In Harrison’s Cave, located near the very heart of the island in the parish of St. Thomas, Barbados boasts what must certainly be considered to be one of the natural wonders of the world. After almost two centuries in obscurity, the cave was developed during the 1970’s by the government of Barbados and has become one of the premier natural landmarks of Barbados and the Caribbean. Hanison’s Cave is indeed a breathtaking example of nature’s creative forces at work. It was carved out of the bedrock limestone that forms the mass of Barbados, perhaps over hundreds of thousands or even millions of years ago, by the action of water flowing underground.The water eroded the limestone to form the huge underground cavern.

At the same time the calcification of dissolved limestone from the water that dripped from the roof of the cave and the drops of water falling to the floor of the cave created many magnificent examples of colourfw stalactites and stalagmites, which constitute an important feature of the cave. During the process of developing the cave into man attraction for visitors, the stream that created it was diverted from its course in the centre of the cavern and redirected as two streams along Aft its sides. The cave’s floor has been landscaped and forms the pathway for the trams that take visitors on tours through this marvel of nature.

Visitors will hear the dripping, bubbling and gurgling sounds of water along the route through the cave as well as its thunderingas it tumbles over waterfalls on its way through the one and a half kilometre long cave and also experience the added sensation of seeing it all happen. The spectacle is enhanced by the effects of the lighting that was installed as an essential feature of the cave’s developmentAll who visit the cave must be awestruck by the experience of seeing the cave, which is rare, if not unique among natural features of the world.