Best Caves in Barbados to Explore

The Caribbean is one of our favorite places to visit, and Barbados is one of the most stunning islands in the region. You can spend days lounging on white sand beaches, eating incredible food, and chatting with friendly locals.

Or, you can get adventurous!

One of the most incredible things for nature lovers in Barbados is to explore the stunning caves throughout the island.

Unlike other Caribbean islands that are primarily volcanic, Barbados is made up of about 80% coral limestone. This has led to an incredible underground cave system formed by water erosion through the limestone rock. If you’re visiting the island, be sure to check out these stunning caves in Barbados!

Best Caves in Barbados

Animal Flower Cave Barbados

Visiting Animal Flower Cave is one of my favorite things that I’ve done while living in Barbados. It may not be the biggest cave in Barbados, but the scenery is spectacular both around and inside. It’s the only accessible sea cave on the island!

History of Animal Flower Cave

It’s estimated that the Animal Flower Cave was formed 400,000-500,000 years ago out of coral. At one point, the cave would have been at sea level, but it now stands 6 feet due to the fact that Barbados is rising about 1 inch per 1,000 years. This just goes to show how old the cave truly is!

The cave was first discovered in 1780 by two English explorers. In 1912, the cave became more accessible when huge coral stone steps that led down to the base of the cliffs were built.

The name animal flower comes from the colorful sea anemones that live in the cave, known locally as animal flowers. The tour guide will point them out to you while walking through the cave!

How to get to Animal Flower Cave

Animal Flower Cave is on the island’s northernmost tip in the St. Lucy Parish of Barbados. Due to its remote location, the easiest way to get there is by car or taxi.

You can get close to Animal Flower Cave by public bus. Take the 1C from Bridgetown (Princess Alive Terminal) to Connelltown. Animal Flower Cave is about a 15-minute walk from the bus stop at the intersection of Highway 1C and Animal Flower Cave Road.

While it’s possible to get there by bus, I recommend renting a car for the day for a more pleasant experience. You can also check out other sights around that area, such as the Barbados Wildlife Reserve and Cherry Tree Hill Viewpoint.

Animal Flower Cave tour

Once you arrive, you can book a tour of the inside of the cave at the on-site bar. You do not need to book in advance, but if you’re visiting on a busy day, you may need to wait until a tour guide is available.

The cost to visit Animal Flower Cave is only 25 BDS (12.50 USD), making it one of the best things to do in Barbados if you’re visiting on a budget. They accept both cash and credit cards.

A local guide will bring you down the staircase into the cave. Don’t worry about being claustrophobic inside, as it opens directly into the Atlantic Ocean with lots of natural light and space to walk around. The sea view from inside the cave is gorgeous and makes for great photos!

It only takes about 15 minutes to walk through the cave, and the guide will explain the natural history along the way. Watch for the anemones in the many natural rock pools that give the cave its name!

At the end of the cave, there’s a pool of water you can swim in on calm days. Take advantage of this experience – the water is so clear and has a stunning turquoise color. It’s such a unique experience to swim inside a cave overlooking the ocean.

When the waves crash into the cave, they bring in fresh saltwater and sometimes even fish! It’s so tranquil to watch. My friends and I sat in the pool watching the waves come in for almost an hour until a giant one came and pushed us to the shore! The tour guide had quite a laugh at us.

The tours are generally limited to half an hour or so, but because we were there on a quiet day, the guide didn’t mind us lounging around.

Animal Flower Cave is open every day from 11 am – the last tour goes at 3:30 pm.

Animal Flower Cave Amenities

There is a bathroom where you can change in/out of your swimsuit and an outside shower. Be sure to bring your swimsuit and a fresh change of clothes when visiting this cave!

To the right of the cave entrance is a lookout point over Animal Flower Bay and the start of a beautiful trailhead along the cliffs. It’s a good idea to leave some extra time in your itinerary to walk along this coastal path, as the scenery is spectacular. There are also benches and picnic tables, so you could even pack a picnic and make a day of it!

There are also several small stands around the entrance where craftspeople sell their artwork and jewelry. This is a great place to pick up souvenirs from Barbados.

Animal Flower Cave Restaurant

There’s a great restaurant to the right of the cave that is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am. The view of the northern cliffs from the restaurant is spectacular, and the food is just as good.

They are the only place on the island I found selling breadfruit tacos, one of my favorite things I ate in Barbados! You can see the menu online and make a reservation here.

Harrison’s Cave

Harrison’s Cave is one of the most well-known caves in Barbados. It consists of an underground cave system that visitors can explore by tram. You’ll find gorgeous caverns and crystallized formations inside the active cave system.

History of Harrison’s Cave

Natural processes formed Harrison’s Cave hundreds of thousands of years ago. The earliest records say the site was discovered in 1796, and there were several expedition attempts to explore Harrison’s Cave in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Due to the hard-to-access entrances and internal cave networks, little advancement was made until 1970 when engineer Ole Sorenson of Denmark and Anthony Mason of Barbados rediscovered and mapped out the cave.

After 1974, the Barbados government started developing Harrison’s Cave as an attraction and started excavating shafts and tunnels that could accommodate trams. It was officially opened in 1981.

How to get to Harrison’s Cave

Harrison’s Cave is in the island’s center in the Parish of St. Thomas—the easiest way to get there is by car or taxi, but you can also take public transport. Get the bus to the terminal in Bridgetown and then take the Route 4 Shorey Village bus.

I recommend renting a car and combining a day trip to Harrison’s Cave with other nearby attractions like St. Nicholas Abby, Welchman Hull Gully, or the Barbados Wildlife Reserve. There you can see the playful green monkeys!

Harrison’s Cave Barbados Tour

There are several tour options for exploring Harrison’sCave.

If you get to Harrison’s Cave on your own, you can book a one-hour tram of the cave for 60 BDS (30 USD). The best way to explore the cave is by tram, as the underground system is so extensive!

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are also cave walk-in tours and eco-adventure tours.

This half-day tour picks you up at your hotel and takes you to Harrison’s Cave to explore by tram.

On a tram tour, you’ll be taken around the complex cave system to see the stalactites, stalagmites, and unique rock and mineral formations. Harrison’s cave is still considered active as there are underwater streams. Many of the walls are covered by flowstone, which causes them to glimmer in the surrounding lights and that of the tram.

Next to Harrison’s Cave is another known as Coles Cave. I haven’t been to it myself but have been told it is in the natural jungle, and you enter via a steep gully.

It is not gated, but I recommended hiring a local guide for safety if you want to check it out. If you decide to go alone, you’ll want to bring a good headlamp.

Final Thoughts

If you are visiting Barbados, even on a cruise day, you should make time to explore the caves on the island.

With its unique formations and geological history, the caves have been a source of fascination over the centuries. From stalactites and stalagmites to underground pools and hidden caverns, there is plenty to investigate in this underground paradise.

Make sure to bring comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes, and your camera – you won’t want to miss out on capturing the wonders of these awesome caves!