Moon Author's Review
Bath Botanical Garden was established by the government in 1779 and is the second-oldest garden of its kind in the Western Hemisphere (one in St. Vincent dates from 1765). The garden retains little of its former glory as a propagation site for many of Jamaica’s most important introduced plants, including jackfruit, breadfruit, cinnamon, bougainvillea, and croton. A stand of royal palms lines the road by its entrance, and a two-century-old Barringtonia graces the derelict grounds.
From the western side of Bath, a road runs north to Hayfield, where a well-maintained 8.8-kilometer trail provides an alternate route over the John Crow to the Rio Grande Valley. If you’re heading to Portland, head east along the Plantain Garden River to where the main road east of Bath hits the A4 a few miles west of Amity Hall.
