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Black River

The A2 continues to the southeast until you come to the waterfront settlement at Black River, the main town of St. Elizabeth Parish. There are more attractions to be visited from here than anywhere else along the South Coast. Allow two days for exploring the entire region if you have the time, including, if you so care, a day trip to Mandeville.

Exploring the Area

Reached along A2 directly south of Whitehouse, going via South Sea Park is Scott's Cove, a deep inlet that forms the frontier between the parishes of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth. Here you'll find several fish and bammy stalls with vendors hawking their wares; bammy, for the uninitiated, is a fried cassava pancake.

Immediately to the southeast stands the 3,150-acre Font Hill Wildlife Sanctuary , strung along 2 miles (3km) of seafront. Birders from all over the world flock here to see herons, egrets, and much rarer species such as blue-winged teals. Listen for the sound of the whistling duck. This is also a habitat for the ground dove, the smallest bird of that species. Give wide berth to the dozens of crocodiles that still inhabit the district.

You can follow a dirt trail here down to Font Hill Beach, a small strip of white sands set against a backdrop of sea grapes. The swimming is good here, as the waters are clear, which invites snorkelers to the offshore reefs. This is one of the ideal places for a picnic with supplies you picked up at Scott's Cove.

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by Lakeisha from Canada

Jamaica is one of the best places in the world to just kick back and have a lot of fun!

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