St. Andrew: a contiguous corporate area...

Officially Jamaica only knows 12 parishes. The remaining two, viz. St. Andrew and Kingston are so-called 'contiguous corporate areas'. As St. Andrew has the size of a parish we take this one with us on our round-trip over the island.
The 'contiguous corporate area' Kingston in fact only occupies the town itself. This one will extensively be described in the Kingston section.

Part of Kingston
Driving into St. Andrew from Bull Bay we notice immediately that we are close in the neighborhood of the capital of Jamaica. The road becomes wider; airplanes are flying over somewhat lower and in the distance the buildings are looming up. That's why the town takes the main part of the coast strip of St. Andrew. Kingston has grown out of its joints enormously and is not anymore limited to the contiguous corporate area Kingston it self since a long time. Stronger said, the main part of the town simple is lying in St. Andrew.

St. Andrew has not many beaches. We mention two of them: Cable Hut Beach, very popular with the inhabitants of Kingston and Brooks Pen, just a little more quiet.
Nearby Seven Mile you can go to the right direction Cane River Falls, very popular as well with the local population. Visits of strangers are welcome and if you go there take your time for a chat, one wishes to know everything from you.


Going back to Seven Mile and from there direction Kingston you almost automatically drive up the Palissadoes, the small peninsular that embraces the port of Kingston. You drive on the Norman Manley Highway and you will not fail to notice that. The airplanes are raging low over you and before noticing it you pass Norman Manley International Airport, the biggest airport of Jamaica.
Of course you do not intend to go back home yet so you drive further direction Port Royal. You pass the remainders of Fort Rocky and finally you arrive on the point of the peninsular.

Port Royal
Once Port Royal was the pirate-capitol of the Caribbean area. In the flourishing period Port Royal was considered as the richest and depraved town of the world. When England made war with Holland in 1667 the defense of Jamaica was left to the Buccaneers. Port Royal became the bastion and the pirates got all they needed. It was only of short duration.

In 1692 a heavy earthquake hit Port Royal and the town disappeared for the greater part into the sea. Today the place is a quiet fishing-village but some buildings do recall a turbulent past. Port Charles survived the earthquake and gives a good impression of mighty Port Royal before the disaster.
Also impressive is Giddy House, build in the 19th century. Once it was an ammunitions storehouse, but -as a result of the Kingston Earthquake in 1907- it stands so sloping now that you could think it can tumble any moment. However, almost 100 years later, it is still standing there.

Blue Mountains
St. Andrew is, like St Thomas, a good start for a trip to the Blue Mountains.
Soon after leaving Kingston in the north the road turns into the mountains that of course brings surprising views on the town with it. For instance from Stony Hill you fancy yourself in the jungle but you can overview Kingston in one single glance. If you follow the A3 direction St. Ann you drive through a real fascinating game of mountains and valleys. Just before the border with St. Ann you meet the Castleton Botanical Gardens. These botanical gardens show a wealth of native trees and plants.

Driving out of Kingston on the northeast side off Papine be prepared for probably the most beautiful trip of Jamaica. Not always the road (B1) is of a good quality, comprising very many windings and is suspected steep and bluff here and there. But you have to take this for granted.


This road literally crosses the Blue Mountains and finally leads you to Grey's Inn nearby Annotto Bay on the north coast. Many small but interesting villages will be passed. Off Industry Village you can turn to the right direction Guava Ridge and Marvis Bank, good starts for the trip to Blue Mountain Peak (see also St. Thomas). In that case make a stop at Sangster's Old Jamaican Spirits distillery where the famous liquors- under which of course coffee-liquor- and rums are produced.
Going to the left in Guava Ridge you will land in the area of coffee-plantations. Higher and higher into the mountains you will climb and the plantations will give the mountains a marvelous look.

Real coffee
Just before Silver Hill you can turn to the right to Chichona Botanical Gardens. The gardens are situated on an altitude of some 1500 m (5000 ft.) and merely because of that situation are some of the most spectacular in the world.
At least you arrive in Silver Hill, the heart of the coffee production. Here you can visit the Silver Hill Coffee Factory if you want to know how the world-famous Blue Mountain Coffee is produced.
After all you are now on the back of the Blue Mountains.

Driving a bit back to the B1 we go from Industry Village higher up direction Irish Town and Redlight. Just before Redlight we find Bamboo Lodge, in former days used as a resting-place for seamen who were suffering from fever.
We come out in Newcastle. This settlement developed out of a camp, at that time set up by William Gomm on a spur of Mount Horeb. At present it gives shelter to Jamaican armed forces. The mountain offers good possibilities for walking.
From Newcastle you can drive over the Hardware Gap to Section and Holywell National Park.

The Hardware Gap is the highest situated highroad of Jamaica, that's why it is named so. The park surely is a visit worth. There are a lot of possibilities for walks and climbing of Mount Horeb show some surprising views.
Just before Section you pass the border with Portland and you will drive over the back of the Blue Mountains on a height of 1539 m. (5048 ft.).
After that the descent begins.

The above is only a small enumeration of what can be seen in the Blue Mountains. In 'Sights' we will go into this further. As it is not possible to do the Blue Mountains in one single day, a visit of several days is recommended. A lot of overnight staying is available there and Kingston too is a good place to start.