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!
