A shady picnic spot, Farley Hill National Park is more park than national park. For almost a century (from 1857) it was one of the island’s grandest plantation houses, surrounded by imported plants, elaborate formal gardens, a large orchard and the glorious mahogany trees still present today. By 1956, its splendour was fading although it enjoyed a brief resurgence when it was restored to become the Belfontaine Mansion in the 1957 Hollywood film starring Harry Belafonte, Island in the Sun. Left unoccupied, it was eventually destroyed in a fire in 1965.

Several times a year, the mansion’s eerie gutted remains provide an atmospheric backdrop to various outdoor music festivals – Gospelfest, Reggae on the Hill and Soca on de Hill, part of Crop Over.

The rest of the time, the park is a favourite retreat for family picnics. The best spot to bag is a bench at the top of the hill, which affords superb views across the Scotland District and East Coast.

Practical Info

Daily 8.30am–4.30pm (last entry);

Car BD$6; motorbike BD$3.50

By car: Follow Highway 2A 16 miles (25km) N from Bridgetown (35min drive).

By bus: Bus #1A1 from Princess Alice Bus Terminal (Bridgetown) to Indian Ground stops at the entrance (50min), passing Holetown and Speightstown en route. Consult the bus timetable.