Cockpit Country tours – Adventures from Elle

The Cockpit Country is Jamaica’s last true wilderness. With its dramatic limestone hills, thick impenetrable rainforests, numerous caves, sinkholes and vibrant Maroon villages, the Cockpit Country offers a rich mix of nature, history and culture. It’s also Jamaica’s largest mountain range at three times the size of the Blue & John Crow Mountains, measuring 780km² and spanning five parishes. That being said, the Cockpit Country receives significantly fewer visitors because its karst landscape, high humidity, dense vegetation and limited surface groundwater make it an inhospitable and unforgiving destination. However, those who make the trek are in for a treat as the Cockpit Country is very beautiful and home to a large portion of Jamaica’s biodiversity. For travelers seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure, here are seven unforgettable things to do in the Cockpit Country.

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When most people think of Jamaica, they picture white sand beaches but 50% of the island is rugged and mountainous. Jamaica’s largest mountain range is the Cockpit Country which is three times the size of the Blue & John Crow Mountains, spanning 780km² and five parishes. Cockpit Country got its name from its unusual karst landscape, where steep-sided limestone hills and deep valleys create a terrain that looks like the cockpits of old ships, or an upturned egg carton if you will. Before this hike, the closest I’d come to visiting the Cockpit Country was to Accompong, a Maroon village located on its outskirts. Why? The Cockpit Country is one of the most inhospitable places in the world. However, when an invitation came to hike the forgotten Troy to Windsor trail which traverses the Cockpit Country, I accepted. Here’s how this adventure went.

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