Both my parents were born and spent their formative years in Jamaica, and it's been important for my husband and I to be able to show our kids where their maternal heritage (or at least the most recent bit of it) comes from. I now have family based in St Elizabeth, a sun-bathed parish in the south east of the island. If you're interested in history like me, there are a number of fascinating stories to explore. It's a much quieter, less developed region than the much more touristic north coast, so expect a much slower pace of life with fewer distractions than well-known resort areas like Ocho Rios, Negril, Montego Bay and obviously the capital, Kingston. That said, there's been enough growing attraction to St Elizabeth over the past decade that the odd celebrity sighting isn't out of the question.
Like so much of the island, many of St Elizabeth's location names still showcase its slave trading and settler colonialist history. The parish was named for the wife of Sir Thomas Modyford, an English slaveholder who forcibly imported and exploited hundreds of enslaved Africans and indentured English convicts to build his considerable wealth, first in Barbados, then as Governor of Jamaica, a few years after England's colonisation of the island after successfully driving off the previous Spanish colonisers. St Elizabeth's hilly northern terrain is home to Accompong, official home of the Maroons of Accompong, descended from the indigenous Taino people and runaways from the enslaved African plantations. St Elizabeth's various historical industries have made it a real melting pot of ethnicities - West African, Maroon, Dutch, German, British, Spanish, you name it, you'll find it there.
Andrew and I travelled a little around Jamaica before having kids (including our top spot in Portland, St Antonio), but St Elizabeth and the surrounding area is where we've based our family trips - and since we've developed a few highlights, it seems selfish to keep them all to ourselves!
1. The Appleton Estate
Ok, so maybe this one is we sneaked onto the list before we had kids, but I'm sure that it'd still be worth a visit even if you have to bring young humans with you. Kids are welcome, though under 18s are obviously not allowed to join in the tasting. You might have noticed from my menu that I like rum. A LOT. I use the boozy nectar made by the Appleton Estate - their Kingston 62 rum is part of what makes my Jamaican Rum and Great Taste Award-winning Drunken Carrot cakes so delicious. The estate is owned by Wray + Nephew, so you'll find that visiting the Appleton Estate for a Joy Spence Appleton Estate Experience tour means you not only learn about the elaborate rum-making process, but you also get a guided tasting of three rums and the opportunity to buy the whole range.
2. Treasure Beach + Jack Sprat
If you're looking for a base of operations for your Jamaica trip, Treasure Beach is a great choice. Off the beaten path but easily accessible by car/taxi, there are a bunch of different beaches and independent, local owned restaurants for you to enjoy. One such place is the rather pricey but lovely Jake Sprat, and its more upscale sister and hotel, Jake's. This is also where the annual Calabash Literature Festival is held (I'll get there one of these days). It's a beautiful thing to be able to find a reliably good place to fill your belly, and we have yet to have a disappointing meal at Jack Sprat. It's not cheap, but a fresh menu of grilled fish and seafood, jerk chicken, good cocktails and an ice cream counter means you'll find something for the whole family. And Andrew is a massive fan of the jerk crab, so make sure you try that if it's your thing.
3. YS Falls
This place is just straight up GORGEOUS. With seven tiers of stunning waterfalls, a duo of large natural swimming pools, a decent looking grill service and a heart-racing canopy zip line for older kids and thrill seeker adults, there's something for all kinds of water lovers at YS Falls. And if you're looking for an incredible tourist experience without the hordes at Dunn's River Falls, I think it's truly perfect. I somehow didn't take a single picture when we went, but I can definitely recommend spending a whole day of out at YS.
4. Black River
Greenery, history and alligators - the perfect mix of chill with a soupçon of danger, St Elizabeth's capital has a lot going for it. Named for the mouth of one of Jamaica's longest rivers, Black River started life as a European settlement sometime in the 1600s and went on to become an economic powerhouse port, handling plantation-produced exports and imported enslaved Africans. It's also where the infamous Zong slave ship finally docked in 1781 after the crew threw 132 of its enslaved cargo overboard in the first recorded case of insurance fraud through murder of Africans.
Now, Black River is home to plethora of wildlife, none more famous than the Jamaican alligator. You can take in a Black River safari from a broad range of tour operators, often in combination with both YS Falls and the Appleton Estate as jewels of the south coast.
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