t The impressive Blue Mountains rising behind lush forest
Passing tiny mountain towns, whispering eucalyptus trees shrouded in mist, and famed coffee plantations, the 28-mile (45-km) stretch of the Blue Mountains makes for the most scenic drive on the island.
t The impressive Blue Mountains rising behind lush forest
Experience Jamaica
t There are spectacular views along the route.
At the Holywell Recreational Park, you will find the main visitors’ center for the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, a World Heritage Site, with cabins to stay in. With its highest peak reaching 7,402 ft (2,256 m), the Blue Mountain range is Jamaica’s largest. Its lower canopy of soapwood, dogwood, and Caribbean cedar is interspersed with coffee plantations, and its upper slopes care overed with stunted montane rainforest.
From Papine and Kingston, there are two main driving routes. The road divides at The Cooperage, with one fork heading toward Holywell Recreational Park, taking in coffee plantations and a glitzy hotel en route, and the other toward Gordon Town and Mavis Bank, where jeeps can be rented to reach the start of the hiking trail to Blue Mountain Peak. A full day is necessary to see both the Holywell and Mavis Bank sides of the mountains. Be sure to drive slowly, and avoid the hills if it is raining, since landslides are fairly common.
Widely acknowledged as one of the best in the world, Blue Mountain coffee is grown at 2,000–5,000 ft (609–1,524 m). The climate and rich soil produce the distinctive beans, which are hand-picked, washed, then rested before being hulled, sorted into grades, roasted, and packed.