Heineken River: A St. Thomas Hidden Gem

Once nicknamed the “Forgotten Parish”, St. Thomas has been receiving more attention these days for its rivers, new housing schemes, Paul Bogle Highway and the recently opened Morant Bay Urban Centre. Heineken River, also known as Heineken Hole, is a delightful swimming spot tucked away in the hills of Ramble, St. Thomas, and deserves the attention it has been receiving recently. I assume this river was named Heineken because of the river bed’s green colour which is similar to that of a Heineken beer bottle, but I could be wrong. Here’s how I stumbled upon Heineken River earlier this month, plus everything you need to know to plan a visit.

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Where is Heineken River?

Heineken River is located in River Head, a small district in Ramble, St. Thomas parish. When my friends and I set out from Kingston for St. Thomas, we actually had our eye set on visiting the Richmond Vale Falls as chasing waterfalls is our favourite activity. However, when we entered the community of Ramble and asked passersby to confirm we were on the correct route, they informed us that the waterfall has dried up since it’s dry season. This made sense as we noticed how dry the terrain looked, especially since we were on the leeward rain shadow side of the Blue Mountains. They suggested that we retrace our steps to get to Heineken River instead, and we heeded that advice.

As such, getting to Heineken River involves a left turn immediately after passing the main bus stop in Ramble. Next, we crossed a low bridge with no railings that resembles Jamaica’s infamous Flat Bridge at the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine. Following that, we took a left turn behind a shop then parked near to a small dam and reservoir. The roads were fairly good, but be mindful of a few sharp corners and potholes after exiting the Paul Bogle Highway.

The rest of the journey was a 5-minute walk through a narrow trail made by previous river goers. Unfortunately, there was a lot of litter on the river’s banking so tread with caution. Visiting Heineken River is free (for now), which also equals no changing rooms, restrooms or secured parking, so come prepared by wearing your swim clothes and with as few valuables as possible. We encountered no mosquitoes, but you may have to dodge cow poop here and there on the trail. After all, this is real country!

Enjoying Heineken River

At first, we were worried when we saw the algae on the river bed, thinking that the river may not be fit to enter. However, the river was flowing more swiftly upstream and with minimal algae which beckoned us inside. We heeded the river’s call and enjoyed a cold invigorating swim in crystal clear water. The river was cold enough to keep our drinks cool, so we shared a toast to Jamaica’s 63rd birthday with a glass of white wine in the middle of the river. One usually toasts with white rum to honour our enslaved ancestors who toiled long and hard for 300 years on the sugarcane fields, but we used what we had. It goes without saying, but we took all our trash home.

Despite visiting this river on Independence Day, it was thankfully empty. We couldn’t have asked for a better day at the river. We were eventually joined by 3 people, but the space was large enough for everyone to enjoy. The most popular photo spot was the large boulder which someone had the audacity to spray paint “Heineken”. Maybe one day Heineken will sponsor them!

Wrap Up

I’m very happy to see St. Thomas receiving some much-needed attention these days, and all the residents we met seemed happy about it too! I thoroughly enjoyed Heineken River, and it set the bar high for what became a road trip to a total of four hidden gems. This St. Thomas road trip was long overdue as I postponed it several times waiting on the highway to be completed. It’s not quite done yet, but the road looks much better than it did in 2020 when I drove that route to Reach Falls. Have you visited Heineken River before, or would you add it to the list? Sound off in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Reggae Falls, St. Thomas
• Bath Mineral Spring, St. Thomas
• Bath Botanical Garden, St. Thomas
• Cunha Cunha Pass, St. Thomas

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