Salt River, Clarendon

Salt River is a free public mineral bath located in a community by the same name near the coast of Clarendon, one of Jamaica’s south central parishes. Jamaica’s south coast isn’t popular with tourists because this part of the country isn’t marketed nor developed for tourism. Nonetheless, there are several gems here worth visiting and I aim to visit and write about as many as I can. Here’s how my recent family trip to Salt River went.

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Directions To Salt River Mineral Bath

Traveling from Kingston, I took the south coast toll (T1) and exited at Free Town. From there, Google Maps will accurately direct you onto the Salt River main road which passes close to the JAMALCO bauxite company and Port Esquivel. However, there are two map markers for Salt River so be careful. I accidentally chose the incorrect one which led me down a right turn from the Salt River road and took me to a quarry. It’s obvious that people make this mistake almost daily because the security guard by the quarry took one look at us and told us we took a wrong turn then offered correct directions before we could even utter a word.

Anyway, after taking the Salt River main road from Free Town, it’s a straight road until you get to the sign pictured above. No turn offs. Next to this sign on the left is a short access road to the spacious Salt River car park. The road surface to get here was surprisingly good, save for the occasional pothole not unlike roads in the capital city of Kingston. There is no entrance fee to visit Salt River. Restrooms were added in 2020 using funds provided by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) Ltd. There are also a few rustic restaurants on-site which sell mainly seafood and beers. I recommend visiting on a weekday like I did and as early as possible. On weekends, Salt River gets very crowded and the water may appear brown from the foot traffic which stirs up silt from the river’s floor.

Salt River Mineral Bath

The word “spa” was used very loosely on that sign because there’s nothing spa-like about Salt River. Nonetheless, the water was a lovely shade of blue and very mesmerizing to watch! The water was slightly salty and is said to have high mineral content which comes from the surrounding rocks and mangroves. The mineral waters at Salt River are reputed to prevent and cure many ailments if you soak in it long or often enough. The locals swear by it, and it’s a popular community spot for recreation. The water’s temperature alternates between warm and cool every few steps.

Balneotherapy (n.): the use of natural thermal mineral waters, additive baths, and other natural substances for the prevention and treatment of disease.

After frolicking for several hours, we worked up quite an appetite and chose to dine at Jahlena’s, a restaurant on the river’s banks which I noticed while in the water. Jahlena’s Restaurant and Bar is a woman-owned business which has been in operation at Salt River for more than 20 years. Fried fish and festival, and fried chicken are always ready but other dishes like steamed fish are done to order. That plate pictured below only costed $700 ($4.53USD)! It also tasted very delicious.

Crocodile Sightings at Salt River

It’s important to note that Salt River is home to the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Jamaica’s most feared native reptile. There are signs everywhere in Salt River reminding the public of this. Crocodile sightings have happened at this mineral bath before, the most recent of which (up to the time of publishing) occurred in April 2023 and went viral on social media. It is illegal to capture, harm or kill crocodiles in Jamaica. Yes, Jamaican crocs are protected by law since 1971 to aid in their conservation efforts since crocodiles are an endangered species worldwide. Crocodiles are one of the oldest living creatures in the world and scientists believe that they have changed very little in body shape since the time of the dinosaurs about 160 million years ago.

Contrary to popular belief, Jamaican crocodiles are shy animals that are active at nights and prefer to be left alone. They will only attack once threatened and the females are more aggressive during breeding + nesting season (March to August). NEPA is responsible for managing the crocodile population in Jamaica and will remove and relocate nuisance crocs, as they did for that Salt River crocodile sighting in April 2023. Thus, if you’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to see a crocodile in Salt River, contact NEPA right away. I’m glad I didn’t see one but I’m not as scared of them anymore since touring the Black River Safari twice.

Wrap Up

The only negative for me of this trip was the litter, a problem which plagues most of Jamaica’s outdoor attractions. Here, rubbish like plastic bottles and snack wrappers could be seen trapped between the mangrove roots which is such a shame. Other than that, I quite enjoyed Salt River and it’s a spot I would revisit. I hope to see further enhancement done to this attraction over the years without compromising on its authenticity and free status. Some gems deserve to be left free for public enjoyment. Most Jamaicans cannot afford to regularly visit Dunn’s River and those other commercialized gems, even with a subsidized rate for locals. I believe in community tourism because locals matter. Tourism dollars should benefit Jamaicans too. Share your thoughts with me below.

If you liked this post, you would also enjoy:

• Bath Mineral Spring in St. Thomas
• Rockfort Mineral Bath in Kingston
• St. Toolies River on the border of Clarendon & Manchester

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