Darby Cave is a large sinkhole in the Barbuda Highlands, formed when the roof of an underground limestone cavern collapsed centuries ago. The result is a circular pit about 100 metres across and 15 metres deep, its walls overgrown with vegetation that cannot survive on the dry plateau above. Ferns, orchids, and small trees fill the cave's interior, creating a microclimate entirely different from the scrubland that surrounds it.
The cave is reached by a rough track through the Highlands, best driven in a four-wheel drive vehicle with a local guide. The descent into the sinkhole requires some scrambling. At the bottom, the vegetation is dense and cool — a complete contrast to the parched limestone plateau you drove through to get here. Freshwater pools form after rain, attracting birds that are otherwise rare on the island.
Dark Cave nearby is smaller but has cave formations and is home to a blind shrimp species found nowhere else in the world.