Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park

Hey, lovely readers!

Today we decided to get to know more about the nature of Jamaica instead of bustling and noisy Kingston. Therefore, a trip to the Blue and John Crow Mountains Park quickly came to mind. The national park lies just a one-hour trip away from New Kingston, so it was easy getting there.

We went to Holywell, an area located 900 metres above sea-level and the closest recreation area to Kingston. Before going, we had already read the National Park’s website, which stated that Holywell had 10 gazebos, a pavilion-structured garden, and a few nature trails. The first thought that came to mind from reading this was that we were going to have a picnic! So, there were some preparation needed before the trip. We had to buy all picnic-related stuff, because this was going to be the best picnic ever, and prepare sandwiches and small treats. Also, remembering to bring extra sweaters, comfy shoes and some umbrellas, should the weather change. And finally, off we went!

We had such a lovely time at Holywell, and we learned a lot. We could have gone on guided educational, coffee or bird-watching tours, but we had decided to rather take it easy and just enjoy nature with a relaxed picnic. (Though we would have gone on the bird-watching tour if it was not scheduled for 6 am! Too early for us, we would probably have fallen asleep.)

Here is a picture of our picnic; 

We had taken an informational brochure from the Visitor’s Centre at the entrance of Holywell, and I will share some of the interesting information that was printed:

Blue and John Crew Mountains National Park is dominated by cloud forest, a rare tropical mountain habitat and is also composed of three mountain ranges; Port Royal, Blue, and John Crow Mountains. Blue Mountain Peak is the highest area in Jamaica, where it lies 2256 meters above sea-level. The wildlife here is very diverse, with many rare plants, animals, birds and insects. Some of these species can only be found here in Jamaica, for example;

Jamaican Blackbird:

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly: 

Jamaican Tody:

Furthermore, The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park supplies over 40% over Jamaica’s population with domestic water!

Truly magnificent, right? It is nice to experience nature so different to our own, and this trip was a much-needed distraction from the city-life in Kingston. However, now that we have calmed our nerves a bit, we are ready to explore more of Kingston and Jamaica.

-Inger Marie

http://www.blueandjohncrowmountains.org/sustainable-tourism/national-park-recreation-areas/holywell.html

http://www.jamaicatravelandculture.com/destinations/the_blue_mountains/holywell.htm

http://www.blueandjohncrowmountains.org/heritage/natural-heritage.html