South Coast Attractions

>Related pages: South Coast introduction, South Coast inns

Appleton Estate
Admission: fee
Sugar cane is a major agricultural product in this region and for nearly two and a half centuries Appleton Estate has produced one of the island's top exports. Take a tour of the rum distillery Monday through Saturday; visitors receive a complimentary bottle at the end of the tour.

Bamboo Avenue
On A2 between Lacovia and Middle Quarters
Hours: anytime
Admission: free
Beyond Mandeville's borders, the road west winds along one of Jamaica's most scenic stretches. Bamboo Avenue winds for over two miles, a green tunnel of tall bamboo that arches over the roadway. Along the road's edge, vendors sell chilled young coconuts (jelly coconuts), cracking them with a quick machete chop to reveal the jelly inside.

Black River Safari Cruise
Black River
876/965-2513
Hours: daily
Admission: fee
Popular for South Coast visitors or as a day trip from Negril, this tour takes travelers up the Black River, at 44 miles the longest river in Jamaica. The waters here are home to snook and tarpon, some reaching as large as 200 pounds. You may see spear fishermen with a snorkel, mask and speargun, swimming in the dark water stained by peat deposits. The biggest attraction on the Black River are the crocodiles. Once hunted, these crocodiles are now protected but still remain wary. These reptiles can live as long as 100 years, so long that some have become known by local residents.

Lovers Leap
876/965-6634
Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 to 6, Friday through Sunday 9 to 7
Admission: fee
The sheer 1,700-foot cliff drops straight into the sea and provides a romantic vista. Legend has it that at this site a pair of lovers, escaped slaves, leapt to their deaths rather than face capture. Today the spot offers a beautiful view of the coastline and is a favorite stop with travelers in this region. Here you can have a drink at the Toby Bar (try the "lovers' punch") or dine at the Chardley Restaurant. Tours of local cacti are available, also a miniature farm demonstrates the dry farming technique used in this area.

Y.S. Falls
876/997-6055
Hours: daily
Admission: fee
Negril vacationers looking to get away from the sunloving crowds for a while can take a day trip to Y.S. Falls, down along the South Coast. These spectacular waterfalls cascade in steps through tropical forest. As spectacular (and far less crowded) as Dunn's River Falls, Y.S. is a Jamaican attraction that has remained untouched by hassling vendors and long lines. At the top, swimmers enjoy clear waters under a canopy of fern.