Westmoreland Parish: Coast, Nature and Culture

Westmoreland Parish lies on Jamaica’s western tip and offers a variety of travel experiences: the Bluefields coast, Roaring River Heritage and Nature Park, and historic landmarks. Westmoreland and its capital, Savanna-la-Mar, are also associated with beaches and sunsets. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether coastal experiences, natural history or cultural discoveries should be the focus of your trip.

Coastal Scenery and Natural Heritage

Bluefields has a sheltered bay with a small, pleasant white-sand beach. Bluefields Beach consists mostly of fine-grained white sand and is moderately eroded. Both the sheltered bay and the nature of the beach therefore help shape the area’s coastal character.

Roaring River Park is a heritage and nature park on the Shrewsbury Estate near Negril in Westmoreland. The Roaring River Estate was formerly a slave plantation and is named after the river’s gurgling waters. The park’s main attraction is the underground Roaring River Cave, with a mineral spring described as a place where visitors can swim.

Traces of Westmoreland’s History

Bluefields also has a tangible link to natural history: English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse spent eighteen months there in 1844, collecting specimens of the local flora and fauna. This connection between place and nature observation adds a historical perspective to the coastal scenery.

Negril Point Lighthouse has a white concrete tower that rises 66 feet above the ground; its light is 100 feet above sea level. In Savanna-La-Mar, near the Courthouse, stands a Corinthian-fluted cast-iron fountain. At Ackendown Castle Ruin, stone remains of an eastern and a western tower can be found. A presumed underground passage is said to have connected the two. Together, these places give travellers distinctive historic landmarks alongside coastal and natural attractions.

Experiences and Choosing Your Holiday Apartment

River tubing, tours of a pineapple farm and ATV rides are available in Westmoreland. There are also opportunities to learn about Rastafari culture. The regional leisure offering thus ranges from nature experiences and outdoor activities to cultural discoveries.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to weigh up the kinds of excursions you’d like to take: should the coast be the main focus, are you especially interested in natural and cultural history, or would you like to plan a range of activities? This can help you choose a base that suits the kind of holiday you have in mind.

Jamaica: Culture, Nature and Food

Jamaica offers a rich cultural context beyond Westmoreland, too. Reggae is a central part of Jamaican culture. Ackee and saltfish is the country’s national dish and a popular local breakfast. Depending on the season, it may be served with fried dumplings, callaloo, green bananas, avocado and plantains, among other things.

The Blue and John Crow Mountains provided refuge for Maroons, formerly enslaved people. The area preserves tangible cultural heritage connected with Maroon history, including the Nanny Town Heritage Route, and is among the world’s most irreplaceable protected areas for amphibians, birds and mammals. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown exclusively at elevations between 3,000 and 5,500 feet in the cloud forest of the Blue and John Crow Mountain range.

YS Falls is another nature experience in Jamaica: the waterfall has seven cascade tiers. Activities at the attraction include ziplining 40 feet above the waterfalls, tubing on the river, rope swings into clear pools, and swimming in a large pool fed by a natural spring. Check current operating conditions before making specific plans. The annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival celebrates coffee and offers visitors coffee products to sample.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Negril, Darliston, Savanna-La-Mar, Bluefields, Grange Hill, Little Bay, White House, Saint Ann Parish

Back to the main travel overview: Jamaica.