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Bobo Hill is home to the Bobo Shanti, or Bobo Ashanti, House of Ras Tafari. Known for their peaceably militant interpretation of Marcus Garvey’s teachings, the Bobo have been popularized by many dancehall artists who proclaim an affiliation. Paramount to Bobo philosophy and lifestyle are the ever-present themes of self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-respect.
Belcour Lodge (10 minutes from Papine in Maryland, reservation required) is a beautiful private, colonial-era home set in a lovely river valley amid expansive gardens. Robin and Michael Lumsden offer Culinary Tours that include a stroll around the yard. Visitors will find an apiary with 50 colonies, a citrus orchard, and an abundance of other fruit trees.
Andy Jefferson (by appointment) is a prominent expat artist who can be found by taking the first right after the 18-mile post heading toward Newcastle. Andy welcomes visitors to his home studio and gallery and provides accommodation as part of a visiting artist residency program.
The Twymans grow some of the best Blue Mountain Coffee. The estate is run by David, son of owners Dorothy and the late, great coffee farmer Alex Twyman.
Catherine’s Peak quickly becomes visible rising to the right as you drive up to Newcastle, a Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) training camp, from Red Light, the small community following Irish Town. The summit is easily identified by the clutter of communications antennas at the summit.
Holywell National Park (entry US$5, or US$1.50 for residents) sits atop Hardwar Gap, affording a view of St. Andrew Parish to the south and St. Mary and Portland to the north. The birding is excellent in the 50-hectare park, which borders Twyman’s Old Tavern Coffee Estate on the north side and is a haven for migratory birds in the winter months.
The Waterfall Trail is also about 1.2 kilometers long, meandering along the mountain edge and then following a stream with a small waterfall at the end.
Mavis Bank Coffee Factory (8:30 a.m. oon and 13:30 p.m Mon.Fri., tour reservations recommended, US$8 adults, US$3.50 children) was established in 1923 by an English planter, Victor Munn. As the biggest coffee factory in Jamaica, it has been the economic foundation for the area since.
Cinchona Gardens, while not the best-maintained botanical gardens, have a spectacular variety of plants, including many orchid species, making it a magical place with an incredible view. Cinchona Gardens can be reached by turning left at the Anglican church in Mavis Bank, and then descending to cross the Yallahs River at Robertsfield.
The centerpiece of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, Blue Mountain Peak can be reached by a variety of means depending on the level of exhaustion you are willing to endure. Generally, people leave from Whitfield Hall at Penlyne, St. Thomas, after having arrived there by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
