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South Coast & Central Highlands

Includes  Why Go? . . . .157 Cut off from the clamorous north coast by the natural bul- Alligator Pond. . . . 165 wark of and protected from resort devel- Lovers’ Leap . . . . .166 opment by local communities that seriously value their Black River . . . . . 166 near-virgin beaches, southwest feels like a clandes- tine paradise for the trickle of off-island visitors who make Whitehouse. . . . . 170 it this far. Its biggest present is Treasure Beach, an antidote Bluefields to pretty much everything else in Jamaica you will have en- & Belmont...... 170 countered so far with its cow-filled pastures, a soporific pace Mandeville...... 172 of life and semi-deserted scimitars of sand. Mile Gully & Around. .175 Rural St Elizabeth parish is often coined the breadbasket . . . . . 176 of Jamaica for the many crops that grow here, but fertile fields quickly give way to swamp around Black River and Santa Cruz...... 177 mountains around the lightly touristed, highland town of Troy & Around. . . . 178 Mandeville. The region’s most notable sights – the Black Middle Quarters. . . 179 River, YS Falls and the Appleton Rum Estate – are usually Christiana...... 179 visited by day-trippers on organized excursions from resorts in and .

Best Places to Eat When to Go ¨¨Little Ochie (p165) Black River Rainfall inches/mm ¨¨Jack Sprat (p163) °C/°F Te mp 40/104 20/500 ¨¨Jake’s Country Cuisine 16/400 (p164) 30/86 12/300 ¨¨Strikie-T (p163) 20/68 8/200 10/50 4/100

Best Places to 0/32 0 Sleep J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Katamah Beachfront Jan The Accom- Dec–Apr It’s high Jun Come to Resort (p162) pong Maroon season for a rea- Treasure Beach Festival is a com- son: little chance for the biannual ¨¨Jake’s Hotel (p162) pelling celebration of hurricanes or Calabash Inter- ¨¨Luna Sea Inn (p171) of Afro-Caribbean rain, and calmer national Literary ¨¨Bluefields Villas (p171) culture. seas. Festival. 157 South Coast & Central Highlands TSrigehastsu re Beach & Around

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Trips Activities

847-1951, 376-9944) 847-1951, % the Black River Great Morass (p168) and Pel Morass Great the Black River Parchment ‘bottom’ of Treasure Beach, this is its least ‘bottom’ of Treasure developed portion, where the main busi ( es subject to change. nis Abrahams nis [email protected]) out ican Bar (p164) and can organise fishing ings. Other recommended captains include Daley Allan ble at Jake’s and Jake’s at ble Main Rd; Boat captains Beach, boat Frenchman’s From Old Wharf Beach This pristine brown-sand beach is the least just Beach bunch. It’s visited of the Treasure and OK for swimming as Cove, east of Taino rough. long as the sea isn’t too Beach Bay Great Bay) (Great build Co-op Fishermen’s a remains ness ing. There are a couple of beachside shacks serving beer and cooking up fresh seafood. Swimming is possible. 2 With a long history population) (and a large Treasure no wonder it’s of seafaring fishers, which to take place from Beach is a great to the sea, either for sightseeing or fishing. are organised atCooking classes and yoga are availa (p162), and spa treatments Jake’s Beach Jack Sprat Cove) (Frenchman’s andpulled up on the sand, are ing boats on hand two or a fisher there is invariably nets.tending the Good for swimming, as it’s somewhat sheltered. Beach Bay Calabash Bay) (Calabash Beach has a few beach shacks ply bash Bay – some basic lucky ing rum and – if you’re cuisinepotluck is Swimming mainly). (fish, possible but can be choppy. Jake’s Hotel, brightly painted wooden fish wooden painted brightly Hotel, Jake’s yahoo.com) US$30 for a trip out to Pelican Bar and US$50 for a trip out to Pelican US$30 bearalthough River, trip to Black for a combo shiftingthe mind in cost petrolof pric makes their wares. It’s a good place for sunning and for sunning place a good It’s wares. their swimming, the sunset. and watching

------H AC BE This is the most centrally Sights Treasure Beach is the generic name for Beach is the generic Treasure Dividing the plains north to south is the Treasure Beach TREASURE & BEACH AROUND located beach running east from the Treas located ure Beach Hotel as far as Jack Spratt Beach. Spratt as Jack as far Hotel Beach ure by a landmark buttonwood over watched It’s of the attention has long attracted tree that poets, painters and wood-carvers who ply 1 Beach Fishermen’s Bay) (Frenchman’s dish hair among the local population. Thedish hair among the local population. for their strong residents are known area’s spirit. Collectives such as thecommunity theand Group Women’s Beach Treasure bring locals and Beach Foundation Treasure expatsprojectstogether on to work relating to housing, and local culture. education four coves – Billy’s Bay, Frenchman’s Bay, Bay, Frenchman’s Bay, – Billy’s four coves said Scot It’s Bay. and Great Calabash Bay Treasure near shipwrecked were sailors tish accounting forBeach in the 19th century, the presence of fair skin, green eyes and red above all – a proud, foresighted local com all – a proud, foresighted above and promotes sustainability that munity harbors a bonhomous but mellow culture. all. at Not to be true? good Too ibbean experience exactly right. Winding country lanes, a dearth of hustlers, a local of poetspopulation and artists, sublime resorts,deserted – and beaches, no gimmicky that to a unique part of Jamaica Welcome getsfacetsthe all Car quintessential the of aforementioned Santa Cruz range, a steep-a range, Cruz Santa aforementioned slopes to the sea and dropsfaced chain that wonderfully at scenic Lovers’ Leap,520m to Pond Alligator toil at while fishermen of the freshestfeed diners with some and tastiest in Jamaica. catch tiful semidesert,almost a landscape East The region scorched beauty. African in its by resort-styleremains unsullied tourism; come alike recluses wealthy bohemians and no- to slip into a lazy, Beach to Treasure almost impossible tofrills tropical lifestyle coast. achieve elsewhere on the island’s The land southeast sun-kissed River of Black for most the year of rain from is sheltered so there is Cruz Mountains, by the Santa greenerylush the of none norththe of coast. beau surreally you’llInstead, a thorny, find