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Hanover

Attractions

Hanover is Jamaica's third-smallest parish after Kingston and St. Andrew, with roughly 451 square kilometers of land. It has six major rivers, two of which flow into Lucea Harbour. The Great River, along the border with St. James, has Jamaica's most heart-thumping navigable rapids in the hills of the interior, as well as serene bamboo rafting where it lazily meets the sea.

Lucea, Hanover's capital, sits on an idyllic horseshoe-shaped harbor a few kilometers from Dolphin Head Mountain. Dolphin Head is a small limestone peak at 545 meters, which overlooks some of the most biologically diverse forestland in Jamaica, with the island's highest concentration of endemic species. A few kilometers away, Birch Hill--at 552 meters--is the highest point in the parish. Together the small range protects Lucea harbor from the dominant easterly winds. Both Lucea and Mosquito Cove are well-regarded hurricane holes for small yachts. Hanover is the only parish without a KFC.

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Sights on the point of Lucea Harbour

On the point of Lucea Harbour, the most in- tact fort in western Jamaica is Fort Charlotte (site is unmanaged, supervised by Jamaica National Heritage Trust), with three cannons in good condition sitting on the battlements. It was built by the British in 1756, with 23 cannon openings to defend their colony. Originally named Fort Lucea, it was renamed during the reign of King George III after his wife. The Barracks, a large rectangular Georgian building next to the fort, was built in 1843 to house soldiers stationed at Fort Charlotte.

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Old Steamer Beach

Old Steamer Beach (free and open to the public) is located 100 yards past the Shell gas station heading west out of Hopewell, Hanover. An embankment leads down to the skeleton of the U.S.S. Caribou, a steamer dating from 1887 that washed off its mooring from Mobay. You can hang your towel on the skeleton ship and take a swim at one of the nicest beaches around, which only gets busy on weekends when locals come down in droves to stir the crystal clear waters.

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Dolphin Head Mountain

Dolphin Head Mountain and the Dolphin Head Forest Reserve contain some of Jamaica's few remaining pockets of biodiversity and high endemism. A Nature Trail and Living Botanical Museum were developed over the past several years and are currently maintained by Jamaica's Forestry Department

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Hanover Museum

Fort Charlotte houses the Hanover Museum (admission US$5), located on the western point of Lucea Harbor. It's the most intact fort in western Jamaica, with three cannons in good condition sitting on the battlements. It was built by the British in 1756, with 23 cannon openings to defend their colony from any challenge from the sea. Originally named Fort Lucea, it was renamed during the reign of King George III after his Queen Charlotte.

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Kenilworth

Kenilworth is one of Jamaica's most impressive great houses, located on the former Maggoty Estate. Currently the property is home to the HEART Academy, a training skills institute. To get there, pass Tryall and then Sandy Bay, then Chukka Blue; turn right after crossing a bridge over the Maggoty River in the community of Barbican and look for the sign for HEART Trust NTA Kenilworth on the left. Turn in and look for the ruins behind the institute, which is painted blue and white.

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Half Moon Beach

Half Moon Beach located between Orange Bay and Green Island is a great little stretch of sand to enjoy as a more low-key alternative to Negril's oft-crowded Seven-Mile Beach. The property is owned by Andrew Bauwen, who, along with his wife Tania, rents cabins and runs a bar and restaurant serving fish, chicken and lobster dishes (US$8-20). The five cabins offer accommodation on a budget (US$40-100) and camping is also permitted on a large lawn facing the sea. 

 

 

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