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Barbuda is an isolated island of the Caribbean. Although intimately tied up with Antigua, Barbuda remains a silent haven. Activities on Barbuda are appropriately relaxed and the Points of interest include the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, sandy beaches, and beautiful reefs. |
Being a small isolated island doesn’t deprive Barbuda of its natural and historical sites. Here’s a list of Barbuda’s natural and historical sites;
1: Darby’s Cave
Darby’s Cave is one of the most interesting natural features of Barbuda. It is basically a vertical sided sink hole formed by solution below ground and subsequent collapse. The cave possesses very lush vegetation, full of tall trees. From the overhang of the cliff there is an intermittent drip of water, which, in time, has created stalagmites of calcium, There is a startlingly large flat-topped stalagmite eight feet high and not less than two feet in diameter. This greenish white, almost translucent, mass of limestone is so smooth and solid that it would be difficult to find its counterpart in any other part of the world.
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2: Indian Cave
Indian Cave is small complex with a certain mystique, it is the most interesting prehistoric site in Barbuda at the Two Foot Bay. The entrance to this cave is close to a roofless stone ruin near the shore. It was probably a house associated with the phosphate mining operation undertaken at Gun Shop Cliff in the 1890’s. The entrance to the cave is small and is located near the top of the low cliff opposite the ruin and leads directly into a round chamber of lower level called the Drop Cavern. |
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Connected to this is Bat Chamber, about 35 ft high, with many bats hanging from the roof. To the side of the chamber is a small hole through which daylight enters and through which bats occasionally flit. From the main entrance corridor there is a short narrow passage to the east in which two small Amerindian petroglyphs (rock carvings) may be seen. These are the only petroglyphs found in Antigua or Barbuda. The passage leads to yet another cave, which is flooded with daylight through loose fitting rocks, giving a somewhat glowing effect.
3: Martello Tower
This 32 feet high tower and fort of 3 guns was used as a look-out along the south coast and for sighting in-coming or wrecked ships. The information was then signaled onward to the village of Codrington, several miles north. The fort also guarded the main anchorage on the south-western side of Barbuda. The name 'Martello' is derived from a tower at Cape Mortella in Corsica that the British, had difficulty in taking in 1794. The south coast of England was defended by Martello Towers against Napoleon's intended invasion of England in 1803.
4: Highland House
Know to the natives as "Willybob", the name of highland house is supposed to be drived from William Codrington, its former owner. The Codringtons built Highland house sometime after 1720 on the Highlands of Barbuda, which is about 125 ft. above sea level. It is also the highest point of Barbuda. Other names connected with Highland House have been found archaeologically. A bottle seal from the side of a bottle bearing the name of Col. John Gunthorpe was found amongst the ruins of Highland House.
5: Spanish Point
Spanish Point, studded with coral reefs, is the most southeasterly point of Barbuda. It is supposed to be named after the wreck of a Spanish merchantman by the name of "Santiago de Cullerin". The ship was lost here in 1695, and shortly afterwards maps began to appear with the name of Spanish Point. The ship was carrying 13,000 pesos to pay Spanish garrisons at Maracaibo, on the Spanish Main, but all this and some of her other cargo was salvaged by divers at the time. In 1988, the dive ship began mapping the site and recovered a few artifacts from under a thick coral concretion. The Point's history had begun much earlier, for maritime Amerindians from South America had settled in the vicinity about 500 years after the birth of Christ.
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