Just 300 m beyond Cocoa Hills Forest at the end of Richmond Road, and at 270 m above sea level, is this 21-ha (53-acre) beautifully landscaped botanical garden on a former sugar plantation. Named paths wend their way around the hillside; they are well maintained and even suitable for wheelchairs, although there are a few which go off the beaten track and can only be negotiated on foot. The garden contains species not only from Barbados but from all over the world, all beautifully arranged with plenty of colour year round. You can find heliconias, ginger lilies, orchids, anthuriums, ixoras and bougainvilleas as well as productive plants such as bananas, cocoa, coffee and breadfruit.
The outstanding feature of this garden, however, is the forest. Enormous trees loom above you, with royal and other palms giving shade to the paths, while in between you can find bearded fig trees, huge baobab and mango trees. Here and there they open on to large grassy areas affording excellent views over the valley to the east coast. Liv’s Lookout in particular has a fantastic outlook all up the northeast seaboard. To the west you can see Mount Hillaby.
The best of the island’s diverse flora is preserved in this lush tropical forest making it a wonderfully tranquil place and an oasis of cool on a hot day.