Harrisons Cave
Barbados first opened its doors to the Harrisons Cave in early 1980s. Today, the tickets are $25 USD (or $50 Barbados) for adults, and $12.50 USD (or $25 Barbados) for children. The price includes a narrated tour on a tramway that goes down below, through the Boyce Tunnel. There, you will find the most gorgeous calcite columns, curtains, and natural water streams in the Caribbean. The tour guide does a delicate job of explaining how the cave was founded, how the limestone forms into the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites that you see. Only by going there to experience it for yourself will you realize how phenomenal this place is.
Harrisons Cave is an active, or water-containing cave. Every summer, its millenium-old limestone amazes tourists from all around the world. Located right in the center of the island, it's fairly difficult to find on your own: local maps frequently list the address of their "corporate office," which is just a house on the side of a local road. I would suggest going there with a tour guide, although I went there in the summer of 2009 with my family on a rental car.
Originally mapped in 1974 by a cartographer, Ole Sorensen, the cave was actually discovered centuries before. Due to its difficult structure, it was impassable until just a few decades ago. After being excavated and paved for a tourist-friendly tramway, Harrisons Cave became a mile-long stretch of adventures. Unlike other caves that you may have visited, Harrisons Cave sits at a comfortable 80 degrees Fahrenheit (cooler than typical, scorching heat of the Caribbean sun on the outside). There's no foul sulfur stench, either: my trip was pleasant, and very informative.
Tourists are welcome to take pictures, but you're not allowed to touch anything: a second-long, fat-containing fingerprint can stunt the growth of natural limestone buildup by hundreds of years! You're asked to walk carefully, because you're underground, and water seeping through the walls of the cave make the ground slippery. Adhering to these rules helps preserve the beauty of calcite trails left in this all-natural miracle intact. Visitors are free to ask about interesting fossils, karsts and other formations that grab your attention.
