Swimming and snorkeling the Caribbean Sea for 3 days could be a tiring adventure. My friends and I decided to take it easy on day four so we visited Barbados' famous Harrison's Cave. According to some guests we met at our Barbados apartment hotel, it is a must-see so we headed out to experience it for ourselves.
The admission fee was affordable at only BDS$60.00 for adults and BDS$30.00 for kids. I think locals get a BDS$10.00 and BDS$5.00 discount respectively.
A video presentation is the introduction to the tour where it was explained how the island of Barbados came to be.
There was a tram that took us around the cave system and a tour guide telling facts and stories about it. The stalactites and stalagmites were amazing. There were pools and streams of water that can rival the most expensive bottled water. The water is safe to drink, according to the tour guide, because it is filtered naturally by the limestone. There were waterfalls cascading all over the cave too.
The cave is full of crystallized limestone and it's amazing to think that even now, the cave is still transforming. The lighted caverns emphasized the natural features of the cave that nature had been forming for thousands of years.
The passengers of the tram are allowed to disembark on two locations for photo opportunities and a chance to get a closer look.
It's a bit sad to me this over-developed feel of the cave. Instead of trekking on foot, we have this Disney-like ride that lessened the sense of adventure. It doesn't take away its natural beauty but what is lost is the experience of exploring the cave at your own pace. I would've loved to explore other nooks and crannies of the cave that were not included in the tour.
I heard that redevelopment plans are on the way to improve facilities like parking and create commercial establishments like souvenir shops and restaurants. I hope they aren’t planning on putting up Barbados apartment hotels right on the caves! The plans look like it is a massive undertaking. I hope the government of Barbados knows what their doing, otherwise, I'm afraid they'll over-commercialize the place and lose the natural beauty the visitors flock over there to see.
