St. Ann

“The Garden Parish,” that’s how Jamaicans proudly refer to their parish of St. Ann!

This also was the parish that Christopher Columbus first experienced when he landed in Jamaica and described it as “The land of wood and water.”  What delightful descriptions!  What a beautiful region in which to consider purchasing property, to finance a project or to make your home in the Caribbean. It follows that this island, this parish, must offer excellent opportunities to invest in Real Estate.

Historically, the Arawaks/Tainos had been the initial occupants of Jamaica. Christopher Columbus on his voyage from Spain is said to have “discovered” the island. He landed in this parish of St. Ann, in an area called the Dry Harbour Mountains, afterwards re-named Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay still has an excellent harbor from which bauxite is shipped even now: and it also boasts a beautiful stretch of white sand beach. Part of this beach is made available to the general public while another section stretches along what is termed “Millionaire’s Row” where luxurious and ultra-luxurious villas are available for vacation rental whenever their owners are not in residence.

St. Ann was the home of the first capital of Jamaica. It was located by the Spanish at Seville (near St. Ann’s Bay) before being re-located to Spanish Town in St.Catherine and finally to the present day Kingston. The old Great House at Seville displays interesting artifacts of days gone by and each year on the celebration of our Independence a glorious evening of Jamaica’s culture, music, food and dance is showcased at this venue. Residents and visitors travel from miles away to attend and participate is the revelry that continues till dawn.

St. Ann, once a major producer of bauxite … now downsized, is focusing on creating itself as a destination with a host of appealing attractions for the family on vacation. Whether a family of one, two or several individuals; whether a family from another part of Jamaica or from overseas, there is accommodation available to satisfy all tastes.  This accommodation comes in a variety of forms. Your choice may be hotels – a large all-inclusive or a small boutique property, luxury villas or a simple rustic cabin, apartments or condos – in the hills, on the beach – you name it, we have it in St. Ann.

Statistics show that the attractions offered in St. Ann increase continually and many get rave reviews, not the least of which is the world famous Dunns River Waterfalls, deemed one of the top ten attractions in the world and which locale was used in the filming of “Dr. No,” one of the exciting James Bond movies.  Climbing the Falls is indeed an unforgettable and exhilarating experience.  The intriguing Green Grotto Caves located near Discovery Bay was also a property used in the production of “Live and Let Die” another James Bond thriller. Other well-known and popular attractions near the popular resort town of Ocho Rios in St. Ann include: -

- the Mystic Mountain with their fast paced bobsled ride and skylift

- playing and swimming with the dolphins at the nearby Dolphin Cove

- Chukka Adventure Tours with their wide variety of attractions such as horseback riding in the sea, river tubing; zipline canopy, traversing over rivers and trees and much more.

The parish of St Ann is the birthplace of one of our National Heroes, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a man whose life was aimed at inspiring and unifying black persons and enlightening people of Jamaica regarding opportunities for self-fulfillment. It is also the birthplace of the legendary man of music, Bob Marley. Bob Marley was a singer, musician and song writer. He was a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records.  His song “One Love” was voted the worldwide “Song of the Century” for the twentieth century. His feeling for women was reflected in his composition “No woman, no cry,” and he was awarded the Medal of Peace from the United Nations in 1980. The Government of Jamaica awarded him a signal honour, The Order of Merit before his death. Today, the lives of these individuals have given rise to scenic tours, wherein to reach their birthplace you can travel by coach through the verdant countryside, encounter animals of Jamaica along the way, pass the humble homes of the poor yet proud people of Jamaica, deep into the heart of  “the land of wood and water” off the beaten track.  A wonderful experience because we are indeed, more than just a beach, we are a country!