Northern Barbados loop

It’s difficult to choose the best bit, given this ride incorporates some of Barbados’s most beautiful spots.

We love the east coast road but were also surprised by how beautiful Animal Flower Cave in the north is. The photos we’d seen didn’t really do it justice. It was particularly magical because we arrived just after opening so had the place pretty much to ourselves.

St Andrew Parish Church

View from Farley Hill

Farley Hill National Park

A wonderful, easy start to the ride, alongside the crashing surf of the east coast. This is the Ermy Bourne Highway and though the surface is a bit bumpy, it’s pretty quiet and the views are fabulous.

It’s a short (2km) sharp (average 10%) climb from the coast to the top of Farley Hill. There are views to the west coast from the top, and, if you fancy a breather, call in at the beautiful, shady Farley Hill National Park. From there it’s an enjoyable downhill all the way to Animal Flower Cave, though watch out for a few stretches of poor tarmac.

From Animal Flower Cave, it’s an undulating ride back to the east coast with some tough uphill sections where gradients hit 8-10% for periods. The scenery is rural and it’s a pleasure to ride through quiet villages and verdant countryside.

Optional extension: if you’re keen to visit St Nicholas Abbey, you’re only 1.5km away at the point the route hits Cherry Tree Hill, about two-thirds of the way up the climb, just before the 36km mark. There’s about 60m of climbing between where you are and St Nicholas Abbey.

If you glance to your right, as you make the final descent down Cherry Tree Hill to the coast, you’ll spot Morgan Lewis windmill, the only intact sugar mill in Barbados.

The final stretch is back along the east coast road (see section 1) – bumpy but with unforgettable views.

Wild north coast of Barbados

Cycling near the top of Cherry Tree Hill

What a contrast between the west and east coasts of Barbados!

There are several beachfront bars in Bathsheba itself, but not in Cattlewash where this ride starts and ends. However there is a toilet block at Barclays Park on the Ermy Bourne Highway on the east coast road. There are also facilities at Animal Flower Cave.

If you’re happy to break up your ride, Farley Hill National Park, Animal Flower Cave, Morgan Lewis windmill and St Nicholas Abbey are all wonderful places to explore. You can read more about them in our guide to the best things to do in Barbados.

We stayed at the lovely Sapphire Beach Condos in St Lawrence Gap in the southwest of Barbados. You’ll need to have a hire car (or arrange a transfer) in order to get up to the start of this ride.

Alternatively, spend a few nights on the east coast of Barbados – we have some great accommodation suggestions in our ultimate guide to cycling Barbados.

Read our tips for Barbados cycling before you set out.

The east coast road (i.e. the Ermy Bourne Highway) is bumpy and the road surface down Cherry Tree Hill is poor in places too.

• The road to Animal Flower Cave turns into a track for the last couple of hundred metres. It was just about rideable when we were there, but you may prefer to get off.
• If you decide to start the ride in Bathsheba, rather than Cattlewash, note you’ll add a couple of steep hills to each leg of your journey.​
• Consider 25mm tires (or even 28mm) to reduce the amount you are shaken about, particularly in the sections where the tarmac was not in good shape.

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Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.