A Visit to the Old Pera Windmill & Beach

Old Pera, a small village in St. Thomas, Jamaica’s easternmost parish, is home to a historic windmill and beach by the same name. Built around 1780, this windmill is a remnant of the sugar estates which once dotted Jamaica. The Pera Estate dates back to 1682 and was originally owned by Sir Thomas Lynch, an English lawyer who had three stints as Governor of Jamaica before his death in 1684. The estate was eventually subdivided into two: New Pera and Old Pera, both of which are sleepy rural villages today. Here’s what’s left of them.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle8 Comments

A Visit to the Stokes Hall Great House in St. Thomas

The Stokes Hall Great House in St. Thomas first piqued my interest three years ago when I researched and visited the Colbeck Castle in Old Harbour, St. Catherine. Both great houses bear some similarity, but Stokes Hall is smaller in size and was built thirty years later. Stokes Hall was constructed in the early 1700s by Luke Stokes, a former Governor of the island of Nevis who came to Jamaica shortly after the British captured the island from the Spanish. Today let’s explore what’s left of the great house.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle9 Comments

Stony Gut: Birthplace of Jamaica’s National Hero

Walking through Stony Gut is like walking on Jamaican holy ground. Stony Gut, a tiny village located in St. Thomas, was the birthplace of the Rt. Excellent Paul Bogle, a Jamaican National Hero who led an uprising in 1865 that revolutionized the quality of life of Black people in Jamaica. There isn’t a lot to see there, but the site holds sentimental value. Here’s the history of Stony Gut and what to expect at this National Heritage Site.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

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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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle10 Comments

Hiking the Cunha Cunha Pass in St. Thomas

Have you ever done a hike which you know will forever be etched in your memory? I first heard about the Cunha Cunha Pass trail in high school history classes, as it’s an important Maroon trail filled with rich history. I’ve had it on my list to visit for years, but my compact car is not built for the treacherous roads which lead to Hayfield, St. Thomas– the start-point of this hike. That being said, the opportunity to visit Cunha Cunha Pass with Trekkers Adventures Jamaica knocked on Emancipation Day last month, and I answered the call! Here’s how it went + everything to know about this Jamaican national monument.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments

Bath Mineral Spring, Saint Thomas

The rural community of Bath in St. Thomas is teeming with history and beauty, home to Jamaica’s oldest botanical garden and a mineral spring by the same name. Legend has it that the bath was discovered in the 1600s by a runaway slave with leg ulcers. He stumbled across the spring, used it to wash his wounded limb then noticed the next day that his leg was rapidly healing. He shared the good news then stories of the fountain spread, soon attracting visitors from islandwide. 

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

Bath Botanical Gardens, Saint Thomas

Established in 1779, the rural community of Bath in Saint Thomas is home to the Caribbean’s oldest botanical garden after the botanical garden in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Two and a half centuries later Bath Botanical Garden may not be as well-kept as it once was but it’s certainly a beautiful national treasure worth visiting. Many foreign plants which we have since made our own were first planted here. These include flowers like the croton, jacaranda and bougainvillea, and foodstuff like cinnamon, ackee, otaheite apples, jackfruit and breadfruit– the delicious Jamaican staple which I couldn’t imagine our cuisine without! Jamaica has four public botanical gardens. Last year I visited Hope Gardens’ newest addition of the Harmonious Enjoyment Garden and also explored Castleton Botanical Gardens, Jamaica’s second oldest botanical garden. Thus, Cinchona Botanical Gardens in the hills of St. Andrew is my only garden left to visit.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle7 Comments

Lyssons Beach, Saint Thomas

Lyssons Beach is one of Jamaica’s better public beaches, a prime jewel in Saint Thomas near its capital Morant Bay. Lyssons Beach features a white strip of coastline which has two sections but the best part is that they’re still both free in 2022! One part of Lyssons Beach is managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), a government arm charged with maintaining Jamaica’s shoreline. The other is owned and operated by the University of the West Indies (UWI) for its students. My experience is based on the UWI portion of Lyssons Beach, but the coastline and views are the same.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Discover the Hidden Gem: Reggae Falls, St. Thomas

Reggae Falls, a.k.a. Dam Head, is a jewel tucked away in the hilly rural community of Hillside, Saint Thomas (what an aptly named district!). This waterfall is not entirely natural as many years ago, the Johnson River which supplies it was being developed to power a hydroelectricity station. The project suffered some damage from a hurricane early in development, leading to its abandonment. However, its aesthetic appeal has not gone unnoticed by residents of the community nor dry land tourists* like myself, who are its main patrons. Its waters are touted to have healing properties due to its sulphur content. It is currently not commercialized and I hope it develops, once its ownership remains in local hands.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle12 Comments