OFF THE BEATEN PATH - Free your spirits, rest your mind

A retreat to the home of Blue Mountain coffee and endless nature

Published December 23, 2009, Hospitality Jamaica

Sun, sand, sea…the proverbial Jamaica…but there is an element that rises above it; the panoramic Blue Mountain Range, with a misty coolness unparalleled and the home of the world famous coffee.

Looking to break free from the traffic jams, sweat and the endless pressures of life; bliss is just 45 minutes away from Kingston. The changes are evident as one drives up, from the grey to the green, the air from the exhaust fume filled road to smell of foliage and nature.

Welcome to Jamaica’s higher plane!



Nestled in a coffee plantation in the foothills of Blue Mountain Range, Forres Park Resort and Spa is a getaway which offers a rejuvenating experience. Surrounded by scenic mountains, the resort offers a panoramic view of the misty mountains, lifting one’s mind and soul.

Choose from suites, standard rooms or cabins, the resort offer a variety of options for accommodation. The rooms come with their balconies, which give the visitor their piece of nature outside their windows.


Lose yourself
Forres Park offers numerous activities: tour breathtaking waterfalls, watch rare birds, or experience the sunrise from the Blue Mountain.

Waterfalls
Take a four wheel drive mountain transport to Abbey Green Coffee Plantation, the highest point at which coffee is grown in the island. There, you will pass waterfalls, make sure to look out for rare bird species found only at the 5,000 plus feet altitude.



Flamstead
Drive or take a tour to Flamstead lookout, where you will find the ruins of Lord Nelson's house, while having access to view at least six parishes.

Cinchona Gardens
Experience one of the most spectacularly situated botanical gardens in the world - Cinchona. A climb to the gardens, takes one into the clouds and through amazing vistas and changing flora. At Cinchona, take a breath and a look through the mist to the view of the Yallahs and Clyde valleys below, before continuing the Blue Mountain range to the North.




Abbey Green
Take a hike to 5,000 feet and see firsthand, the home of finest Blue Mountain coffee at Abbey Green.

The Coffee Farm
Visit the Coffee factory to see how the berries are transformed into an aromatic brew, see how the country folk process the famous coffee at home and share a cup with them!

Tower Hill Lookout
A visit to Tower Hill Lookout is an hour’s walk from Forres Park above the coffee factory which takes you to a vantage point, where you can see the country villages you just left, and others stretched out in the valleys below you.

Jazz time
Forres Park has been a part of the Annual Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival since 2006. Each year, between June 1 to 13 Jazz and Coffee in the Mountains is hosted there. It is an enriching experience of pristine nature, good music and piping hot coffee.


Cuisine
After a long day’s hike, enjoy freshly picked produce made into mouth watering delicacies at the dining area, which is on an outdoor deck, overlooking the swaying bamboos, banana trees and the many coffee plants bursting with beans.



In all, a visit to this resort is an experience that raises the spirits, touches the soul and gives a perspective of Jamaica, which is not known to many but ready to be soaked in.

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com