Animal Flower Cave

The Animal Flower Cave is the most northerly point of Barbados, a sea cave formed where the coral limestone cliffs have been eroded by the Atlantic into a series of chambers and tunnels at the base of the cliff face, accessible via a narrow entrance that descends through a natural opening in the rock to a cavern whose rear wall is formed by the living ocean.

The cave takes its name from the sea anemones found in the natural tidal pools within the chamber, their tentacles extended like flowers in the shallow water; the anemones are not permanently fixed in one place and may not always be visible, so the cave's staff keep a small pool near the entrance where a few anemones are maintained for visitors to observe up close.

The cave's location at the island's northern tip means that from the cave mouth there is an unobstructed view of the Atlantic in every direction, and on clear days the horizon stretches unbroken to the northwest where the ocean meets the sky in a line that seems impossibly distant; the view from inside the cave is considered one of the most dramatic seascapes in Barbados.

The cave is illuminated by natural light entering through the sea-facing opening as well as through several blowholes in the cave ceiling, which produce dramatic fountain effects when waves are large and the tide is high; the combination of reflected light from the water and shafts of sunlight through the blowholes creates constantly shifting conditions inside the cave throughout the day.

Above the cave, the clifftop offers panoramic views in all directions and is a popular sunset location because the Atlantic horizon to the west provides a full view of the sun dropping into the ocean, an unusual experience on an island where most beaches face east or south and the sun sets behind the island rather than over the sea.

The cave was mentioned in travel writing as early as 1816 and was one of the first tourist attractions on Barbados, when visitors were lowered into the cave by rope and pulley; the present concrete stairs and handrails were added in the 20th century and have been maintained and upgraded over the decades.

The surrounding area of St. Lucy parish is the least developed of Barbados's parishes, with a landscape of small farms, scattered vernacular houses and a quiet rural character that makes the journey to the northern tip feel like going to a different and older Barbados, far from the resort strips and the capital.

The northernmost point of Barbados with an unobstructed Atlantic panorama from inside a sea cave.

The sea anemones (animal flowers) in the cave's tidal pools are unique to this location in Barbados.

The clifftop above the cave is one of the best sunset viewpoints on the island.