Accessible Barbados Day Trip: Upscale Mall and Animal Flower Cave Restaurant

 A most enjoyable accessible day trip in Barbados would include the Animal Flower Cave and Restaurant on the north side of the island with its beautiful views and local Bajan meals and seafood.

My accessible trip was arranged by Blessed Blossom Transportation and Taxi. I appreciated their care and attention to my needs throughout the day.

On the way north we started with a stop at the Limegrove Lifestyle Center, a modern shopping mall for those with discretionary taste. It is located in Holetown, Barbados. With shops, restaurants, and an ice cream parlor, a morning would pass quickly here.

In the parking lot, just to the left of the entrance, are a few reserved spaces for accessible vehicles and a ramp to enter the mall.

The mall is an open-air style in some places and enclosed hallways in other places, and has two floors. There are several elevators to access the second floor.

This mall specializes in finer shops for those with distinguished taste.

We found a few nice spots for a photo or selfie too. This cow reminds me of the song lyrics "I love the nightlife, I've  got to boogie." 

  Next, we headed over to St. James Church, the oldest church on the island and a popular tourist spot.

You can see the tour of the church here: https://youtu.be/zIePk56s9XA

Behind and just north of the church is an accessible beach area with a boardwalk. There is a parking lot there and then a short section about 15 feet where the ground is well packed and you can cross it with a wheelchair to reach the boardwalk. This is a beautiful spot for a break and photos. Here is a link to our 360 degree video of that beach/boardwalk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIePk56s9XA

 Traveling through this area we saw free-range goats roaming in town. 

From Holetown, we headed north through countryside farms with livestock roaming through tall grasses.

The Animal Flower Cave and Restaurant was a highlight of our trip to Barbados. We highly recommend it to all visiting the island. We had a beautiful meal sitting at the edge of a northern cliff in the open-air restaurant above the beautiful caves that open to the ocean.

 The cave is not accessible and is only for those with good balance.  The restaurant is accessible and has exquisite views on sunny days.

   Bajan black belly lamb stew with vegetables and rice. Roasted pumpkin and chickpea curry simmered in coconut, cilantro, and ginger sauce. Served with jasmine rice and mango chutney.

 Saltfish buljol made with salt cod, lime juice, tomatoes, red onions, and hot peppers. Served with grilled breadfruit.

After the delightful meal, we explored the grounds. Just to the southeast of the restaurant are local artisan shops,  a few large artwork displays, and a trail along the cliffs.

Follow the trail between the shop and the open-air vendors to the cliff trail.

The cliff trail is rough gravel and was not accessible even with the Whill C2, but there is a lookout point where a chair can get close to the edge of the cliff. I was able to take the following picture from the paved section at the start of the trail.

Here is a link to our video of part of the trail at this coastline:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7v7pmuFwZk

We accomplished all of this by 2 pm but could have easily spent a whole day on this itinerary. Please watch for my next blog on accessible Barbados tours. Thanks for reading.