A Jamaican Blue Mountain Bike Tour

Crest at the Backbone of Jamaica and Coast to a Mountain Waterfall

Jun 16, 2008 James Barnett

Many excursion companies contract with all-inclusive resorts along Jamaica's north coast and take adventurers by van up to Stony Hill before descending by mountain bike.

Jamaica’s Blue Mountains by Bicycle

Perched upon a mountain bike along the Grand Ridge of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, one can barely make out the coastal city of Kingston through the morning fog. The ride begins down the north side of the range, flanked by two guides who help novice riders control speed, negotiate curves, and adjust for traffic. The road is very narrow and curvy and bicycle speed is maintained so that the full effect of the experience can be realized. The Blue Mountains are similar to yet more jungle-like than the Blue Ridge of the eastern U.S. Shades of green may range from pastel to deep dark hues. Some of the northern ridges are cultivated by the Maroons with fields of coffee and sugar cane. Maroon is a named derived from early African slaves who refused to be dominated and retreated into the mountains to maintain their freedom. Cyclists will inevitably meet and greet the mountain people as they drop elevation towards the Caribbean. Sunday’s are usually spent as a day of worship. Young children are seen walking to service in bright colored dress and jet black shoes carrying a well worn bible. On occasion, guides will stop the entourage at a storage facility and allow the riders to chew the sweetness out of fresh sugar cane and sample some of the most famous coffee in the world. Waterfalls appear at will around curves before disappearing into massive groves of bamboo. Lunch is served at an open air picnic area as one recuperates by watching cloud shadows make the green pastels fluid. A turn-off at ride’s end takes the cyclists up to a natural bathing pool fed in part by a massive waterfall with over a ten foot drop. The tour guides allow their guests approximately an hour to play in the pool, to wash the road dust off and refresh the sore muscles. For dollar bills local children will perch at the crest of the falls and cannonball into the pool.

Getting to the Blue Mountains

Most tourist flights into Jamaica land at the international airport at Montego Bay. Resort buses chauffeur visitors to their reserved hotels respectively. While the Blue Mountains stretch the length of the interior, the higher range is in the eastern part of the country, and so therefore the excursion companies who take visitors up the mountains by bike are usually contracted with the resorts in the area of Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios. Once air travel and resort reservations have been made, call the activities director on the concierge of the resort of choice and they’ll schedule a mountain bike trip. Prices vary from departure location and by the vendor providing the service. Prices include bussed or van transportation with driver and a second vehicle transporting guides, mountain bikes, and safety equipment. From Runaway Bay, the coastal highway travels eastward through Ocho Rios and over to Buff Bay. Highway B1 travels inland toward Stony Hill where the ride starts.

Accommodations

The more popular and economical way to stay in Jamaica is by all-inclusive resorts. Resorts are like cruise ships on land with restaurants and buffets liberally scheduled throughout the day. SuperClubs have Breezes (for couples) and Hedonism III (for singles) in the Runaway Bay area. Sandals Resorts have a property at Dunn’s River and at Ocho Rios. These resorts greet their guests at Montego Bay International and return them at departure time. No driving is necessary. In fact it is highly discouraged to rent cars and navigate the Jamaican highways alone. The country follows British traffic laws and the highways are narrow and without shoulders. Also, since no sidewalks accompany the roadway, drivers share the winding road with pedestrians and their livestock. The speed limit is usually excelled by local drivers who have been driving these roads daily and are more capable of negotiating distractions.

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