hikes along with a couple of challenging adventures. On this trip to the island, we were looking for a rustic rainforest hike with waterfalls – We found that with the Enbas Saut Falls trail.

Similar to our Mount Gimie hike, the adventure began in the town of Migny, just south-east of Soufriere. This time we decided to challenge the rough secondary road in our rental vehicle. It wasn’t quick or easy, but the little car made it partway up the rocky/slippery track without taking too much of a beating. Honestly, the drive was a little stressful and I’m not sure it was worth it – Might as well have walked up the road and enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature. Anyways, we parked where the hiking route splits between the Mount Gimie trail and the path to the Edmund Forest Reserve, also known as the Central Rainforest. Heading towards the Reserve, we followed a dirt road slightly uphill into the rainforest. At one point, we passed a strange sight – An area where the side of the mountain had washed away due to a recent hurricane. Always humbling to see the power of nature.

The day was a little gray and overcast, but our spirits were high as we were looking forward to another wild St. Lucia hike. After a half-hour or so the trail transitioned into a natural path which eventually took us to a little gazebo next to a hut where a sign laying on the ground unceremoniously proclaiming, “Welcome to Enbas Saut Falls”… OK, so if this is the official trailhead, how are we supposed to get to this spot in the middle of the forest? I suspect there’s more than one trail to reach this spot. Regardless, from here we started down a number of man-made “hollow” wooden stair sections. I say “hollow”, as the rock/earth filling for the steps that I imagined were there at some point, had been pretty much washed away, making the stairs almost awkward to walk on. Between sections of stairs, there were some natural paths as well, making this a nice diverse hike. I found this outing pleasantly offbeat as most Caribbean hikes I’ve experienced started with an uphill climb. On this trail, we were already on somewhat high ground, so we gradually descended into a valley. With Morne Gimie, the island’s tallest peak, looming ever larger in the background, we made our way down over 1,200 of these steps down to the waterfalls area. Don’t ask me who counted them, but that’s what our guide told us.

Our unassuming guide provided a wealth of information about the local flora and birdlife that we encountered along the way. He identified various ferns along with gommier, mahogany, mahoe and mango trees. He also pointed out a few plants used in traditional medicines on the island. Our guide also showed us two distinctive types of hummingbird, along with a number of different bird species. We saw several land crabs climbing along the steps, and I was bewildered with the dense vegetation everywhere. There were literally plants growing out of plants wrapped in other plants! Hiking through a cloud forest, rainforest, and elfin woodlands, we reached the valley floor about an hour or so after we left the top of the stairs.

As we had been in the thick of the rainforest, it was no surprise that it rained a little, a few times… but we really didn’t notice it as we were already pretty moist from the humid air and the physical excursion – The weather didn’t dampen our spirits (no apologies for the pun). It was a beautiful hike and we did not feel uncomfortable at all, although we had to be careful with our footing as the ground and trail were wet and a little slick.

Down in the valley, we crossed a small river, which had a natural vine “rope” hanging over it. Well, you know we had to take turns swinging around playing Tarzan! Although I’ve enjoyed several hikes in the Caribbean, this was the first time I’ve had this pleasurable experience.

It wasn’t long before we reached the actual waterfalls area. Suddenly, the trail had 10-15 cement stairs in the middle of nowhere, leading down to the upper falls’ pool… Yes, I said cement. Wow – I can’t imagine having had to carry bags of cement all the way down here! There was a small group swimming in the pool, so we continued on and discovered that there were actually 2 small cascading waterfalls with pools.

The top falls were about 15-20 feet (5.5m) high with a fairly large/deep pool, while the bottom falls were slightly higher at 20-25 feet (7m) tall with a small shallow pool that spilled into a rocky river that carried the water away. We took a refreshing swim in the deeper upper pool, careful not to let the current take us all the way over the lower falls. The rocks here were so large and smooth, it felt like we were slipping and sliding in a giant cement waterpark.

I found this area very soothing and peaceful. Surrounded by thick jungle canopy, I really enjoyed this wild experience in Saint Lucia! As the sun was unable to penetrate the foliage, I can’t exactly say that we dried off, but after a bit of a break we eventually put our shirts back on, gathered our packs and headed back up the way we came. This time, in the more familiar up-hill direction, we went back up the 1,200 steps. While there were a few steep sections, it was not too strenuous a hike back to the car. This intermediate-level St. Lucia hike was educational and a fun way to spend the morning.

Want to see more? Check out our Hiking down to Enbas Saut Falls video on YouTube!

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Saint Lucia, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of this popular Caribbean Island destination, take a look at our Saint Lucia Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Saint Lucia Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Saint Lucia blog

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Antigua’s Middle Ground Trail to Nelson’s Dockyard

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Old Forts, Tourist Attractions

Antigua Hiking - Middle Ground Trail to Nelson's Dockyard. It was a hot one!

