Morant Bay

St. Thomas parish holds an important place in Jamaican history. In the early colonial period, its mountainous terrain played an important role in providing sanctuary to the runaway slaves who formed the Maroon settlements of eastern Jamaica. Later, it became an important sugar- and banana-producing region under British rule. And finally, with the slaves freed but not being permitted advancement in society, the parish erupted in a rebellion that gave birth to Jamaica's labor rights movement.

At the center of what was once some of Jamaica's prime sugarcane land, Morant Bay is a laid-back town with little action beyond the central market. Between Morant Bay and Port Morant, 11 kilometers to the east, there are a couple of basic accommodation options that make a convenient base for exploring the rivers and valleys that cut across the southern slopes of the Blue Mountains, as well as the isolated beaches and Great Morass on Jamaica's easternmost tip.

SIGHTS

The burning Morant Bay Courthouse played a central role in spurring the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, in which disenfranchised poor led by Paul Bogle revolted against the local government and the white planters, sending tremors through the British Empire. A statue of Paul Bogle created by Jamaican art pioneer Edna Manley, wife of Peoples National Party founder Norman Manley, stands in front of the courthouse. The building was in use until early 2007 as the St. Thomas Parish Council offices before it was, once again, gutted by fire. A historic marker by the statue honors the many patriots buried behind the building, "whose sacrifice paved the way for the independence of Jamaica."

The Morant Bay Market on the main road has an excellent stock of produce and a fish market in the back that rivals that of Downtown Kingston. It is a great place to stop for a stroll around to take in a bustling market.

Lorna's Crafts (cell tel. 876/396-9337) has some nice Jamaican crafts, jewelry, and Rastafarian motif goods in the Old Arcade.

East Fest (Goodyear Oval, Springfield, St. Thomas) is held annually on Boxing Day (December 24). The event is organized and hosted by the cultural reggae group Morgan Heritage (www.morganheritagemusic.com).

Practicalities

Dave's Place (cell tel. 876/461-3103) just past Scotia serves good chicken.

Scotiabank is located at 23 Queen Street (tel. 876/982-2310), and NCB is at 39 Queen Street (tel. 876/982-2225).

The Morant Bay police station (7 South St., guard office tel. 876/982-2233, crime office tel. 876/734-7111) is located just off the main road through town.

EAST OF MORANT BAY

In Stony Gut, eight kilometers north of Morant Bay, a marker placed by the JNHT indicates Paul Bogle's birthplace and the place where his Revival Baptist church once stood. To get there, head inland at the center of town to Morant, where a right turn leads to the nondescript hamlet of Stony Gut.

Heading straight in Morant leads to Seaforth, a small community along the Morant River. North of the main intersection you soon come to a bridge across the river where the road forks. A right leads farther up the river to Sunny Hill, an important Rastafarian center in St. Thomas where occasional Groundations are held. It is said one of the first Rasta communes was formed in Trinity Ville, near Sunny Hill, as early as 1934. For info on upcoming Rasta-related events, contact St. Thomas native Karl Wilson (cell tel. 876/439-1471). Alternatively, for Rasta events island-wide, including those at Sunny Hill, contact Paul Reid, known as Iyatolah (cell tel. 876/850-3469) or Charlena McKenzie, known as Daughter Dunan (cell tel. 876/843-3227) at Jamaica's Nyabinghi headquarters in Scott's Pass, Clarendon.

Reggae Falls, located near Seaforth, is a popular spot for locals to come splash around by an old dam on the Morant River and jump off the large rocks along the river. There is a hut nearby where drinks and food are served.

A left across the bridge at the intersection in Seaforth leads to Mt. Lebanus, a picturesque district with fruit trees growing along the river, which has lots of pools suitable for swimming.

