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Tourism cont...
St. James is more than Montego Bay!
Although Montego Bay is indeed lovely, visitors should not
miss the gorgeous scenery of the surrounding mountainous terrain.
These undulating hills make for incredible views, exciting
horseback riding and other adventure tours.
Come and explore the real Jamaica, with our countryside
villages, stately great houses, plantation estates, bird sanctuary,
Blue Hole Nature Park, and even the wild Cockpit Country.
Village of Lethe: The village of Lethe is definitely worth a
visit. On the way
there, you’ll pass a graceful stone bridge spanning the Great
River, built in 1828. Lethe Estate co-hosts the All That Heritage and Jazz
Festival. The estate
contains Rhea's World, with water garden, small botanical gardens,
mini-zoo and jitney tour of the nearby banana plantation.
A highlight of a trip to Lethe is a relaxing, two-hour
rafting trip down the Great River. Calm waters make swimming in pools or beside the raft an
inviting option.
Rockland's Bird Feeding Station: Is a private
sanctuary founded by the now deceased Miss Lisa Salmon.
Accredited members of bird watching clubs are welcome to
visit. Many species of
birds frequent the area, including orange quits, doves,
nightingales, saffron finches, orioles and hummingbirds, including
Jamaica’s national bird, the delicate ‘doctorbird’ and the
tiny bee hummingbird (just larger than a bumble bee).
Don’t be surprised to see them perch on your shoulder and
eat out of your hand!
Busha's Country Resort and Farm: is a former
sugar plantation and slave village (gravestones can still be seen)
turned into a retreat popular with Jamaican church groups.
The location is beautifully remote, and well-recommended for
hikers.
Village of Montpelier: A highlight of a visit to this region is the
800-acre MONTPELIER BLUE HOLE NATURE PARK.
You may picnic among the botanical gardens and have a swim in
the beautiful circular swimming pool complete with cascades.
A guided plantation tour and horseback rides are offered
through the pineapple and citrus groves.
The beautiful Blue Hole is a 164-foot deep sinkhole, in use
as a water source for surrounding communities.
Catadupa: Not to be missed is Croydon
Plantation, also
known as Croydon
on the Mountain, a hillside plantation with fabulous views and an incredible
setting. Its 132 acres
are covered with hillside terraces planted with coffee, citrus, and
pineapples, and featuring a glassed-in beehive.
Adelphi: Adelphi, a small village south of Montego Bay,
is known as the site of the first estate in Jamaica to educate and
provide religious instruction to the slave population.
Quaker Isaac Lascelles Winn hired a free-black educator for
the purpose. Several
hiking trails run through the area, known as the Montego Bay River
Valley. Beginning at
the Sign Great House, the area is a broad expanse of flat, green
valley with streams and pools for swimming, including the Old
Bridge, a popular diving spot for locals.
Nearby is the Hampden Estate, a working
plantation, rum distillery and sugar factory, complete with great
house. Built in 1799,
the great house is very impressive and unusual whitewashed structure
with dark timbers and mansard roof. The sugar factory (working
24 hours a day) is open between
January and July, while the distillery operates and is open for
tours February to October.
Maroon Town & Cockpit Country: For a really out-of-the way experience,
Cockpit
Country is a rugged, challenging place well worth a visit.
Despite the name, Maroon Town itself was never a centre for the Maroons, an independent people who, after
decades of guerrilla warfare, earned their a treaty granting them independence and 1500
acres of land.
The town boasts Maroon Pride, a locally-founded,
community-based banana chip factory which allows tours of the facilities. Cockpit Country encompasses the most southerly
part of St. James and the southwest of
the neighbouring parish of Trelawny.
A 500 square mile limestone plateau, it is virtually uninhabited because of its daunting terrain of deeply eroded
limestone features – thousands of eroded hummocks are separated by deep ravines, and
fantastic formations are covered with greenery.
No wonder the Maroons were able to defend their territory
against the British for so many years.
A popular (and spectacular) way to view the area is by plane;
the landscape from above bears an uncanny resemblance to a living
egg-carton! Eco-adventurers
can take part in an organized hikes with knowledgeable guides to see the rare
and bountiful wildlife. Be warned, Cockpit Country is not for the faint-hearted!
Sources for tourism information:
Lonely Planet Jamaica 2000
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