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I love road trips and in December, I took a few which brought me into the interior of Jamaica. Here are a few photos of what I saw.
We left early on the morning of the first trip. The air was fresh and cool and as the sun grew higher above the St. Elizabeth hills, it began to burn off the mist that had covered the mountain.
Rising more than 2,000 feet up the Don Figueroa Mountains in Manchester, Spur Tree Hill offers breathtaking views of the lowlands of St. Elizabeth and Manchester. Spur Tree got its name from the ‘spurs’ that were thrown out by the giant cotton trees that used to grow in the area. The undulating terrain in the middle marks the distinctive Cockpit Country.
Alumina has been mined in St. Elizabeth since 1953. This factory at Nain processes 2 million tonnes of alumina each year.
Clarendon gets the lowest annual rainfall of any parish but on two different trips, buckets of rain fell. These two photos were taken on the same trip almost at the same spot — notice how thick the clouds became.
We spent a day at the Hanover farm of a family friend and came away with fruits and vegetables. Hanover also produces coffee, citrus, yams, sugar cane, rice, breadfruit, turmeric.
One of two sugar factories in Trelawny is Trelawny Sugar (almost everyone still call it by its old name, Long Pond). Besides sugar and rum, Trelawny produces ginger, turmeric, coconut, bananas, pimento, and yam, among other items.
Driving through Trelawny, near Clark’s Town, it’s hard to miss Long Pond Estate. I stopped abruptly when I saw this house that the sun had bathed in a golden hue — it might have been the residence of the estate manager — but it was beautiful.
I’ve driven on this road through Long Pond’s cane fields but this was the first time I really took in this view.
This is my submission to Travel Photo Thursday, which is organized by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.
This week, I’m also linking up with the Friday Daydreaming series organized by Becca at Rwethereyetmom. Hope to see you there!
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40 Comments on "The Jamaica Visitors Rarely See, II"
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Great stuff…Jamaica is a country where I’ve only seen what the cruise ships deem worthy. Would be great to get off the tourist path and explore some of these spots!
In fairness, the cruise ships only spend a day at most. You’d need to spend more than a day to see a lot of these places.
Hopefully, you get to do that one of these days.
Very lovely photos. Such wonderful gifts of nature.
Thanks, Sarah. Glad you like them.
What a wonderful trip! I love the Long Pond Estate House, it looks like something you would see right out of a film!
Thanks, Jess. It is a beautiful house that could definitely be in a film.
Beautiful Marcia! Definitely not what I picture when I think of Jamaica. I love seeing the less touristy side of places.
Thanks, Laurel. Glad you like seeing the less touristy side.
Gorgeous views from atop the Spur Hill and the Pond Estate architecture is amazing too. Would have loved to see it from inside. Have a wonderful day Marcia 🙂
Whenever I travel around Jamaica, especially up in the hilly areas like Spur Tree, it’s the views I look forward to seeing.
Thanks, Arti. Hope you have a great day too!
You are such a wonderful ambassador for Jamaica… Great shots. 😉
Thanks, Elizabeth. Glad you like the shots.
Such a beautiful place, Marcia! It seems that visitors don\’t see some of the most beautiful parts of the island. I had an interesting discussion with a friend last night about whether it was safe to visit Jamaica. She and her family spent a week there last month and she never felt that safety was an issue. They stayed at an all-inclusive (which they weren\’t crazy about) but went on several excursions and thought the island was beautiful. She says that they have been many places where she did worry about their safety but Jamaica wasn\’t one of them.
I’m glad and relieved to hear that, Lisa.
The last thing I want to hear is that visitors don’t feel safe.
What a lot of lovely photos. What’s with the sticks and yams? I thought they grew underground or are they markers. I love the look of Hanover.
Thanks, Leigh!
The sticks are for the vines. The yam’s underground and the vines are above on the sticks. Not sure if that’s for sunlight or air or both.
Yes, Hanover is quite lush and beautiful.
Gorgeous photos – you have completely sold me on the need to visit Jamaica!
Love the last one!
Thanks, Becca. The interior of Jamaica is quite lush and beautiful but most visitors stay in the resort areas to have access to the beach.
Jamaica often seems to be all about the beach so it was interesting to read and see the interior of the island.
You’re right, Jenny. We’ve done a really great job of marketing the beach but the interior is quite beautiful.
Oh I love \’insider\’s tours\’ even if they are from the armchair. (Just wait – one of these days I hope I\’ll be taking one in person with you!)
Thanks, Jackie. I’d love to have you along on one of them!
What a lovely trip Marcia. So much produce, what a delight! Trust you to break the drought.
And that house! Spanish influence? I wouldn’t like to carry the groceries up those stairs.
Jamaica grows quite a lot of produce on large and small farms — some of it is exported and we eat the rest.
It does look like it could be but I’m not sure. Doing a little digging to find out more. I think they might have an entrance on the ground floor so you wouldn’t have to carry anything up the stairs. Besides, I’m sure they’d have servants to do all that!
Beautiful photos. I was mesmerized by the last one. Something mystical and haunting about it. You must be really kicking your heals up after a long stint in NY. I am so hating on you right now.
Oh sorry, Tots! I didn’t mean to make you hate me.
So, just come for a visit, why don’t you?
Glad you like the photos. That one has me mesmerized for sure.
Long Pond Estate looks lovely- would really like to see more of the Jamaica that I’m sure visitors don’t see often. Great photos!
Thanks, Jade! It’s a great estate. It has the feel of a different time and place.
Love the last shot. It feels like you could just drive off into the horizon…or the ocean. Whichever comes first.
Hmm, might be the ocean. Either one would be fine though, right?
I have to be honest that I’ve only been at the cruise ship port. One day I’d like to explore more of the island. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you get a chance, one of these days, to explore more.
I’ve seen suggestions before that one should see the interior of Jamaica. I can see why. Partiuclarly love that estate house. You have a knack for finding interesting architecture!
Thanks, Vera. I love the old buildings. Wish we could duplicate them — some were very well built.
I absolutely agree — the interior is quite beautiful.
Thanks for showing us this more green part of Jamaica. Love learning about all the fresh bounty that grows there. That Long Pond Estate house is beautiful and no wonder it caught your eye.Beautiful views, Marcia!
You’re welcome, Mary. I love this part of Jamaica as much as I love the beach.
Glad you like it too.
Beautiful place to visit 🙂 I love the landscape…
Thanks, Muza-chan!
HI Marcia:
Thanks for taking us on this picturesque road trip. I absolutely love the untouched beauty of the greenery and the sea. Thanks for the tour. Happy Adventures.
You’re welcome. Thanks for coming along with me.