The Classics
Drivers River: A hidden gem in Portland
Published:Friday | November 22, 2024 | 6:44 AM
- The exceptionally pleasant Drivers River
The parish of Portland is among the Jamaican regions of highest annual rainfall. Portland boasts an extraordinary number of rivers and streams, some of these very extensive, as in the case of the well-known Rio Grande, with its rafting facilities, others far less publicised but indeed exceptionally pleasant, as here at Drivers River, one of my personally favourite extensive streams in the district of Manchioneal.
Drivers River’s tributary streams originate in the very rainy heights of the John Crow Mountains (or if you prefer the singular term John Crow Mountain, for this extraordinary titled massif), these chilly brooks coming from sources as much as 2,500 feet elevation. This river, as such, comes down in back of the intriguing modest communities of Ecclesdown and Reach and, as it descends, in due time, arrives at sea level near Muirton and Soyo, to empty under a handsome new highway bridge, into the Caribbean Sea.
Things in the part of Drivers River shown in the accompanying photograph have altered drastically in recent years, with the establishment of the ministry’s Land-Lease Project at Soyo, near the coastal belt. Many of the lovely old trees have been cut down, to afford agricultural plannings, and the entire atmosphere of the illustrated favoured site has changed to a rather startling degree.
Important
But here, the enterprising and hardy swimmer can still find on the undersides of the rocks some of the local shells called bussu, which are utilised in the preparation of a unique Portland peppery soup or stew. And the remaining trees along the pleasant rapids and slight waterfalls upstream are yet adorned by flowering bee orchids and a wealth of distinctive bromeliads, ferns and other epiphytic growths.
Traversing Drivers River at this particular point, not far up from the North Coast Highway, is of importance to the people who live across the stream. There has never, insofar as is known, been a proper bridge at this point, with its deep chill rocky pools, but the stepping stones which before afforded footpath fording now are erratic, some of these essential rocks having been moved by the felling of the trees and alteration of the river’s course, so that those who wish to cross now generally have to go far downstream to the highway bridge to bring their root crops and other produce to market in Manchioneal and adjacent communities.
Yet, I must emphasise that this part of lengthy Drivers River remains one of my favourite places in eastern Portland. A refreshing swim, perhaps a picnic lunch, and a casual meandering trek through the water up around the corner to the rapids, affords the interested visitor a most happy and memorable couple of hours.
Nestled in the parish of Portland, Drivers River is one of the region's most picturesque and tranquil streams, originating in the John Crow Mountains. This extensive river, which winds its way through the communities of Ecclesdown and Reach, eventually empties into the Caribbean Sea near Muirton and Soyo. Though the area has seen changes as a result of agricultural development, Drivers River remains a serene spot for swimming, picnicking, and exploring nature, with its rock pools, waterfalls, and abundant local flora.
Published Thursday, November 25, 1976
Jamaican places
- The exceptionally pleasant Drivers River
The parish of Portland is among the Jamaican regions of highest annual rainfall. Portland boasts an extraordinary number of rivers and streams, some of these very extensive, as in the case of the well-known Rio Grande, with its rafting facilities, others far less publicised but indeed exceptionally pleasant, as here at Drivers River, one of my personally favourite extensive streams in the district of Manchioneal.
Drivers River’s tributary streams originate in the very rainy heights of the John Crow Mountains (or if you prefer the singular term John Crow Mountain, for this extraordinary titled massif), these chilly brooks coming from sources as much as 2,500 feet elevation. This river, as such, comes down in back of the intriguing modest communities of Ecclesdown and Reach and, as it descends, in due time, arrives at sea level near Muirton and Soyo, to empty under a handsome new highway bridge, into the Caribbean Sea.
Things in the part of Drivers River shown in the accompanying photograph have altered drastically in recent years, with the establishment of the ministry’s Land-Lease Project at Soyo, near the coastal belt. Many of the lovely old trees have been cut down, to afford agricultural plannings, and the entire atmosphere of the illustrated favoured site has changed to a rather startling degree.
Important
But here, the enterprising and hardy swimmer can still find on the undersides of the rocks some of the local shells called bussu, which are utilised in the preparation of a unique Portland peppery soup or stew. And the remaining trees along the pleasant rapids and slight waterfalls upstream are yet adorned by flowering bee orchids and a wealth of distinctive bromeliads, ferns and other epiphytic growths.
Traversing Drivers River at this particular point, not far up from the North Coast Highway, is of importance to the people who live across the stream. There has never, insofar as is known, been a proper bridge at this point, with its deep chill rocky pools, but the stepping stones which before afforded footpath fording now are erratic, some of these essential rocks having been moved by the felling of the trees and alteration of the river’s course, so that those who wish to cross now generally have to go far downstream to the highway bridge to bring their root crops and other produce to market in Manchioneal and adjacent communities.
Yet, I must emphasise that this part of lengthy Drivers River remains one of my favourite places in eastern Portland. A refreshing swim, perhaps a picnic lunch, and a casual meandering trek through the water up around the corner to the rapids, affords the interested visitor a most happy and memorable couple of hours.
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