The Barbados Green Monkeys and So Much More…
Barbados is a unique coral island in the Caribbean famous for its white-sand beaches, consistently warm weather and great rum. It is all that and more… To really get to know the Caribbean island you’re vacationing on, get off the beach and take a trip inland. In Barbados’ hilly St. Thomas Parish, you’ll discover a forested green area, home to a number of natural attractions, including the Welchman Hall Gully – A nice, relaxing place to unwind with a leisurely stroll in nature… and let’s be honest, I really wanted to see the famous Barbados Green Monkeys ‘live and in person’ 😉
With the help of a GPS and what seemed like signs on just about every street corner, we found the place no problem. That said, if we weren’t looking for it, we probably would have driven right past the modest sign marking the entrance to the Attraction – Welchman Hall Gully. It truly is a “Tropical Forest / Cave”. Partially hidden behind a hedge, we parked in a small lot and immediately take note of the pleasant looking outdoor café. Blending nicely into the natural environment, there’s also a gift shop and washrooms – All in the shadow of a Bearded Fig Tree, for which the island was named ( Los Barbados is Spanish for ‘the bearded ones’).
While you can take your time and wander around the property yourself with the help of a guide pamphlet, we decided to join a tour that was about to start. I like to take advantage of a tour guide’s knowledge and insight – They can answer questions and usually point out things that might otherwise be missed.
Well, our morning tour started with a bang, as the first ‘attraction’ was the monkey platform. We arrived just in time to see a staff member dumping a box of bananas onto the platform. It didn’t take long for the local monkey troop to arrive. Descendants of West African Green Monkeys originally brought to Barbados as pets about 300 years ago, these monkeys are wild and live in and around the Gully. They are free to come and go as they please, however a free meal has made a visit a part of their daily routine.
The large group consists of more than two dozen primates. It was very interesting to see them suddenly appear out of the thick jungle surroundings, climbing down trees and their plentiful vines (or beard of the trees). A family hierarchy is clearly in-place as the larger males dominated the scene while the younger monkeys were cautiously vying for scraps.
WOW – It’s so much fun watching these little guys jumping and actually ‘walking’ around! Visitors to the Gully are not allowed too close to the monkeys, as the intent is to keep them as wild as possible.
After taking what seemed like a hundred pictures and a dozen videos of the cute little simians, we headed down a cement path through the gully. This is what Barbados would have looked like to early explorers prior to the 17th-century colonization that deforestation most of the island. On our walk, we experienced a natural haven that is now home to dozens of individual plant species. This property was obtained by the Barbados National Trust back in 1962 in order to protect one of the few remaining native vegetation areas on the island. Besides providing much-needed habitat for the monkeys, Welchman Hall Gully is rich in bio-diversity, making this a valuable and rare area in Barbados.
The easy-to-walk path is about ¾ of a mile (1.25 km) long through the gully, running north from nearby Harrison’s Cave. The landscape was formed when part of the large cave system collapsed on itself. I loved the visually stimulating vertical walls and caverns in the gully – It was like being in a mini valley surrounded by layers of greyish green limestone and coral draped in green and brown foliage. Remnants of the sunken caves are still evident from the remains of Stalactite – stalagmite column structures.
It was a pleasant walk through the gully as it is mostly protected from the sun as well as the wind, which was unusually strong that day. Throughout the tour, our knowledgeable guide Ashan pointed out and described a number of plants and trees that line the trail. The majority of the flora is native to the Eastern Caribbean although some plants were brought to Barbados from Asia, South America and elsewhere hundreds of years ago.
I particularly appreciated the stories of the traditional use of some of these plants. Ashan showed us a variety of handy roots and leaves that were used for food, medicinal teas and other uses. This included: The Noni tree leaves used to treat a variety of ailments from fevers to headaches; Black Sage oil which acts as a natural insecticide; Wild coffee plants (pictured) for, well you know… drinking; The Bay Tree leaves used for cooking and whose oil was used in a variety of ‘Bay Rum’ cosmetics/lotions; and the St. John’s bush leaves used to make tea for treating colds, fever and stomach ailments.
Fully immersed in the tour, I suddenly realized that we were at the end of the trail. At this point folks from a cruise ship exited onto a nearby road, re-boarding their waiting mini buses. So… along with two or three others, we found ourselves relishing a private ‘guided’ tour for the return walk – How nice is that!
We learned that some plant species in Welchman Hall Gully are found no-where else in Barbados. This includes bamboo and some palm trees. Everybody loves palm trees and there were plenty on display in the gully. There are three native to Barbados, including the Macaw Palm with it’s intimidating black spikes (pictured). Personally I was fascinated with the large Royal Palms and the versatile Cohune Palms. Traditionally, palm trees have been used for food, charcoal, shelter, tools (think broom) as well as a source for natural lotions and cosmetics.
Ashan also called our attention to a pile of creepy looking giant millipedes on the ground. These guys are natural composters and are producing rich soil for the Gully floor. Apparently, snakes live in the gully as well, although we didn’t see any. The area is actually famous for being home to the world’s smallest snake, the Leptotyphlops Bilineata, which at less than 4 inches long are no bigger than the millipedes. They live a secretive, worm-like existence underground and are rarely seen. I also understand that in the evenings, a few different bat varieties haunt the Gully.
I would be remiss to not also mention that while there were none present on our visit, it’s thought that the grapefruit originated here at Welchman Hall Gully during the 17th century by crossing a sweet orange with a shaddock (pomelo like citrus fruit).
Before we left the Gully, we were in for one more treat. We ambled up a couple flights of concrete stairs to a hilltop look-out to savour the spectacular views of Bathseba and the eastern coast. When exiting, we also noticed a natural ‘adventure’ playground for the kids – It even has a mini zip-line for the little ones to ride!
This was an enjoyable, relaxing yet informative tour of a well maintained natural area with a friendly local guide. It’s also a great place for lunch or a snack, as the Chunky Monkey Café offers food & drink (beer & rum punch), served on a comfortable outdoor terrace.
Want to see more? Check out our Monkeys of Welchman Hall Gully video on YouTube!
You should also know that the Welchman Hall Gully partners with the Barbados Native Plant Restoration Project by providing a location for ecological research and conservation, and Gully staff volunteer their time for the Barbados Monkey Project – Both great causes that deserve and appreciate public support.
For more information, click on this link to visit the official Barbados Welchman Hall Gully website.
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!
