Beautiful Jamaica

A cliff notes account of the island's physical beauty realized in its mountains, valleys, waterfalls, beaches and foulage bursting with color. 

Transcript

Call me biased, cause well I am, but Jamaica is a beautiful country blessed with a gorgeous geography of high mountains, deep valleys, numerous waterfalls, beaches galore and lush foulage bursting with color.  And while this is a tropical island the humidity levels are low because there is a regular breeze and no place on the island is more than 26 miles from the coast.  Sounds like paradise, right.

Welcome to Small Excellence where I discuss various nations around the world.  I'm your host Ngai.  This season we are speaking about my homeland, Jamaica.  In this episode, I want to expose some of the island’s natural wonders that make it one of the jewels of the Caribbean.

First on the list of Jamaica’s marvels is the Blue Mountain range which runs almost the entire length of the island with the Blue Mountain Peak as the highest point standing at 7402 feet.  As a young man I often went hiking and camping in this Mountain range.   The views from way up high leave you gasping at the different shades of green on the mountain sides and in the valleys and the sunrise and sunsets are a feast for the eyes.

Jamaica also has one of the world’s five bioluminescent bays.  There is Halong Bay in Vietnam, Laguna Grande, La Parguera, and Mosquito Bay in Puerto Rico, and Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica.  Bioluminescent water is a natural phenomenon where the water glows a neon blue when disrupted.  The blue light is produced by the energy which is released by chemical reactions typically caused by algae blooms.  Luminous Lagoon, located at Glistening Waters in Falmouth is one of the best places to experience this glorious sight of dazzling blue light. This lagoon hosts sunset boat tours of patrons; individuals can also swim in the lagoon becoming a part of the lightshow.

There are 50 fantastic public beaches in this paradise of an island. However, some standout a little more than others, like the enormous Seven Mile Beach in Negril, and Montego Bay’s Doctor’s Cave Beach.  Nonetheless there are beaches in Ocho Rios, and Negril which are considered nonpareils. The water at the beaches are crystal clear complimented by a backdrop of white sand. There are sharks in the Jamaican waters, however they are mostly nonaggressive, and are unlikely to attack if not provoked.  Staying with the theme of water I have to talk waterfalls; the most famous waterfall in the country is the Dunn’s River Falls. The waters of the Dunn’s River Falls enter the sea at Ocho Rios. Both tourists and islanders alike climb the fall because of its steplike profile and bragging rights after reaching the top.  Though it’s not a dangerous endeavor the rocks can be slippery so be careful.  Climbers tend to develop a comradery when climbing in groups holding hands. If they encounter any difficulty, there are guides who will help them to get to the top.  This fall more than any other gets thousands of visitors annually. 

Each fall has its own peculiarity, but when you visit Jamaica a few of the other falls which visitors show special interest in are – Blue Hole, Somerset Falls, YS Falls, Reach Falls, Konoko Falls and Mayfield Falls.

There are more than 3 dozen waterfalls and many other falls that are hidden.

Jamaica has four Blue Hole locations. A Blue Hole is a sort of natural artesian well in a river, or at the bottom of a fall. They can be as much as 410 feet deep and are fed by groundwater under high pressure. Below 290 feet all the oxygen is used up, therefore nothing can exist below that depth. However, the blue holes in Jamaica are 170 to 180 feet deep, maximum. The water of Blue Holes is turquoise blue in color and is cold. The Blue Holes in Jamaica are excellent places for swimming. The cost for swimming in Jamaican Blue Holes is minimal, and the experience is more than worth it.                  

The island has a whopping 120 rivers. The parish of St. Thomas is thought of as very dry, although three of its rivers are of great importance, Plantain Garden River, Yallahs River, and Morant River. Portland’s largest river, the Rio Grande, is one of the parish’s significant tourist attractions, it has been used mainly for rafting tourists and locals since 1954. Prior to this, as early as 1911, the rafts were used to transport produce between the Rio Grande Valley and St. Margaret’s Bay where the river ends. Other than rafting the most important things about Portland are its waterfalls and the Blue Hole just outside of Port Antonio.  The longest river on the island is Rio Minho, which is 58 miles long and starts in Clarendon.  Black River in St. Elizabeth, named for its very dark water and lends it’s name to a town is the country’s second longest river at 33 miles.

There are no rivers in Ocho Rios, yet the translation of its name from Spanish to English is eight rivers. This is due to the number of rivers which surround it. Although Ocho Rios is classified as a city, it is not much more than a town, and a small town at that, but it is fantastic. It has many beautiful restaurants and hotels. Its beaches and clubs are top class, and surrounding it are outstanding waterfalls. This makes Ocho Rios seem larger than it really is and only adds to its “WOW” factor.                       

There are three mineral baths in Jamaica, Rockfort Mineral Bath, Saint Thomas Bath and the Fire Water Pond. Both locals and foreigners swear by the healing properties of these waters. It is claimed that Rockfort Mineral Bath is one of Jamaica’s top mineral bath and spa with a stress management center that also offers massage and reflexology sessions. The saline water is relaxing and radioactive and is said to have therapeutic properties. Patrons believe that the Mineral Baths are effective allowing for the skin to absorb minerals and nutrients that soothes and heals. There are claims that these baths relieve a multitude of aliments such as psoriasis, acne, dry scalp, arthritis and fibromyalgia to name a few.

It is evident that Jamaica’s beauty is multifaceted, and I could literally keep going on and on, but this is really something you have to live.  Book a trip as soon as possible and experience these wonders for yourself.

I hope you garnered some knowledge from this episode.  Tune in next time to learn more on Small Excellence.  Walk good, my friends.