Family fun: Jamaica's south coast

Both my parents were born and spent their formative years in Jamaica, and it's been important for my husband and I to be able to show our kids where their maternal heritage (or at least the most recent bit of it) comes from. I now have family based in St Elizabeth, a sun-bathed parish in the south east of the island. If you're interested in history like me, there are a number of fascinating stories to explore. It's a much quieter, less developed region than the much more touristic north coast, so expect a much slower pace of life with fewer distractions than well-known resort areas like Ocho Rios, Negril, Montego Bay and obviously the capital, Kingston. That said, there's been enough growing attraction to St Elizabeth over the past decade that the odd celebrity sighting isn't out of the question.

Like so much of the island, many of St Elizabeth's location names still showcase its slave trading and settler colonialist history. The parish was named for the wife of Sir Thomas Modyford, an English slaveholder who forcibly imported and exploited hundreds of enslaved Africans and indentured English convicts to build his considerable wealth, first in Barbados, then as Governor of Jamaica, a few years after England's colonisation of the island after successfully driving off the previous Spanish colonisers. St Elizabeth's hilly northern terrain is home to Accompong, official home of the Maroons of Accompong, descended from the indigenous Taino people and runaways from the enslaved African plantations. St Elizabeth's various historical industries have made it a real melting pot of ethnicities - West African, Maroon, Dutch, German, British, Spanish, you name it, you'll find it there.

My husband and I travelled a little around Jamaica before having kids (including discovering our top spot in Portland, St Antonio), but St Elizabeth and the surrounding area is where we've based our family trips - since we've developed a few highlights, it seems selfish to keep them all to ourselves!

1. The Appleton Estate

Ok, so maybe this one is we sneaked onto the list before we had kids, but I'm sure that it'd still be worth a visit even if you have to bring young humans with you. Kids are welcome, though under 18s are obviously not allowed to join in the tasting. You might have noticed from my menu that I like rum. A LOT. I use the boozy nectar made by the Appleton Estate - their Kingston 62 rum is part of what makes my Jamaican Rum and Great Taste Award-winning Drunken Carrot cakes so delicious. The estate is owned by Wray + Nephew, so you'll find that visiting the Appleton Estate for a Joy Spence Appleton Estate Experience tour means you not only learn about the elaborate rum-making process, but you also get a guided tasting of three rums and the opportunity to buy the whole range. The parent company was bought out by Italian drinks giant Campari in 2012 - there's been a lot of change (and we heard some not so great anecdotes from local people about how long term employees were treated and managed out) but do go check it out for yourself.

2. Treasure Beach + Jack Sprat

If you're looking for a base of operations for your Jamaica trip, Treasure Beach is a great choice. Off the beaten path but easily accessible by car/taxi, there are a bunch of different beaches and independent, local owned restaurants for you to enjoy. One such place is the rather pricey but lovely Jake Sprat, and its neighbouring sister and hotel, Jake's. This is also where the annual Calabash Literature Festival is held (I'll get there one of these days). It's a beautiful thing to be able to find a reliably good place to fill your belly, and we have yet to have a disappointing meal at Jack Sprat. It's not cheap, but a fresh menu of grilled local fish and seafood, jerk chicken, pizza, good cocktails and an ice cream counter means you'll find something for the whole family. And Andrew is a massive fan of the jerk crab, so make sure you try that if it's your thing.

3. YS Falls

YS Falls in all their glory (credit: YS Falls website)

This place is just straight up GORGEOUS. With seven tiers of stunning waterfalls, a duo of large natural swimming pools, a beautiful set of a pools, a grill service and a heart-racing canopy zip line set for older kids and thrill seeker adults, there's something for all kinds of water lovers at YS Falls. We all loved flying through the air on the zip lines, run by the friendly professionals at Chukka - even the heights-averse members of our party felt safe and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are a GoPro type or if you have a waterproof phone case with a strap, the team are happy for you to film yourself hurtling through the tree canopy.

If you're looking for an incredible tourist experience without the hordes at Dunn's River Falls, I think it's truly perfect. I didn't take that many pictures when we went as I was so worried about getting my phone wet, but the waterfall guides are happy to get some lovely shots for you. I can definitely recommend spending a whole day out at YS. Tip - take your sunscreen and your insect repellent, and keep re-applying those suckers. You're gonna need 'em!

4. Black River

Greenery, history and alligators - the perfect mix of chill with a soupçon of danger, St Elizabeth's capital has a lot going for it. Named for the mouth of one of Jamaica's longest rivers, Black River started life as a European settlement sometime in the 1600s and went on to become an economic powerhouse port, handling plantation-produced exports and imported enslaved Africans. It's also where the infamous Zong slave ship finally docked in 1781 after the crew threw 132 of its enslaved "cargo" overboard, in the first recorded case of insurance fraud through the murder of stolen African people.

Now, Black River is home to plethora of wildlife, none more famous than the Jamaican alligator. Our kids really enjoyed spotting alligators in the water, then visiting the baby gators and their turtle companions. You can take in a Black River safari from a broad range of tour operators, often in combination with both YS Falls and the Appleton Estate as jewels of the south coast. Don't skip the main town either - there are plenty of family-run shops and restaurants to visit during your time in the area.

Black River Safari adventures

If you've never been to Jamaica, there's no better time to go. Like much of the Caribbean, the island relies heavily on tourism to keep its economy going, accounting for about 36% of the economy and about a third of the country's jobs. Destruction by recent tropical weather events like Hurricane Beryl really hit it hard, just as people had begun to recover from the COVID travel restrictions. Even if you stay on a resort, I'd urge you to get out and visit local businesses, seek out Jamaican-owned restaurants and other establishments that employ Jamaicans whenever you can during your stay.

And let me know what you eat...more guidance on some staples in this post, if you need it!