Some Like it Hot – For Those Who Do, This Antigua Hike is for You!

Antigua & Barbuda is a multi-island Caribbean nation east of St. Kitts & Nevis, just north of Guadeloupe. Known for it’s numerous soft white beaches, sailing and underwater life – The island also has a number of really nice hiking trails to explore. I heard about a so-called “easy” trail that crosses a low ridge on it’s way to an old fort and Nelson’s Dockyard, so I thought – Cool, sounds like a great Antigua hiking experience, let’s check it out.

We rented a car from our east coast resort and drove down to the south coast of Antigua, to the English Harbour area. It’s a nice scenic drive although a little confusing for first-timers to the island. Thankfully, Antiguans are very friendly and helped us to reach our destination. Twice I was headed in the wrong direction when locals pro-actively flagged us down to see if we knew where we were going. I’ve never experienced this before – Islanders recognizing that we were lost and volunteering to point us in the right direction! It’s always good to get off the resort and see what the island and it’s residents are all about – In Antigua, it’s ‘all good’!

Once we passed the Antigua Yacht Club on Falmouth Harbour, the roads got really narrow and winding, however it was only a couple of minutes from there to Pigeon Point Beach. After parking the car, we put on our hiking shoes and hats – We’re ready to go. Before we left the car, I took a look around – Tourists and locals alike, were just lazing around on the beach, enjoying the sun and gazing out over the glistening blue waters of the bay. With that laid back mind-set in place, we crossed the street and set off on our hike.

This Antigua hiking trail started in a nice wooded area with a short climb up a fairly steep, but small hill. Man-made steps quickly gave way to a natural dirt path. After a few minutes, we reached the top of the hill and started to appreciate the amazing sights that came into view. Looking back to the west from where we came, we had some eye-catching views of Falmouth Harbour, with it’s sailboats sitting atop gorgeous shades of turquoise.

It wasn’t long before we realized that we would be walked along a delightfully ‘wide-open’ path. As the topography of this little peninsula was not too tall and steep, the trail was much wider than other ridge trails we had hiked. But it was a ridge of sorts and true to form, was a constant roller-coaster of shallow ups and downs – We enjoyed this as you never know what’s just over the next hill, until you get there! The landscape was very dry and we felt that we were in a desert-like environment. Once again, this was very different than the lush rain-forest hikes that we’ve mostly experienced in the Caribbean.

The ground beneath our feet was a blend of dirt and small stones – A brown colour with a hint of red. The dirt seemed almost powdery in texture, making the dirt-rock mixture very comfortable to walk on. Off to the sides of the trail, outcrops of grey rock, of varying shapes and sizes, filled the landscape. There were clumps of small trees here and there, although the area was really dominated by low growing scrub brush and cactus plants. The landscape reminded us a little of areas we’ve encountered in the southwest USA.

Something became obvious as we trekked along the trail – Although we had not encountered any people on the trail to this point, we knew that we were not alone here… We had noticed uniformly shaped pellets littering the ground and soon we encountered the culprits – shy goats were wandering around all over the place. I suppose that’s why this Antigua hiking trail is also known as ‘the Goat Track’. Heck, I don’t mind sharing the trail with these tough little critters – We left them alone, so I hope they didn’t mind us being there.

According to the sign at the beginning of the hike, the trail is about a mile long, although I gotta tell ya, it seemed much longer than that. I suspect there was a couple of reasons for this… It’s partly because the majority of the hike was pretty much fully exposed to the sun. The other big reason was due to the fact that this was our 3rd hike in a little over 24 hours – We had hiked Mount Obama the day before, and earlier in the morning we had marched up Monk’s Hill up to Fort George. Our tired legs combined with the sapping heat from the midday sun, made us both feel like we didn’t have much energy. It’s too bad, because we were really enjoying hiking this trail – It was great to soak-up so much vitamin D, taking-in great views along the way.

Middle Ground Trail roughly follows the contour of the southern coastline, albeit fairly far inland as the terrain along the coast is fairly steep. Throughout the hike we constantly had dramatic views of the Caribbean Sea, along with the occasional sailboat – This is great Antigua hiking! At various ‘high ground’ locations on the trail, we encountered remains of stone structures that I assume were part of the original fortifications of the area. They provided great rest stops and photo opportunities.

Exposed ridge trails have their benefits. We appreciated the constant breeze coming off the ocean – It really helped cool things down a bit. With the exception of the goats and two other pairs hiking, including a couple of hot and sweaty guys ‘running’ the track, we had the trail all to ourselves. It was simply marvelous to be able to experience this hike, set in such a tranquil natural setting.

