Planning to visit Jamaica? Would you like to travel to a less visited area? Here's some info about one of the island's relatively untouristed small towns. It's extracted from the third edition of Jamaica: A Visitor's Guide by Harry S. Pariser. Copyright 1995, Hunter Publishing. All rights reserved.

One of the nicer small towns to visit, Christiana offers an alternative to relatively busier Mandeville. Farmers surrounding this small marketing center produce potatoes, ginger, and livestock; market days are from Thurs. to Sat. Held each Dec. 24, the Grand Market Night here features an all-night sale of crafts as well as music, dancing, and Jonkanoo celebrations.

SIGHTS: Provided you have your own transport, this temperate town would be an ideal place to visit places as diverse as Maggotty, Milk River, Bob Marley's tomb, and Cockpit Country. However, there's enough to do just in the area that you could easily spend a week exploring and never have a long drive. Some of these things are listed below; you'll find others under "From Black River to Maggotty" and in the previous two sections. Right in town, the police station dates from 1896 and the Moravian church next to it is from 1891. A road from Kirby Hardware in town leads two mi. (3.2 km) to the Blue Hole River with its swimming hole and waterfall.

Gourie: Situated at 846-m (2,750-ft.) elevation about a mi. or so north of Christiana is Gourie Recreation Center (enter near Coleyville Banana Plant). With an average mean temperature of 68Á F, Gourie is an attractive place to stay for relief from the heat. It has two cabins; get your keys from the caretaker). In addition to numerous hiking trails, it contains the Gourie Cave, source of the Black River. From the cabins, it's around a half-mi. down a gully--passing trees such as blue mahoe and Santa Maria--to the as-yet-uncharted cave with its underground river which submerges for around ten mi. (six km) and emerges at Oxford to the W (where you may visit Oxford Cave through the Hotel Villa Bella). There're also trails here. Also in the area is the Martins Hill Orchid Sanctuary.

Christiana Bottom: This gorge is farmed by agriculturists of German ancestry. Some of their ancestors fought for King George III as mercenaries in the successful colonial uprising in the American colonies. In return, they were given land rights here. Others came as indentured laborers. To get to the gorge, head through the town to the National Commerical Bank to your R, make a R turn there, first L then you make a L. Go about two mi. down the road until you see a campsite; park there. You have to make your way through somebody's back garden. They'll show you the way, and you head down the gorge. It's about an 800 ft. drop.
Walderston: Named after Henrich Walder who built its church, Walderston is one of these towns that you've drive through before you realize that you are in. However, it hosts the Magic Toy Factory (tel. 997-6652). Getting here is an adventure in itself; you turn into a road from the center of town and then make a L up a rough road. and keep passing gorgeous foliage for about .5 mi. The factory is set in an old red house. Surrounded by a forested glade, it has gardens which offer splendid views. The attractive grounds are surrounded by orchids and other flowers. Inside, you'll find the workers (including one young boy) hard at work on the jigsaws and painting puzzles, earrings, pins, and wall plaques. Prices are reasonable and start from under $1. Stately Mt. Olivet church is near Walderston in the direction of Clandon.

churches: The nation's oldest church, the Bethany Moravian Church was founded in 1835 by Moravian missionaries on 80 acres of land donated by the Bromwells, a wealthy English family. The church is modeled after one in Hernhut, Germany, and its organ was installed in 1890. Wooden pegs and forged nails hold the cedar and red bullet wood structure together. (Moravia is now part of the Czech Republic). Its minister, an American named George Lopp, cultivated the first Irish potatoes her in 1898; their descendants still grow here today. The church offers majestic views of the Don Figueroa mountains and Mile Gully valley. Dating from 1866, the Mizpah Moravian Church is also set on a hill. Its name (as well as that of the surrounding community) was given to it by its first priest, Theodore Sondermann, who left for Europe leaving the church uncompleted but hoping to return. Mizpah means "The Lord watches over us," but Sondermann died in Europe and it was left to Swiss missionary and surveyor Heinrich Walder to complete the church. It is probably owing to his influence that the church resembles an alpine chalet. The weathervane has "1870," the date of completion, etched on it. The government donated the four-faced German clock in 5.

Glastonbury: The Glastonbury Plantation, a 1,000 acre coffee and banana plantation, has been run by the Gentles family for generations. At present, only 250 acres are under cultivation. the renovated great house offers splendid views of the Trelawny hills. The estate's hilly terrain dictates that only seemingly archaic methods of cultivation and harvesting (such as donkeys and hand gathering of coffee and bananas) may be used. It may be visited through the Hotel Villa Bella (US$25 pp for a three-hour tour)

Note: This guide will be updated in 1998. Please contact me regarding updates.

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This page last updated: Thu, Mar 5, 1998