Amazing Attractions
- With enormous scenic variations from volcanic remnants to waterfalls, this is an ideal destination for anyone with a love of history and the great outdoors. The entire Buff Bay Valley is superb walking and hiking country. As a start to help you on your journey, we have chosen 7 main sites and what to do there.
Nyam Jam Rest Stop
Location: Rose Hill, Tranquility
Nyam Jam can be at the beginning, middle or end of your adventure through the valley, where a range of facilities awaits you.
There is a Tour Guide Station, Information and Booking Centre and an Internet Café. Having your company retreat in the valley? Our conference room is perfect for hosting meetings and other functions and refreshment is just a stone’s throw away.
Be seduced by the succulent aromas from our kitchen. With age-old techniques and using produce harvested from the valley, our resident chef will prepare a spread to whet your appetite. Natural juices are the order of the day or have a simmering cup of the infamous Blue Mountain Peak coffee while sampling dessert, all under a canopy of almond and other varietal trees.
Local talent puts on a show with traditional dance and music for your entertainment. Top it all off at our Craft and Souvenir shops. They house local art and craft, which you can purchase as a memento of your trip.
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The Honey Bar
Location: Rose Hill, Tranquility
Ever had a bee serve you honey? The Honey Bar is the closest you will come to that experience. Extracted from bee hives nearby, the Buff Bay Valley Honey Bar is the one of the best honeys you will find. ‘Taste and buy’ is a popular Jamaican concept where once you taste it, you haffi (have to) buy it, because it is that good! The honey at Honey Bar is no different.
Tasting the honey is only one aspect of this amazing tour. An interpretive display will give you insight on the bee rearing process and the science behind the business. Through demonstrations, our guide will educate you on the various aspects of honey production. The Charles Town Bee Farmers who operate the apiary across the road, are a colourful set who will no doubt keep you amused with their banter.
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Maroon Museum and Safu Yard
Location: Charles Town
The Maroons are one of the most iconic elements in the valley and here is where all the pieces come together. Present day Maroons can recount their history back to the time of the Maroon treaty of 1739 and possibly before. The museum at Charles Town is filled with artefacts and interesting pieces that will propel you back in time. The Maroon Colonel on site will only be happy to let you in on this people’s proud history.
Part of this history involves food. Bammy, which is a kind of flat bread prepared from Cassava, was handed down from the Tainos to the Maroons. Sample this tasty treat along with a variety of wines made from local produce.
Part of the Maroon Complex is the Safu Yard where it is said Maroon warriors prepared for war. Now with its own mini stage, you will be captivated by the beat of the drum as dancers and other performers, move rhythmically providing you with a fully Maroon cultural experience.
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Sambo Hill Hiking Trail
Location: Charles Town
Trekking through the Sambo Hill Hiking Trail will literally have you walking in the footsteps of the Maroons as it is said that the Maroon strategists met here to discuss battle plans. Several points along the trail and especially the summit will leave you awestruck. Spectacular views greet you towards the coast and Hope Bay where imagining Spanish and English ships emerging over the horizon is palpable.
In the forest, fossil shells embedded in the Limestone rocks surround you. A marriage of past and present, Sambo Hill has old stone foundations providing evidence of past Maroon settlements and also. Prepare for a scenic, invigorating and sometimes drenching 3.5-hour return hike along an old Maroon trail.
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One Drop Waterfalls
Location: Cascade
Take a short walk up a modest slope and gaze upon the natural beauty and splendour that is One Drop Waterfalls. Set against a backdrop of rocks and remarkable foliage, that is indicative of the valley, these falls are perennial and will take your breath away! It has a 200 ft drop that cascades into a shallow pool for the whole family to enjoy especially after hiking or just to cool off on a hot day.
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Lancaster Wilderness Camp Site
Location: Wakefield
Pick a spot. Pitch a tent! Get a barbeque going! In every direction you will be greeted with scenic and panoramic views of the eastern side of the valley and the Wallenford Ridge. Breathe in the crisp mountain air as you take a dip in the stream or in any of the swim holes near the site.
This is what you might expect from a Camp Site but … we have our own Valley twist. As you hike on the trail, you will find the ruins of a 19th century coffee plantation house and coffee works surrounded by woodland and forest plantation. From here you can also hike up to the Holywell National Park. Hiking at night? You might just see the endemic Jamaican owl, fireflies, sleeping birds and other wildlife species often forgotten.
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Herb Gallery
Got a headache? We have herbs for that. Feeling tired or stressed? We have herbs for that too! The Herb Gallery is home to numerous herbs, most of which can be found in the valley but are grown here under specialized care. As you tour our nursery and drying house, you will be fully educated on their various uses as teas or as a cure to all sorts of aches and ailments.
On site there is also an Herb Museum and interpretive displays will show you the the various uses of several local herbs. At the end of the tour, take away your own little pot of herbs and be on your way to starting your own herb garden!
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Spring Garden Farm Tours
Juicy melons, exotic June plums, the sweetest bananas ripened by the sun among other crops - learn about the plants and their process from propagation to harvest to display.
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