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Blue Mountains & Southeast Coast

Why Go? ...... 79 Looming over Kingston, the majestic, forest-covered Blue Irish Town ...... 82 Mountains throw the rest of the island into sharp relief. Newcastle ...... 83 Their slopes, crags and fern forests seem light years from the capital’s gritty streetscape, allowing you to hike old Maroon Holywell Recreation trails, go in search of the elusive streamertail hummingbird Area ...... 84 (’s national bird) or simply perch on a mountaintop, Section ...... 85 watching the valleys unfold out of the mist below. Gordon Town & Guava A steep walk through a highland working plantation re- Ridge ...... 87 veals the nuances of the coff ee cultivation process, culminat- ...... 87 ing in a cup or two of Blue Mountain coff ee – which tastes . . .88 even more heavenly when you can smell the beans from a nearby fi eld. Southeast Coast...... 90 The least-explored corner of the island, the southeast ...... 90 coast is a place of bloody rebellions, obeah rituals, and tra- Retreat ...... 91 ditional rural life, largely undisturbed by visitors. Dirt trails ...... 91 lead you through cane fi elds to rustic hot springs or a pictur- Bath ...... 91 esque lighthouse on a lonely coast.

When to Go In February, Holywell Recreation Area hosts the Misty Bliss Best Places to Eat festival, celebrating the island’s Maroon heritage. Predawn hikes up Blue Mountain between June and August are enliv- » Strawberry Hill (p 85 ) ened by a proliferation of peeny-wallies (fi refl ies), and Sep- » Cafe Blue (p 82 ) tember is a good time to join in the parade and the dancing » Crystal Edge (p83) at Bath’s Breadfruit Festival to commemorate the arrival of » Gap Café Bed & Breakfast the fi rst breadfruit. (p 84 )

Best Places to Stay » Strawberry Hill (p 85 ) » Lime Tree Farm (p 87 ) » Forres Park Guest House & Farm (p87 ) BLUE MOUNTAINS cals are being trained as guides. Camping is only permitted at designated sites. Camping 79 Deriving its name from the azure haze that ‘wild’ is not advised. settles lazily around it’s peaks, this 45km- long mountain range looms high above the Dangers & Annoyances eastern parishes of St Andrew, St Thomas, The roads in the Blue Mountains consist of Portland and St Mary. The Blue Mountains endless switchbacks; they are narrow, often overgrown with foliage and can be badly

were formed during the Cretaceous Period BLUE MOUNTAINS (somewhere between 144 and 65 million rutted. Many corners are blind. Honk your years ago) and are the island’s oldest fea- horn frequently and watch out for reckless ture. Highest of the highlights, Blue Moun- local drivers. tain Peak reaches 2256m above sea level, Ask about trail conditions before hiking and no visit to the area should neglect a in the mountains. If a trail is diffi cult to fol- predawn hike to its summit for a sunrise low, turn back. Mountain rescue is slow and view. you could be lost for days.

Unsurprisingly, the Blue Mountains’ 8 Information largely unspoiled character owes much to There are ranger stations (h9am-5pm) at the diffi culty in navigating around the area. Holywell Recreation Area and Portland Gap, Roads are narrow and winding, and some and at Millbank in the Upper Rio Grande Valley. are dirt tracks that are utterly impossible Entry to the park is free, except for Holywell to pass without 4WD, especially after heavy Recreation Area. Other than the station at Holy- rains. If you are spending time in the area, well, the other stations might keep more erratic renting a hardy vehicle, contacting a tour hours. guide or making arrangements with your Jamaica Conservation & Development hotel are highly advisable. Trust (JCDT; %920-8278; www.jcdt.org.jm; 29 Dumbarton Ave, Kingston) Provides History management and supervision of the national With dense primary forests and forbidding park. topography, the prospect of life in the Blue Mountains has discouraged all but the most 8 Getting There & Away determined settlers. During the 17th and BUS Minibuses and route taxis arrive from 18th centuries, these same formidable quali- and depart to the mountains from the Park ties made the territory the perfect hideout View Supermarket on the square in Papine. for the Windward Maroons, who from their The frequency of service depends on demand. remote stronghold at resisted There is at least one morning run and one in the afternoon for the two main routes. Destinations enslavement and British colonialism for include Mavis Bank (J$250, 15km, 1½ hours) and more than 100 years. But this region’s pri- Newcastle (J$270, 23km, 1¼ hours). There is no mary claim to fame has always been coff ee regular bus service from Buff Bay up the B1. cultivation; it has been a mainstay since CAR There are no gas stations; fi ll up in Papine. the very fi rst coff ee factories were erected From Kingston, Hope Rd leads to Papine, from around Clydesdale in the mid-18th cen- where Gordon Town Rd (B1) leads into the moun- tury. Meanwhile, back down at sea level, tains. At the Cooperage, the B1 (Mammee River the southeast coast of St Thomas parish is Rd) forks left steeply uphill for Strawberry Hill notable for its long history of protest and resort (near Irish Town) and Newcastle. Gordon rebellion, and the independent spirit of the Town Rd continues straight from the Cooper- region has kept it at odds with the govern- age and winds east up the Hope River Valley to ment even up to this day. Gordon Town, then steeply to Mavis Bank and Hagley Gap. From the north coast, the B1 heads National Parks into the mountains from Buff Bay (closed at time The Blue Mountains-John Crow National of writing due to a landslide). Park protects 78,210 hectares and is man- 8 Getting Around aged by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA). The park includes the Traveling by your own vehicle is the best way to enjoy the Blue Mountains as public transporta- forest reserves of the Blue and John Crow tion between villages is infrequent and it’s diffi - Mountain Ranges and spans the parishes cult to reach many points of interest. You’ll need of St Andrew, St Thomas, Portland and St a sturdy 4WD with a low gear option to handle Mary. Ecotourism is being promoted and lo- the road conditions.