Port Morant

Overgrown and noticeably forgotten today, Port Morant was at one time busy exporting barrels of sugar, rum, and bananas. Today there is an oyster operation on the eastern side of the harbor bordering the mangroves that reaches down to Bowden across the bay. The oyster-growing zone is protected from fishing and serves as a spawning area as well. Several fishermen keep their boats on the waterfront and can be contracted to tour the mangroves and visit the lighthouse on Point Morant. Karl Wilson (cell tel. 876/439-1471), a director of the St. Thomas Environmental Protection Agency, has been working with fishermen and other local groups to encourage sustainable use of the vast mangrove reserve, one of Jamaica's last untouched marine wilderness areas. Karl can arrange marine and mountain tours to the best sights in the area.

The Morant Point Lighthouse sits on Jamaica's easternmost point. Cast of iron in London, the 30-meter-tall lighthouse was erected in 1841 by Kru people, indentured Africans brought to Jamaica in the post-emancipation period. There is a beautiful, desolate beach along Holland Bay just north of Morant Point. To get there, head east from the village of Golden Grove through the Duckenfield Sugar Plantation. Four-wheel-drive is essential in the rainy season, but otherwise it is possible to get through without it.

Stokes Hall Great House, located in the parish of St. Thomas near Golden Grove, was built by Luke Stokes. A former governor of the island of Nevis, he came to Jamaica shortly after the conquest of the island by the British. Like many of the early houses it was built in a strategic location and was securely fortified.

Stokes Hall Great House was destroyed by the 1907 earthquake and today stands in ruin. The house is currently owned by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust but not managed by anyone.

Bath Hot Springs

The town of Bath was erected using government resources and had a brief glamorous history as a fashionable second-home community for the island's elite. The splendor was short-lived, however, and the town quickly declined to become a backwater--as it remains today.

Bath Mineral Spring or "The Bath of St. Thomas the Apostle" as it is properly called, was discovered by the runaway slave Jacob in 1695 on the estate of his master, Colonel Stanton. Jacob found that the warm waters of the spring healed leg ulcers that had plagued him for years; he braved possible punishment to return to the plantation to relate his discovery to Stanton. In 1699 the spring and surrounding land was sold to the government for £400. In 1731 the government allocated £500 to develop the bath and a road to the spring, and a small town was built.

The hot springs are located 50 meters north of the Bath Hotel and Spa, itself located about three kilometers on a precariously narrow, winding road north of the town of Bath. An easy-to-follow path leads to the source, where water comes out from the rocks piping hot on one side and cold on the other. There are massage therapists on hand who use wet towels to give an exhilarating treatment, albeit exorbitantly priced (typically around US$14). These masseurs are either lauded or despised by visitors and can be quite aggressive in offering their services from below the gate of the hotel. Some visitors swear by their technique, however, which involves slopping hot towels over the backs of their subjects.

The Bath Hotel and Spa has traditional Turkish-style tiled tubs, as well as more modern whirlpool tubs. There are three rates for a dip, depending on how many are enjoying the tub: US$6 for one person, US$8.50 for two, or US$11 for three. The water at Bath is mineral-heavy. It is suggested that bathers stay in the water for 15–20 minutes to derive full benefit.

Basic rooms in the hotel have either private bath or shared bath (tel. 876/703-4345, US$50 private bath, US$33 shared bath). Meals (US$8.50–10) are served throughout the day and range from rotisserie chicken to curried shrimp.

Bath Botanical Garden

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.

Accommodations

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. Rooms have TV, private bathrooms with hot water, and air-conditioning, except two mountain-view rooms with fans only (US$60). DSL is available in the lobby, and a restaurant prepares food to order.

Brown's Guesthouse (tel. 876/982-6205, US$35–40) is a basic rest with nine rooms with cable, air-conditioning, hot water, and either double or queen-size beds owned by Neason Brown. Some rooms have kitchenettes, or food can be prepared to order. To get there, follow the main road toward Prospect and look for a sign just east of Whispering Bamboo on the ocean side of the road.