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The Parish of St. Thomas is one of the oldest parishes in the island. St. Thomas is situated along the south-eastern coast of Jamaica. The parish is in the middle of St. Andrew on the west and Portland on the north-east.
St. Thomas was originally called St. Thomas -in-the-East. In 1867 the parish of St. Thomas was enlarged to include the former parish of St. David. When Columbus arrived on the island the parish was densely populated by Arawaks. Neighbour to Jamaica's capital, Kingston, it will only take a comfortable one-hour drive from Harbour View into Morant Bay, the parish capital.
Along the routes into St. Thomas, history begins at 13 miles where the famous Three
Finger Jack Monument stands. Down the winding slope, into the community of
Yallahs where you can get mouth-watering jerk pork, chicken and fish.
If you are in for entertainment, there's the elevated Boganvilla Night Club. Or perhaps a
dip in warm, clean coastal water of the Caribbean sea at beaches along the coastline,
with tiny shops, restaurants and resting places, may just be ideal.
Roselle Water Falls
And you can take a splash at the Roselle Water Falls. This waterfall pumps
thousands of gallons of water into the sea on a consistent basis; tumbling water off
the rocks, provides a nerve-calming, soothing bath.
Entrance to Bath Botanical Gardens
Travelling further east, the Bath Botanical Garden, the oldest of its kind in the
English-speaking Caribbean, is lush with ancient vegetation. Bath Botanic Gardens is
the second oldest botanical garden in existence in the Western Hemisphere (the oldest
is on the island of St.Vincent). The government established the garden in 1779. At this
garden, many of the plants introduced to Jamaica were first planted, among them Cinnamon,
Mango, Jackfruit, Croton and Bougainvillea. The garden is much smaller today
than when it was first established and bears little trace of its former glory.
The Bath of St. Thomas the Apostle is the official name of the Bath Mineral Spring
(or Bath Fountain). The spring was discovered by a runaway slave in the 1690s.
When he found the warm waters of a pool deep in the forest healed ulcers on his
legs that had plagued him for years, he braved his master's wrath and returned to
tell him about the marvelous discovery.
Statue of Paul Bogle
St. Thomas was home to two of Jamaica's National Heroes, George William Gordon and
Paul Bogle. The Morant Bay Rebellion was led by Paul Bogle. The riots, which were
petitioning for an improvement in the people's conditions, took place in front of the courthouse
on June 11, 1865. A statue of Paul Bogle now stands before the Morant Bay Courthouse,
a lasting testimony to Bogle's fight for freedom.
St. Thomas is a coastal parish and has stretches of white sand beaches littered along
the way. At Rocky Point Beach, for example, the clean water, free of pollution
associated with the more developed lifestyle, is complemented, especially on
Sundays, with delicious, highly-flavoured roast fish.
On your next visit make sure this historical hidden treasure is a part of your itinerary.
St. Thomas was originally called St. Thomas -in-the-East. In 1867 the parish of St. Thomas was enlarged to include the former parish of St. David. When Columbus arrived on the island the parish was densely populated by Arawaks. Neighbour to Jamaica's capital, Kingston, it will only take a comfortable one-hour drive from Harbour View into Morant Bay, the parish capital.
Along the routes into St. Thomas, history begins at 13 miles where the famous Three
Finger Jack Monument stands. Down the winding slope, into the community of
Yallahs where you can get mouth-watering jerk pork, chicken and fish.
If you are in for entertainment, there's the elevated Boganvilla Night Club. Or perhaps a
dip in warm, clean coastal water of the Caribbean sea at beaches along the coastline,
with tiny shops, restaurants and resting places, may just be ideal.
Roselle Water Falls
And you can take a splash at the Roselle Water Falls. This waterfall pumps
thousands of gallons of water into the sea on a consistent basis; tumbling water off
the rocks, provides a nerve-calming, soothing bath.
Entrance to Bath Botanical Gardens
Travelling further east, the Bath Botanical Garden, the oldest of its kind in the
English-speaking Caribbean, is lush with ancient vegetation. Bath Botanic Gardens is
the second oldest botanical garden in existence in the Western Hemisphere (the oldest
is on the island of St.Vincent). The government established the garden in 1779. At this
garden, many of the plants introduced to Jamaica were first planted, among them Cinnamon,
Mango, Jackfruit, Croton and Bougainvillea. The garden is much smaller today
than when it was first established and bears little trace of its former glory.
The Bath of St. Thomas the Apostle is the official name of the Bath Mineral Spring
(or Bath Fountain). The spring was discovered by a runaway slave in the 1690s.
When he found the warm waters of a pool deep in the forest healed ulcers on his
legs that had plagued him for years, he braved his master's wrath and returned to
tell him about the marvelous discovery.
Statue of Paul Bogle
St. Thomas was home to two of Jamaica's National Heroes, George William Gordon and
Paul Bogle. The Morant Bay Rebellion was led by Paul Bogle. The riots, which were
petitioning for an improvement in the people's conditions, took place in front of the courthouse
on June 11, 1865. A statue of Paul Bogle now stands before the Morant Bay Courthouse,
a lasting testimony to Bogle's fight for freedom.
St. Thomas is a coastal parish and has stretches of white sand beaches littered along
the way. At Rocky Point Beach, for example, the clean water, free of pollution
associated with the more developed lifestyle, is complemented, especially on
Sundays, with delicious, highly-flavoured roast fish.
On your next visit make sure this historical hidden treasure is a part of your itinerary.
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