Darby Cave Sinkhole

Darby Cave is a sinkhole in the Barbuda highlands around ninety metres across and some twenty metres deep, formed where a cave roof collapsed, and the floor holds palms and dense vegetation growing in the shelter of the walls, with an overhang on one side where stalactites hang and water drips. The contrast between the dry scrub above and the green inside is the point. Reaching it needs a track, a walk and directions.

What you actually see

• The sinkhole - a collapse around ninety metres across and twenty deep.
• The palms inside - vegetation growing in the shelter of the walls.
• The overhang - the undercut side with stalactites and dripping water.
• The contrast - green inside a hollow in dry scrub country.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the track is more passable. The walk is hot with no shade. Hurricane season runs June to November.

Honest expectations

The site is hard to find and a local guide is effectively necessary. The descent into the sinkhole is steep and slippery. There are no facilities anywhere near.

Nearby

Two Foot Bay is north, and Codrington is west.