What to Do in Mandeville, Jamaica
Annette Lyn O'Neil, Leaf Group
Mandeville holds much Jamaican history within its carefree city limits. (Photo: Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images )
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Laid-back even for easygoing Jamaica, Mandeville's residents stroll lackadaisically through town on their daily constitutional, wending and weaving through Easter egg-colored colonial architecture as they greet coconut vendors, giggling children and other coffee-sipping wanderers. Mandeville's bamboo-lined streets provide a verdant backdrop for people-watching; however, if you're not content to sit at a cafe and take it all in, there's plenty to do around town.
Go Golfing
Mandeville's slow-strolling locals are often making their way to the nine-hole Manchester Country Club. The oldest course in the Caribbean, the club is walkably close to central Mandeville. Set in a spate of greenly rolling hills at over 2,000 feet in elevation, the MCC's cool temperatures and nearby squash and tennis courts draw a cheerful sporting crowd.
Drink Legendary Coffee
Most dedicated coffee aficionados know Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee by name. High Mountain, the country's second most famous varietal, is arguably just as good. On weekdays, visitors can arrange to take a tour of the High Mountain Coffee Factory, which processes beans farmed on nearby plantations. The gift shop is worth a browse.
Birdwatch
Of the 25 bird species native to Jamaica, all but two make their year-round homes in Mandeville. Casual birdwatchers can take a stroll around the fragrant plantings of Mrs. Stephenson’s Garden, the prize of the Mandeville Horticulture Society. More dedicated birders head to Marshall’s Pen, an appointment-only operation run by a prominent ornithologist that's also an important archaeological and historical site.
Flee from Crocodiles
It's not uncommon for quiet visitors to see the local, non-aggressive species of crocodile sunning along the Black River. The 44-mile-long river they call home -- the longest in the country -- takes its name from the deep color afforded it by rich peat-bog runoff. At its ocean end, the Black River is curtained by intricately rooted mangrove forests that house a booming population of fishable Blue Marie crabs and shrimp. If you take one of many locally guided tours of the Black River, you will likely be shown a looming 35-year-old termite nest or the canopy of riverside trees where over 3,000 egrets make their nests. Cashoo Ostrich Park, a 100-acre working ostrich farm, is also situated on the shores.
Visit a Plantation Great House
Apple Valley Park, one of Mandeville's biggest tourist draws, comprises many acres of open parkland, waterways and forests that cocoon a palatial plantation great house. Visitors to the property may camp, fish, hike the grounds, take horseback rides on the trail network or listen to regularly scheduled musical entertainment.
Get Tragically Romantic
Blessedly uncrowded, tricky Treasure Beach has a nasty undertow after the calm morning water has been warmed by the midday sun. Wake up early to visit for swimming and snorkeling, then enjoy this remote stretch of beach on foot. Just east of Treasure Beach, climb to the top of a sheer 1,700-foot cliff that offers a beautiful view as well as a sad local legend; two lovers escaped from slavery and leaped from the cliff rather than face capture.
Shop for Community-Supporting Crafts
The S.W.A. Craft Centre, an unprepossessing building tucked behind the Manchester Shopping Plaza, trains unemployed local women to earn a living creating crafts. The shop's offerings include intricate pieces of crochet, weaving, embroidery and pastry. The most popular take-home is a goofy -- but well-made -- banana-shaped Rastafarian doll.