As the hike progressed, we neared the eastern end of the peninsula and started to get nice aerial views of Fort Berkeley below us, as well as Freeman’s Bay and Galleon Beach across the water. We could also faintly make out the more popular Shirley’s Heights area near the peak above the bay and beach. It’s worth noting that there are a number of Antigua hiking trails to Shirley’s Heights and that most of the iconic photos of English Harbour people see, are typically taken from there.

I had my eyes open for the famous Pillars of Hercules at the southern end of Freeman’s Bay. While I’m sure it’s much more impressive to see the coral and limestone rock formations towering above you from a boat sitting 50 feet away, it was also pretty cool to see it from across the water looking over/down on it. As we were nearing the end of our fabulous desert and sea-view hike, we came across observation points on the rocky cliff-side where we had clear views down into the fort – This was a great vantage point to study the small, long and skinny 18th century stone fortification that frames the natural point protecting the entrance to English Harbour.

Maybe I was too focused on the Pillars of Hercules and the fort, whatever it was, I sort of lost track of the trail at this point – It just sort of disappeared from view. I walked around the rocky peak looking for a way to get down to the low-lying fort, then I realized that this Antigua hiking journey was about to get a whole lot more interesting! In order to get off the ridge and reach lower ground, we had to descend a very steep, cliff-like section of the trail – Off we went! With the support of ropes, we slowly walked backwards down the cliff-side. We managed to keep from somersaulting down the hill, so it was all good – What a fun change of pace!

Well, after about an hour of Antigua hiking on this hot and arid trail, we were happy to reach the fort and it’s much needed shade. After a short rest in the shadow of an old tree, I was prodded to move onward… We ventured along a stone wall that welcomed us into the old fortification. We rested and had a snack in the shade of the former guardhouse. Rejuvenated a bit, we explored the perimeter of the small fort and were drawn immediately to a couple of cannons in place along the wall. It was also fascinating to go into the old powder magazine and examine how it was constructed. Both buildings had really thick walls which helped them survive the ravages of time (and Caribbean weather/storms).

After spending some time exploring the fort, we followed a short gravel road that hugs the English Harbour coastline before reaching the island’s famous Nelson’s Dockyard. Our first stop was at the general store to replenish our water supplies. We walked around a bit, but mostly sat comfortably in the shade of one of the stores and drank our water – It seemed so-so cold and refreshing!

Well, at this point it got a little embarrassing… This was a first for us – We both agreed that we would rather take a taxi back to our car, than reverse course and re-hike the trail – We were just too hot and tired! I had noticed a water taxi when we had entered the area and thought that it would be a fun experience to return to the other side of the peninsula by boat. However, in typical Caribbean fashion, the only boat operator had decided to go home early for the day. So, we begrudgingly took a road taxi the short drive back to Pigeon Point Beach. Although we didn’t have the strength for the return journey and I wouldn’t call this trail ‘easy’, we really did enjoy this hike and would recommend it to anyone looking for a sun-filled desert-like hike with amazing Caribbean Sea views – Just make sure to bring lots of water 😉

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on Antigua hiking, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Antigua Hiking – Middle Ground Trail
Antigua & Barbuda Hiking Trails – Trail Reviews and Hiking Guides

For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, take a look at our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Antigua Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda blog

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Barbados’ Wonderful Sea Cave Experience

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Caving, Nature, Sea Cave, Tourist Attractions

Active Caribbean Travel tours the Animal Flower Cave in Barbados

The Animal Flower Cave and Restaurant

If you vacation on the south-west coast of Barbados like we did, I have to tell you, it’s great to get out and see the rest of the beautiful island. There’s no better way to see what else Barbados has to offer, than to drive to the rural north end. While you’re there… I suggest you visit a unique sea cave at the absolute northern-most part of the island. We were glad we toured this quiet and peaceful area of Barbados and we really enjoyed our stop at the ‘Animal Flower Cave’.

In order to reach this somewhat remote location, we traveled on some pretty rough and windy roads, before finally spilling out into a modest dirt parking lot. Upon exiting our car, the first thing we noticed was the breathtaking windswept landscape – As we got closer to the shoreline, more accurately described as a (near) cliff-edge, the panoramic view was spectacular. Sure, the ocean was rough out there, however the gorgeous blue water was absolutely spellbinding.

While there were a number of cars in the parking lot, the place was uncrowded as there is a variety of areas for people to go. Just a few minutes after buying tickets we were called to the cave entrance along with one other couple. Our guide took the four of us, one at a time, down a very steep set of stairs into a large cavern. The steps appear to have been carved out of the coral itself, albeit with some cement foundations for the railings.

I suspect we were about 15 feet underground when we reached the bottom of the stairs and arrived at the cave’s first chamber. There were loose stones scattered about as we entered the fairly large cavern. I didn’t know what to look at first – The cave floor, which was an absolute moon-scape, or the large blue openings that lit-up the cave. The ground consisted of smooth lumpy coral, the result of thousands of years of water constantly flushing the cave. There were pools of water everywhere, so our water shoes sure came in handy.

