Another Barbados lies beyond its beaches

Precolonial Pulchritude

In St. Thomas Parish, Welchman Hall Gully is like a vast diorama of precolonial Barbados—a cool, lush ravine loaded with exotic flora and fauna. Birders, bring your binoculars and notebooks (438-6671). Spelunkers, check out nearby Harrison's Cave, one of the largest in the Caribbean. Take a tour on the 45-minute underground electric tram—soon to be solar powered (438-6640).

The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, off Worthing Main Road in Christ Church Parish, is the island's last piece of significant mangrove and sedge swamp. The sanctuary, which opened to the public in March 2001, affords visitors limited access to the protected area via a carefully designed boardwalk that keeps more than 90 percent of the area safe from human intrusion. It's still a work in progress—and one that it is hoped will be a model for environmental education and ecotourism (435-7078; www.graemehall.com).

Most of the wildlife has been imported at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, in St. Peter Parish, and you may want to pass on it if you have strong feelings about animal experimentation (they export monkeys for medical research). A nicely shaded half-mile guided walk comes with an elementary ecology lesson and includes a visit to the Grenade Hall signal station and its tiny collection of Arawak artifacts. Time your visit so you'll be there at about three in the afternoon, when the Barbados green (vervet) monkeys return to the reserve to feed (422-8826).

The Arbib Nature & Heritage Trail has a working sugar plantation, a historic fort, a cricket pitch, and a lot of information on whales and schooners. The National Trust–sponsored hikes are eye-opening: You'll learn that gully root can be used as a charm by men, an abortifacient by women, and a mosquito repellent by everyone. The hikes are popular, so book by 3 p.m. the day before (426-2421). Diving is good year-round, but it's best in the summer, when visibility ranges from 40 to 70 feet and the water temperature is a balmy 80 degrees. A number of ships were purposely scuttled for diving off the west coast, creating artificial, though fascinating, living coral reefs. The Stavronikita, sunk in 1978, is recommended for experienced divers. The Pamir, sunk in 1983, is a more shallow dive (30 to 60 feet) for certified divers of all levels. Be sure the shop you use is a member of the eco-friendly PADO, such as the West Side Scuba Centre, in Holetown, which goes out to both wrecks (432-2558; www.westsidescuba.com; packages from $52).