Treasure Beach, Jamaica

Treasure Beach is on Jamaica's South Coast in the parish of St. Elizabeth. It is a known region for fishing and farming that supplies much of the island, even though it offers dry, arid conditions. There are no palm trees in this part of the island; instead, there are cacti, acacia, private coves, sandy beaches filled with tan and black sand, and rocky shorelines perfect for long walks (be sure to bring appropriate beach shoes).

Treasure Beach is a perfect destination for people looking for a quiet, peaceful community with plenty of friendly people always willing to 'reason' (chat). It is quaint and simply beautiful for those that aren't looking for the hustle and bustle -- it is the destination for decompression, slowing down, and enjoying some "pelican tv."

Treasure Beach is known for its true off-the-beaten-path destination for non-traditional travelers. The community is welcoming, kind, and proud of its country. They are happy to share stories and invite you into their slice of paradise.

Here is a list of excursions we enjoy that are 30-minutes to 1.5-hours away.

YS Falls
Located in the beautiful countryside on Jamaica's undeveloped south coast, about 45 min from Treasure Beach. Seven beautiful tiered waterfalls surrounded by lush vegetation. Cool, crips pools perfect for swimming, rope swing, and zip line for added excitement.

South Coast Boat Tours
Each property you stay at has a boatman they like to use. Each has fiberglass/wood boats that offer custom tours, such as Pelican Bar, Black River Safari, Sunny Island, and Little Ochie. Each captain and boat is licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. There is also a trained lifeguard on board, and each boat contains life vests and cushions.

Appleton Estate Rum Tour
Appleton Estate Rum Tour gives visitors an inside look at the rum-making process. Visitors watch resident donkey "Pax" demonstrate how juice was extracted from sugar cane in the 18th century.

Lovers Leap
Located east of Treasure Beach, Lover's Leap is a sheer 1,700-foot cliff overhanging the sea. It was here that two slave lovers leaped to their deaths rather than separated.

Milk River Mineral Bath
The highest radioactive mineral bath in the world (50 times more so than Vichy, France, and three times those of Karlsbad in the Czech Republic), Milk River Baths claims to provide temporary relief from the pain of arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, gout, sciatic nerve, lumbago, and nervous conditions.

Golfing in Mandeville
Established in the 1860s, the Manchester Golf Club offers a tightly laid out, yet still challenging, nine-hole, 5776-yard course with 18 tees.

Spur Tree
Spur Tree, a mountainous region lying between the parishes of Manchester and St Elizabeth, seems to have been named in honor of the gigantic cotton trees that used to grow in the area, throwing out huge buttresses or spurs, hence 'Spur tree'. The hill rises at a breathtaking 304m per half-mile as it crosses the Don Figueroa Mountains that dominate the topography of the two parishes.

Maroon Town
The Maroon Town area includes several notable caves; details of Jamaican Cave Organisation visits are found in the field notes. Caves in Maroon Town: Young Gully Cave, a stream passage with a good deal of breakdown. Jackson Young's Cave in Schaw Castle, a stream passage with rudist fossils. Rudist Rock Cave in Vaughansfield also has a good deal of rudists. Also in Vaughansfield is Vaughansfield Cave, a stream passage whose end has yet to be discovered. In Maldon, the Peterkin-Rota system, where a single stream links Peterkin Cave, Rota Cave and Rota Sink.

Birding at Bluefields
From the mountains to the sea, Jamaica is exceptionally fortunate that the Bluefields has a tremendous number of species of birds. Of the 28 Jamaican endemic species, 22, plus a further 13 endemic sub-species in the local area, have been observed. Contact Wolde. He is an excellent source for birding and butterfly tours. www.jamaicabirding.com