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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.
Whispering Bamboo Cove Resort (105 Crystal Dr. Retreat, just east of Morant Bay, tel. 876/982-2912 or 876/982-1788, whispering@cwjamaica.com, US$75/80 mountain view/ocean view) is a decent accommodations option with 15 rooms run by Marcia Bennet.
The road west of Morant Bay toward Kingston hugs the coast, passing through dusty communities where jerk vendors and a few shops mark the centers of the action. This is an area most people just pass through. There are a few notable stops, however, but few accommodation options (beyond a few quickie joints) before reaching Bull Bay in St. Andrew.
Just east of White Horses you arrive at Rozelle Falls, where locals often congregate to wash or cool off. The falls are visible from the main road (A4).
The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church (service on Sat.) has its headquarters at Crighton Hall in White Horses just before reaching Yallahs, where it sits on more than 600 hectares of land. To get there, turn inland off the main road (A4) by a set of fruit vendors in the middle of White Horses. Coptic Road is on the left, marked with a sign.
Sixteen kilometers west of Morant Bay, large salt ponds can be seen along the coast marking the approach to Yallahs. These ponds were once used as a source for salt and are home to brine shrimp and yellow butterflies.
About 1.5 kilometers west of Yallahs, the broad, washed-out Yallahs River overflows during periods of heavy rain and dries completely for much of the year near its mouth due to dry, pebbly soil along its bed.
Links Seafood Restaurant & Lounge (cell tel. 876/703-3927, 10 a.m.10 p.m Mon.Sat.) on Fleming Beach is a nice chill-out spot to get some grub on the waterfront.
West of Yallahs just shy of the St. Andrew border, Eleven Mile is a small community known as the old stomping ground of legendary Jack Mansong, a.k.a. "Three-Finger Jack." A runaway slave, Three-Finger Jack became a bandit who took justice into his own hands in the vein of a Jamaican Robin Hood.
Points between Kingston and Morant Bay along the coast are served by JUTC buses departing from the Transport Centre in Half Way Tree for around US$1. For points farther east or around the coast, a private driver or route taxis are necessary. Taxis and small buses depart from the square in Morant Bay for Bath and Manchioneel as they fill up, costing less than US$5.
