Funded by
USAID, PEPA,
CIEER, and the Peace
Corps
STUDY AREA
Located on the North East Coast only 2 to 3
hour's drive from Kingston, Port Antonio, is the jewel in
Jamaica's crown. Port Antonio is an enchanting little town
cradled between the Blue Mountains and the Caribbean Sea.
It is here that modern tourism was born in Jamaica. Portland
is known as Jamaica's true heart and is reassured by those
who have discovered the tranquil beauty and tropical luxuriance
of the area. The region offers the finest location for deep
sea fishing, snorkeling in Jamaica's best preserved reefs,
diving, manatee and dolphin watching, bird and butterfly viewing,
horseback riding, and hiking. The lush Rio Grande Valley offers
exhilarating rainforest experiences with numerous endemic
birds and plants. One can journey deep into the interior past
old banana plantations, small streams, and tropical forests
to several spectacular, remote waterfalls. In the various
tiny rural villages like Moore Town, a Maroon village settlement,
one has the opportunity to meet interesting people and learn
about the vegetation, "bush medicine" and interesting
history of the region. Portland also boasts the second largest
rainfall in the world.
