Harrison's Cave

Harrison's Cave is one of the most impressive cave systems in the Eastern Caribbean, formed over hundreds of thousands of years as groundwater dissolved the coral limestone that underlies the central highlands of Barbados; the result is a series of interconnected chambers, passages and caverns that continue to be shaped by water movement today, with active stalactite and stalagmite formation visible throughout the system.

The main chamber is approximately 21 metres high and is named the Great Hall, a vast open space where the ceiling and walls are covered with calcium carbonate formations that have grown at roughly 3 to 5 centimetres every thousand years; the formations include massive columns, delicate soda straws and flowstone cascades that coat the walls in horizontal bands of cream, amber and white.

Water is the dominant presence inside the cave: a freshwater stream runs through the lower passages, fed by rainfall that percolates through the limestone above, and a waterfall in the upper chamber drops into a deep pool where the sound reverberates through the connected passages and creates a constant low rumble that visitors feel as much as hear.

Access inside the cave is by electric tram, a feature introduced in the 1980s with European development funding, which carries visitors through passages that would otherwise require difficult walking on uneven and wet surfaces; the tram pauses at key viewpoints and a guide provides commentary about the geology, formation history and the cave's ecosystem of specialised invertebrates.

The cave is home to several species of bats including the Caribbean fruit-eating bat and the Brazilian free-tailed bat, which roost in the upper passages away from the main tourist route; the cave's constant temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius provides a stable environment that has allowed these species to survive independently of surface conditions.

Above ground, the surrounding landscape of the central highlands is covered in sugarcane fields and scattered woodland, and the cave's entrance is set in a natural sinkhole whose steep walls are covered in ferns and bromeliads; the contrast between the lush tropical vegetation at the surface and the stark crystalline beauty of the cave interior is part of what makes a visit distinctive.

The name comes from the Harrison family who owned the land in the 18th and 19th centuries; early written references to the cave appear in estate records from the 1790s describing a great void on the property, and the first documented exploration by European visitors was in 1836.

One of the largest actively forming cave systems in the Eastern Caribbean, with massive chambers and active mineral formations.

The electric tram provides access to parts of the cave that would otherwise require technical caving skills.

The cave's ecosystem of specialised bats and invertebrates is of scientific interest independent of its geological appeal.