Explore the Animal Flower Cave

As I mentioned in my article on Barbados’ must-sees, here is our visit to Animal Flower Cave, a truly beautiful cave to discover in the north of the island. It continues my series of articles on this island, which is still not very well known to many travelers. We had actually come the day before to see whether the place would impress us. To be honest, we had not really planned to visit the cave at first. We mainly wanted to eat at the lovely restaurant overlooking the limestone cliffs.

In fact, we had booked a table at the restaurant. We wanted to have lunch and spend some time as a family. It is perched on a huge cliff, with waves crashing below. The setting is really beautiful. There is even a children’s play area. To be honest, it is perfect for families.

And don’t forget to visit the Flower Forest Botanical Gardens. It’s a lovely little garden!

We were a little reluctant to go, given the price. But we later realized that we had miscalculated and that it was not actually that expensive for the experience. Mélanie had a few questions about whether it would be suitable for a child Téo’s age. We were told it would be no problem, and that the children could even swim in a pool overlooking the sea. That convinced us. In the end, we thought it would be a great experience for the kids. It’s not every day they get to visit a cave.

As soon as we had paid the entrance fee, we set off on the walk with the guide, which is mandatory, and two other American tourists. When you first arrive, you might think it is going to be very touristy, but we let ourselves be tempted, haha.

We went down the 27 steps that lead into the cave. I had to carry Téo down because the descent was really steep. It was very dark when we reached the bottom. The kids were fascinated by being underground. I must admit, it is a pretty special feeling. We rarely get the chance to visit caves, even though we have lived on islands for more than a decade.

The floor is very white and slippery. You really have to watch where you step. In fact, there are quite a few white pebbles that have been polished by the sea when the swell is high. Plenty of opportunities to twist an ankle! I try to keep an eye on the kids while also trying not to fall and smash my camera on the ground. The guide explains the geology, history, and place names of the area in English.

There are several large openings in front of us. They light the cave beautifully. The guides take visitors down in small groups so that there are not too many people at once. This is a good thing, because it keeps the atmosphere quite peaceful. It is probably a good thing there is an entrance fee too. Otherwise, everyone would spend the whole afternoon here! We continue our visit by walking through the half-filled pools. I try to take a few photos, but the light conditions are extremely difficult and it is a real challenge… There is one opening that the guide explains looks like an upside-down map of Barbados.

Anyway, to quickly answer the question about taking pictures, it is very complicated and the camera struggles a lot, or maybe it is just me? What makes it so difficult is the difference in light between the openings in the cave, which are very bright, and the rest of the cave, which is almost pitch-black… But what is really beautiful is that you can see the sea through the openings in the limestone cave.

Keeping a close eye on the children, we continue our visit toward the back of the cave. We reach the highlight of the visit: the famous cave pool, where you can swim with a view of the horizon. It is a large, well-lit room with a wide white pebble beach. We are told to be careful when the waves come in. They enter through an opening in the cave and flow into the famous pool. In fact, it can be extremely dangerous to be there in bad weather. But between you and me, I don’t think they bring tourists down here when the weather is awful.

We all put on our swimsuits and head for this beautiful pool. I did not take my camera with me because I was worried about the waves. Better safe than sorry. We just went in with our Olympus TG6, the camera we take everywhere with us, the indestructible one that can go underwater. The pool is still very deep, as Mélanie could hardly touch the bottom at the far end, although admittedly, she is not very tall at 1.60 m! The water is not very warm, but you quickly get used to it. Once you are at the end of the pool, you wait for the waves to come in and fill it every few minutes. It is a really nice place, and the kids loved it. Even if Téo is not completely comfortable yet, he is making progress.

The guide waits quietly on the pebble beach. It then took me about 10 minutes to get back into the water with my camera and try to capture this beautiful moment. Once again, it was not easy. I really struggled to find settings that worked. In the end, I didn’t do too badly.

We set off again with the guide and made our way back up. Then she took us to a couple of small tourist huts. They sell little souvenirs, or little junk, as I like to call it. Mélanie was over the moon, haha. At the end of our visit, we went for a stroll along the clifftop path, which is very photogenic. There are a few souvenir and clothing shops too.

All in all, we had a great time. The place was lovely, and so was the experience, especially with the kids. I hope you enjoyed reading this and taking this little walk with us.

As usual, here are a few things to keep in mind.

I wanted to say a few words about the restaurant at the cave. We had heard good things about it. As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, we had booked lunch there. Our table was right on the edge of the cliff. The view was stunning. It really is a beautiful spot. Sometimes, you can see turtles coming out of the water to swim and play.

As for the food, the welcome was excellent. Everyone was smiling, and the staff were very attentive. The service was very quick, and honestly, we had a very good time. Admittedly, it is not cheap, but the setting is well worth it.

For the four of us, we spent €110. What’s more, there is a lovely play area overlooking the surrounding countryside. Perfect for relaxing after a meal!

Prices were $40 Bds and $20 Bds for children under 12 when we visited in April 2023. The site is open from Tuesday to Sunday. Of course, access to the caves depends on weather conditions.

We were staying in the far south of the island, more than an hour’s drive from the site. But if you want to be closer, here are three interesting places with good reviews:

• Santhosha Barbados: a beautiful resort with a lovely pool on the north-east coast of the island.
• Sea Symphony Villa: a huge, peaceful villa, perfect for a large family if you can afford it!
• Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa: a lovely hotel with an excellent reputation!

Note that accommodation close to the site is actually quite rare!

In the end, the area is quite far from everything. Not far away, in the north of the island, you can visit:

• St Nicholas Abbey: a beautiful abbey that you can visit.
• Cherry Tree Hill: a beautiful viewpoint.
• Barbados Wildlife Reserve: a fun place to see some animals with the kids.
• Further south, check out the Andromeda Garden.
• Or Codrington College!

That’s it for this little article. See you soon for another one.

Written by Sylvain PONS

I had the opportunity to go on a 2-week family holiday to discover the island of Barbados, which is just a stone's throw away from Guadeloupe, where we live. Here are a few stories about the time we spent there!

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