Adventures from Elle

Once nicknamed “The Forgotten Parish,” the parish of St. Thomas in eastern Jamaica is home to dozens of hidden gems which have become more accessible since the near-completion of the Paul Bogle Highway. This 17.4km stretch of roadway has reduced travel time between Kingston and St. Thomas by over 30 minutes! As such, I’ve been visiting the parish more often and have finally checked off another St. Thomas river from my local bucket list. The Plantain Garden River in St. Thomas is the only major river in Jamaica which flows in an easternly direction towards the sea. The Plantain Garden River flows through several communities such as the rural district of Sunning Hill, and in recent times, a stretch of it has been nicknamed Unruly River thanks to frequent visits by Jamaican dancehall recording artiste Popcaan, also known as Unruly Boss. So, with that said, here’s how to find Unruly River and how this adventure went.

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How to Find Unruly River

Unruly River is located in the rural district of Sunning Hill, St. Thomas, 23km from the parish capital of Morant Bay. The road is in great condition for most of the journey– you’ll encounter a few potholes after leaving Port Morant, and the roads get narrow and winding as do all mountain roads in Jamaica, but nothing to write home about. After Port Morant, you’ll pass through Airy Castle then there’s a well signed fork. The right takes you to the community of Bath with its popular mineral spring and botanical garden, while the left takes you to Sunning Hill. Drive through the small community, across a narrow bridge (pictured above) then park next to a small farm located beside the river. Thankfully, we had no trouble at all finding the river– the Google Maps marker is accurate! Also, no hike is involved and visiting is free– which also means no changing rooms, restrooms or other amenities.

Enjoying Unruly River

The river was fantastic– cold, refreshing, swift-flowing and mostly shallow. Current in the deep parts is swift, so be careful! My friends and I had the river to ourselves for a long time but were eventually joined by a small family. But, the river is huge– enough space for everyone, no one got in anyone’s way. We joked to each other that we had to enjoy the river while we can, lest Popcaan and his entourage show up and banish us from the best part of the river. We had seen a viral video of that happening a few years ago, which had discouraged me from visiting Unruly River. We didn’t have that experience though, thankfully. There was some trash at the river, but minimal. Popcaan also went viral for hosting a river cleanup and berating guests who littered this beautiful natural attraction. So, thankfully, Unruly Boss also went viral at this river for good reason!

Despite my mixed feelings about dancehall music and Popcaan, I do admire his humility. He acknowledges his humble beginnings and indigenous Maroon ancestry everywhere he goes, leading to his achievement of a traditional Ghanian honour in February 2026. Popcaan now bears the distinct title of Nanna Arkoh Kese, subchief of the Asebu Kingdom. Ghana has long been a pioneer for the unification of Africa and its diaspora, so this honour comes as no surprise. Popcaan has visited Ghana many times, including during Ghana’s 2019 “Year of the Return” initiative, which encouraged the African diaspora to visit Ghana. During that trip, Popcaan laid a wreath at the Cape Coast Castle in honour of our ancestors who were housed there before the Middle Passage voyage, the most abhorrent period of human history, where millions of West Africans were forcibly taken to the Americas to work as slaves for over three centuries. My yearning to visit West Africa grows stronger each year. I can’t wait to afford the trip someday.

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed learning more about this corner of Jamaica today. Have you ever visited Unruly River, or would you like to visit? Sound off in the comments section below. ‘Til next time.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

• Reggae Falls, St. Thomas
• Heineken River, St. Thomas
• Cunha Cunha Pass, St. Thomas
• Bath Mineral Spring, St. Thomas

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