Barbados attractions, tours and other activities.

Please, be a compassionate traveler! Do NOT use the service of Dolphin and Shark Swims Programs that hold these wild animals in captivity. The capture and transportation process causes the death of thousands of these animals before they reach the destination. Also the average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years; yet half of all captured dolphins die within their first two years of captivity. The survivors last an average of only 5 years in captivity more

Barbados is a good scuba diving place. The dive sites are concentrated along the west and south-west coasts. The visibility ranges from 12 to 20 m (40 -70ft) and the water temperature is a consistent 26°C (79°F). Most people will find a 3mm suit adequate for diving in Barbados, although some like to enjoy the freedom of diving with only a swimsuit.

There are several dive operators who will provide equipment, instructions and guided tours: Reefers & Wreckers Inc., Dive Blue Reef, Underwater Barbados.

If you have never dived before, you can sign up for a quick resort course in one of the dive shops. The resort course provides the pool training, safety instructions and a one-tank open-water dive 2-13m (6-45ft) usually on the same day.

The best snorkeling is on the west coast where the waters are calm. You don't have to go far beneath the waves to spot the Hawksbill and Green turtles, stingrays, mantarays, barracudas and colorful coral formations.

Paynes Bay, south of Holetown is excellent to see some colorful reef fish. The beach can get crowded, but the beautiful bay is worth the effort.

Folkestone Underwater Park , north of Holetown has an underwater snorkel trail and glass-bottom boat rides. Snorkelers will prefer to swim around the inshore reef located in the Recreational Zone of the Park.

We also recommend Mullins Beach , further north of Holetown, with the glassy-blue waters and the schools of multi-colored tropical fish just a few meters of shore. There's parking on the main road and some shady areas.

The dramatic east coast stretches about 25km (15 miles) from the lighthouse at Ragged Point, the easternmost point of Barbados, north along the Atlantic coast to Bathsheba and further north to Pico Teneriffe. This is the island's most panoramic hiking area.

If your time is limited, try this walk: the 6km (3 3/4-mile) stretch from Ragged Point to Consett Bay, along a trail that requires only moderate endurance. It takes about 2 1/2 hours. If you stick to the coastline, you won't get lost.

Another popular hiking area is the Arbib Nature & Heritage Trail. It takes you through Speightstown and the mysterious gully known as "the Whim," and the surrounding districts. The first marked trail is an 8km (5-mile) trek, which begins outside St. Peter's Church in Speightstown.

The Barbados National Trust gives Sunday-morning hikes throughout the year. All hikes are free. The popular hikes cover a different area of the island each week. Hikes leave promptly at 6 am, and take about 3 hours to complete. There are also hikes at 3:30 and 5:30 pm. Every hotel provides a free magazine “Ins and Outs of Barbados” which give you a full schedule of the hikes. This is also a good opportunity to meet people both local and tourists. Every hike finishes with a little gathering. The Moonlight hikes start at 5:30 p.m., you are advised to bring a torch to these walks. Moonlight hikes are finished with the moonlight party at the Gun Hill Signal Station.

The best surfing sites are located on the east coast in Batheba Bay and on the south coast at Surfer's Point. Both locations have big powerful waves and the bottom tends to be rocky.

Surf Lessons and Equipment rentals are available from several surfing shops: Dread or Dead Surf Shop, Zed’s Surfing Adventures.

Harrison’s Cave is the number-one of all Barbados attractions. It is viewed from aboard an electric tram. You'll see bubbling streams, tumbling cascades, and brightly lit deep pools, while all around stalactites hang overhead like icicles, and stalagmites rise from the floor. The tram drops the visitors at the Rotunda Room and the Cascade Pool where they can get a closer look at this natural phenomenon. Open Wednesday through Sunday. First tour starts at 9.00am and last tour is at 3:45pm. Admission is US$20.

The Animal Flower Cave is located under the cliffs at the Northern tip of Barbados. The name of the cave comes from the sea anemones found in the pools of the cave. (Do not expect to see many of the animals there.) On calm days you can swim in the natural rock pools in the cave. There are also several openings looking out to sea, offering some nice views. You can do some hiking along the cliffs trail around the cave. The views are dramatic and if you are lucky you can spot a whale from the cliffs. The cave is privately owned. Open to public Monday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is US$10.

