The local caver tour guides proudly consider Harrison’s Cave the 8th Wonder of the World. This is a must-see for everyone who comes to Barbados. Unlike its neighboring volcanic islands, Barbados is one of the few coral capped limestone islands in the Caribbean. The limestone filters underground water, which is why the island is known to have some of the best naturally filtered drinking water. The water filters through the naturally porous Karst rocks causing caves like Harrison’s Cave.
Harrison’s Cave has two types of tours: a tram tour for tourists to see the cave from the convenience of a tram, no specific attire required and an adventure tour which requires another level of preparation and exploration. It is a very unique experience many are not sure what to wear so here is everything you need to know about what to wear.
The tour guides provide:
-Orange helmets with head lamps (tip: make sure your light works ahead of time)
-Elbow pads
-Knee pads
-Gloves
-If you do not want to ruin your sneakers, you can borrow spare sneakers that have been left behind
-On-site showers
Wear and bring the following:
-Bathing suit underneath your clothes will keep you comfortable while swimming across the natural pools and crawling through pipes and caves partially filled with water.
-Inexpensive clothes you are OK with getting soaked, muddy and maybe ruined including:
-Long sleeve shirt: a T-shirt also works but a long sleeve shirt will keep you from having to constantly readjust your elbow pads
-Long comfortable stretchy pants: Do not wear jeans. Work out pants or leggings are ideal to keep you from scraping yourself and keep the knee pads secured.
-Wear closed toed shoes that are tight on your feet. Water shoes with good rubber soles that will provide traction on slippery rocks are a better alternative to sneakers which will become soggy quickly.
-Tip: Leave your jewelry at home as it could easily be lost during swimming and crawling and if lost would be nearly impossible to recover.
-Bring a small waterproof camera like a GoPro or a phone which they can store in a dry bag for you and take out at different photo opportunity spots.
-Don’t forget to bring a full change of clothes, a towel and maybe shower gel or shampoo for the shower.
Most importantly bring an attitude to have fun while getting fully soaked and muddy! The tour guides like to have fun and make sure you’re fully immersed in the activities (and the mud) so don’t let what you wear hold you back from the adventure in this beautiful place!
Comment below if this was helpful, if you’ve ever been to Barbados and if you’ve ever experienced a similar adventure tour prepared or not with what to wear!
