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Grindley's Guide to Jamaica | The Bog Walk Gorge

Published:Monday | March 20, 2017 | 12:00 AM
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Norman Grindley
Commuters making what is sometimes a dangerous journey through the gorge.
Norman Grindley
The rocks protruding from the Rio Cobre give the impression of shallow waters, but headlines about sunken motor vehicles and lives lost tell another story.
Norman Grindley
Exposure to the elements, over many years, has left this rock with an interesting glow which forces a double take from onlookers.
Norman Grindley
Rocks that stand up to the weather.
Norman Grindley
This tree stands defiant against the river current.
Norman Grindley
This infamous rock has been viewed with delight by many sightseers because of its seeming resemblance to a specific part of the female anatomy.
Norman Grindley
The fury of the Rio Cobre has left its imprint on the rocks that call it home.
Norman Grindley
The river that runs along the mountain side.
Norman Grindley
The river that runs along the mountain side.
Norman Grindley
Which country does this rock formation look like to you?
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Traversing the Flat Bridge is said to be not for the faint of heart. This truck laden with sugar cane confidently makes its way across.
Norman Grindley
Rocks that stand up to the weather.
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Travelling along the winding road through the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine, you can't help but take a glimpse at the river that separates the beautiful mountainsides, with rocks of all shapes and colours from years of weathering. This landscape is an attraction for locals and tourists alike.

According to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the name Bog Walk is derived from the Spanish phrase 'boca de agua', which means 'water's mouth'. It is not known when the Spaniards entered this area of the island, though they had an active involvement up to the time of the conquest of the island in 1655. During the 1660s, after the British occupation, the Bog Walk Gorge, or the Rio Cobre Gorge, was discovered by Carey Helyar.

In 1770, the first road was cut through the gorge. The first bridge, connecting both sides of the gorge, was made of wood but was later replaced by the present structure, the Flat Bridge, which is constructed from cut stone and mortar.