Welchman Hall Gully is about 1 km long gully which is home to a number of tropical plants trees, including nutmeg, bamboo, clove, cocoa bushes and large variety of palms. It is tropical forest mixed with native and other exotic plants. It was formed by the collapsed roofs of caves, which is still evident. As you make your way through the gully, you will wonder if this was how the first settlers saw the island. Occasionally you'll spot a wild monkey amidst the flora. A troop of Green Monkeys are fed daily in the gully. The Barbados National Trust owns this interesting tropical garden. Open daily 9am-5pm. Admission US$6.

This trail is a winners of the Island Magazine 1999 Ecotourism Award. It is a gorgeous hike through spectacular countryside. Discover the beautiful and mysterious Whim Gully, picturesque fort ruins and nature trails. Take in the rolling hills, cane fields and tidal flats of the north east coastline. Learn about whales and schooners, a working sugar plantation and some of the island's rare flora and fauna. Explore wave ridges along the craggy northeast coastline, relax in nature's warm, salty sea pools. There are two trails to choose from a 7.5 km and a 5.5 km. Walks take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, at 9.30am and 2.30pm. Hikes must be pre-booked by 3pm the day before; call (246) 426-2421 Price: US $15.

This is a carefully marked nature trail through a beautiful tropical rainforest. The forest de-mystifies the eco system explaining its delicate balance and timeless function. The early 19th century restored signal station offers the one of the most spectacular panoramas of the island. The forest allows you to explore more than 2 km of coral pathways meandering through innumerable species of trees, shrubs, vines and herbs. Entrance is US $11 which includes entry to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, which is next door.

One of the most famous Barbados attractions, Andromeda Botanical Gardens is a seven acre tropical garden in the Parish of St Joseph, overlooking the east coast of the island. This botanical garden started as a private garden around the private home. Andromeda garden has over six hundred different species of plants adapted to a range of tropical environments. You will see many varieties of orchids, hibiscus, heliconia, ferns, begonias, palms, and other species. You'll occasionally see toads, frogs, herons, lizards, hummingbirds, and sometimes a mongoose or a monkey. Admission US $9. Open daily 9am-5pm.

This former sugar plantation stands above sea level near the western edge of the Scotland district, not far from Harrison's Cave. It's a botanical garden where people and nature unite to create something beautiful. The variety of plants and species along with the infinite shades of green interspersed by colors that only nature can produce, make it a difficult job to choose what to look at first. The Flower Forest is open 7 days a week, from 9 am - 5 pm. Admission is US$7.

St. Nicholas is likely the last remaining authentic house of the 17th Century that exists anywhere in the "New World". When this residence was built around 1658 of brick and limestone, many of the structures in the North America were made of timber, and have long since perished.

It was never actually an abbey - around 1820 an ambitious owner simply christened it as such. The house, characterized by its curved gables, is believed to be one of three Jacobean houses in the Western Hemisphere. Only the ground floor of the structure is open to the public. The residence was built only 30 years after Barbados' settlement by the British in 1627, so it is of significant historical value to the island. Admission is US$13. Open on Wednesdays and Sundays only.

A fine family home, the Francia Plantation stands on a wooded hillside overlooking the St. George Valley and is still owned and occupied by descendants of the original owner. Built in 1913, the house blends West Indian and European architectural influences. You can explore several rooms, including the dining room with its family silver and an 18th-century James McCabe bracket clock. On the walls are antique maps and prints, including a map of the West Indies printed in 1522. Admission is US$6. Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm.

It's the only great house on Barbados where all the rooms are open for viewing. The 300-year-old plantation house is steeped in history, featuring mahogany antiques, old prints, and a unique collection of horse-drawn carriages. Admission US$7.50 Open 7 days a week 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(last tour at 4:30 p.m.)

A candlelight dinner is offered there as well including five-course meal, liqueurs and coffee afterwards in the drawing room and a tour of the house. US $75 per person.

Barbados Attractions and Activities.