The Blue and John Crow Mountains rise behind Kingston to a ridge that is often wrapped in cloud, and the highest point, Blue Mountain Peak, stands at 2,256 metres, which makes it the tallest in Jamaica by a distance. The range was listed by UNESCO in 2015 for both its wildlife and its history, and the history is the unusual part. These slopes were a refuge for the Maroons, descendants of enslaved people who escaped the plantations and held the hills against British soldiers for generations, finally winning a treaty in the eighteenth century. Their communities still exist, and their tradition of independence is part of the landscape.
The nature is remarkable. The forest here changes with height, from tall wet forest at lower levels to a stunted, mossy cloud forest near the top, thick with ferns, orchids and bromeliads. Jamaica's giant swallowtail butterfly, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, flies in these mountains, and so do a handful of endemic birds and frogs. The hills are also the source of Blue Mountain coffee, grown on steep slopes in cool mist, which commands a very high price and is worth a cup if you can find a good one.
The riding is demanding and rewarding. Roads here are narrow, steep and often broken, climbing from Kingston toward Gordon Town and Newcastle and on to the high gap at Hardwar, with long drop-offs, blind bends and washouts after heavy rain. Landslides are common in the wet months. Speeds are slow, and that is a good thing. In the morning the views open down to Kingston and out to the sea; by afternoon, cloud often fills the valleys. Take a light waterproof, since the weather changes quickly, and take it steadily.
Mavis Bank, eleven kilometres away, is a small community with limited services, and the nearest large town in the other direction is Port Antonio, on the north coast, about seventeen kilometres from the point by straight line but much farther by road. Fill in Kingston before you climb, carry some water and a snack, and make sure you are down before dark.