
Jamaica - Portrait of an Island Paradise
Jamaica posesses a sensuous and hypnotic charm that will grab your heart the moment you see it. With spectacular mountains that sweep down to white sandy beaches, sparkling waterfalls, and lush tropical foilage, its a place of raw, absolute, and stunning beauty. But God didn't stop there. He blessed Jamaica with a warm, fun-loving people and one of the most vibrant culture in the world. No wonder Errol Flynn called it "Heaven on earth".
For decades, Jamaica has drawn millions of people to its beautiful shores. Many are drawn to its sun-drenched white powdery beaches with crystal blue water and wind-swept palm trees. Others come to bask in its warm golden sunshine and cool gentle trade wind that constantly caresses the island.
But Jamaica is much more than beautiful tropical beaches and warm sunshine. After all, you can find that anywhere in the Caribbean.
The real charm of Jamaica is a combination of its physical beauty and culture. It is about its vibrant, warm, and fun-loving people with their unique lilting patois accent. Its about its tantalizingly tasty and mouth-watering foods that will have you asking for more. It is about the hypnotic sounds of its reggae music that compells you to rock its groovy rhythms.
Whatever it is, millions are compelled to return yearly to satisfy their thirst for this tropical beauty, that I happen to call home. Many, like Ian Fleming of James Bond 007 fame, who came to Jamaica and never left. So be careful, because once Jamaica grabs you, you will be hooked for life.
Jamaica - Land we Love
Just 95 miles south of Cuba, Jamaica is the third largest Caribbean Island with a landscape as varied and diverse as its people.
Although only a mere 146 miles by 51 miles (about the size of Connecticut) and surrounded by the Caribbean sea, more than half the island sits 1000 ft or more above sea level. The highest point, the Blue Mountain Peak, pushes past cloud at nearly 1.5 miles just a short 10 miles from the coast of the Capital Kingston.
The name Jamaica came from the Arawak Indian word "Xaymaca" which means "land of wood and water" and aptly describe the Island.
Jamaica is a lush, dense, and mountainous island with over 3,000 different types of plants, 800 of which can be found only on the island. It has 120 rivers and hundreds of springs that flow from its towering mountains to nourish its fertile plains.
Jamaica is home to more than 25 species of bats, 200 kinds of birds - including bright colored parakeets, finches, and the national bird - the long-tailed humming-bird that is unique to the island.
The Geography and Terrain
The Blue Mountain range dominates the Eastern third of Jamaica, which is the source of many of the island's rivers and streams. This cross section of the Island from Kingston to its Eastern tip is ruggedly beautiful with thick, lush undergrowth and secluded coves.
Port Antonio, the heart of this region is breathtakingly beautiful and was the home of Errol Flynn and Ian Flemming. This part of the Island is not well travelled or explored and people generally live along the coasts.
The mid section of Jamaica, while still mountainous and hilly, is much more accessible than the Eastern end. Just as much people live on the coast as in the mountains - which are often only accessible by small unpaved roads.
The Western third of Jamaica is interesting for two reasons. Its north coast from Ocho Rios to Negril is where most of the Island's hotels and resorts are located and where millions of tourists visit each year.
On the other hand, the Cockpit Country in the center of this area is one of the most inhospitable place on earth. It is a dry, rugged, and inaccessible terrain, populated with many sinkholes, caverns and caves. These sinkholes and caverns have eaten alive many people unfamiliar with its dangerous and deadly terrain.
Jamaica Natural Beauty
While Jamaica tropical climate and beautiful beaches are its main attractions, there are many other natural features that contribute to its immense beauty.
Rising well into the clouds at nearly a mile and half high, the Blue Mountain is host to rain forests, 800 species of plants and 200 species of birds. Here you will also find the world second largest butterfly as well as more than 500 different kinds of flowering plants.
The rivers and streams flowing from the mountains have blessed the Island with many refreshing waterfalls such as Dunn's River fall, YS falls, and Summerset falls. The Island has many caves and calverns that host many species of wildlife that are unique to the Island.
Blue Lagoon, the place where 14-year old Brooke Shields shot the movie by the same name is one of the most scenic spots in Jamaica. It is close to 200 ft deep and fed from top by the Caribbean sea and from below by a warm mineral spring.
Then there are places like Glissening Waters, a luminous lagoon near Falmouth where the water lights up at night when disturbed due to rare bio organisms that exists only in three other places in the world. Bamboo Avenue in Lacovia is a breathtaking sight where giant bamboo trees form a cathedral-like canopy over the road for three miles.
Fern Gully near Ocho Rios is a steep winding road through a thick, dense growth of several hundreds species of ferns and tree canopy that blocks out the sun, for the most part. Driving through here as a child was awe inspiring and I am still struct by its natural beauty.
These are just a few of Jamaica natural features that makes the Island such a favorite destination for so many people.
Discover its charm and beauty
While the North coast of the Island from Ocho Rios to Negril is overrun by tourists, the South coast and the Eastern end are still unspoilt and off the beaten tracks. You won't discover Jamaica in the hotels, resorts, or towns in the tourist corridor.
The true beauty and charm of the Island lies outside the beaten tracks where Jamaicans and nature exists in their natural settings. To truly experience Jamaica you must experience its people and its culture. If you can find the time and courage to step out of the comfort of the resorts and tourists corridor, you will discover the real Jamaica that millions have fallen in love with.
For a developing country of such a small size, Jamaica has major influence far outside its borders. As we say in the island, "We little, but we talawah", meaning we are small in size but huge in our influence.
But don't take my word for it. Come see for yourself why some many people visit and fall in love with this small piece of tropical paradise in the Caribbean. Soon you too might be saying "Yea Mon, Jamaica - No problem."
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