Welchman Hall Gully

Cruising to Barbados in Jan. Looking into touring the Welchman Hall Gully and then heading over to Folkestone Marine Reserve for beach and snorkeling.

Has anyone toured either of these places??

Any other suggestions for a day of rain forest hiking and snorkeling?

Happy Travels

We've not been to Welchman Hall Gully, although we'd love to see feedback on it, because it's one of the things we've been considering. We have, however, snorkeled at Folkstone and enjoyed it. It's easy to get to on your own. We carry our own snorkel gear, so I don't remember if there are gear rentals. There are chair rentals, however. It's not a big sandy beach type area - it's mostly grass. There are many locals and people on land vacations. The times we've been there there weren't many cruisers. The snorkeling is variable, plenty of stuff to see, but during January the visibility may be poor. If you read some of the guide books, they warn you about this; we've seen it first hand. We've had good days, and not so good days, depending on the currents and the amount the water's stirred up. There's a wreck within swimming distance, too.

Jodi

My husband always refers to this as the "Black Forest" of Barbados. It's an interesting (almost 1 mile walk) from one end to the other. The plants/trees are labeled along the way, which make it interesting. It's in the gully that Harrison's Cave is formed from. So you will see lots of "cave-like" nooks. Also of interest are the giant bamboo trees. If you are lucky you may see a green monkey early morning or late afternoon.

Lois