Once our eyes adjusted to the contrasting areas of light and dark, we were drawn to the two gaping holes in the cave that opened up to sea. These natural windows provided an uncommonly surreal view! What a novel experience – Standing in a cavern on the side of a bluff, admiring magnificent views of the choppy Atlantic Ocean and the rugged cliffs along Barbados’ northern coastline. This novel experience warranted a photo-op! Clearly our guide knows the place well as he directed us to the exact location to stand so that we could get our silhouette photo taken with the cave opening in the background and a pool of water magically in front of us to capture our reflection! We must have been fairly high up the cliff face, as no waves entered these openings while we were there.

After appreciating the sea cave’s windows to the world for a while, we moved on to examine the creature this natural attraction is named after. I’m assuming that some of the pools must be (semi?) permanently filled with water, as that is where the sea anemones, commonly referred to in these parts as “animal flowers”, live. Aptly named, the small dark coloured worm-like creatures, no more than a couple of inches long, have a number of tentacles at the top of their body, that when extended, resemble the petals of a flower. Apparently these tentacles are used to capture food floating in the shallow pools. Our guide demonstrated that when you agitate the water near the top of the animal, it quickly retracts it’s tentacles and withdraws it’s body into a protective tube like structure – Pretty cool for sure. Unfortunately, due to ‘operator error’, I was unable to capture this exotic action on film (err – digital video) ☹

After examining the interesting little critter for a while, we walked through a coral/rock passageway into another underground chamber. This cavern also had an opening to the sea, although this one was lower and flatter than the previous two with a curious looking boulder hanging from the roof of the cave – Sort of like a giant cave tonsil. This grotto was mostly filled with water. Wading into the large pool, I learned that it starts off on a shallow gradual descent, then rather suddenly drops to about 8 feet deep. With the sun shimmering off the water surface and so many shades of grey in the cave, it’s difficult to clearly see the pool bottom, hence maneuvering around was a little deceptive. The really awesome part of this cave pool reveals itself when you swim near the cave opening. What a spectacular view of the sea! Nature’s own hot tub / infinity pool – Such an amazing area, I could have just hung out there all day, looking out over the ocean and listening to the sounds of the waves.

The water may not have been as warm of what I’ve experienced at the beach, however the temperature was still very comfortable. As I swam / walked out of the pool, I became aware that the cave floor is smooth like polished stone, but again quite lumpy and uneven. While the cave opening is several feet above sea level, waves do find their way into this cave. I suppose it’s a good thing to keep the water fresh. Most of the swells entering the chamber were gentle, however right after I left the pool I heard some excited howls. I turned back to see a couple of large surges come crashing in – They knocked a few people away from the sea-cave ‘window’ and into the pool. That would have been exhilarating – Too bad I missed it. FYI – no one got hurt…

On the far side of this chamber I noticed light streaming down into the cavern from above. Our guide informed us that on extremely rough days, this surface crack as well as the staircase entrance, can become fairly violent blow holes! Needless to say, when this situation occurs, the caves are filled with water and the attraction is not open to the public. While there were other small groups down in the cave system with us, we were well spaced out, so we all felt as though we were on a fairly private tour.

Once our subterranean tour was over, we wandered around on the surface for a while. There were a few souvenir shops offering some fairly unique gifts from the area. I followed a dirt path to the edge of the bluff and took-in the marvelous ruggedness of the northern Barbados coastline. We stood for quite a while, mesmerized by the never-ending waves pounding against the steep black cliffs. It is quite a dramatic landscape and we were told that when the sea gets really rough, as it does from time to time, the waves slam into the cliffs with a force strong enough to produce a thunder-like sound that can be heard for miles around.

After walking back to the main facility, we took advantage of the restaurant that’s built right on the edge of, practically overhanging the cliff face. Accompanied by good food, we enjoyed the gorgeous views of the sea and cliffs. For families, there’s a children’s playground as well as a few fenced in areas for goats. Apparently there are a number of pigs and dogs around as well.

I have ventured into a Caribbean cave or two in the past, however this natural beauty was unique for a couple of reasons. It’s crazy-wild enough to be underground with natural windows to the sea, however this cave system also has a chamber with a natural swimming pool! While the facility had a rustic down-to-earth feel to it, on closer observation the place is really well thought out and run, with strategically located above-ground viewing areas and exhibits and the cave guides ensure you safely get the most out of your subterranean experience.

ACT Staff

For more information, click on this Barbados Animal Flower Cave link…

For an overview of beautiful Barbados, take a look at our Barbados Vacations page

For other great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Fun Things to Do in Barbados blog post

If you’re looking for more ‘active’ things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Barbados Adventures blog post for some great ideas!

Author: freem32@cogeco.ca

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