South Coast Attractions

Black River

This town in St Elizabeth parish still displays relics of the days when it was one of the most influential in Jamaica, being a major producer of black textile dye before the days of synthetic dyes. Still to be seen along the waterfront are some old wooden buildings with colonnaded verandas and gingerbread trim, and the Invercauld Hotel, built in 1889, gives a hint of what the great houses of the town in its heyday were like. Today tourists stop off here mainly to take a boat safari on the Black River itself, which at 44 miles (71km) is Jamaica’s longest river. Peat moss at the river bottom makes the crystal clear water appear black. The 90-minute boat tours take in the 125-square-mile (324 sq km) area of wetland known as the Great Morass, which is home to crocodiles and diverse birdlife. There are five tours a day leaving from the dock beside the Black River bridge.