Plunge into a Mineral Water Filled Subterranean Cavern
I always enjoy vacationing in Jamaica, especially when we get off the resort to really appreciate the natural beauty the island has to offer. Jamaica’s descriptive moniker has been “the land of wood and water” for many years, and for good reason. The island has countless awesome rivers, waterfalls, natural wading pools and incredible swimming holes that I can barely keep track. There’s the Blue Lagoon of Brooke Shields fame out by Port Antonio, the Cool Blue Hole and the Cascade (Thatch River) Blue Hole located near Ocho Rios, and several others scattered across the island. As this was our first visit to Negril, we wanted to check out the nearby ‘Blue Hole Mineral Spring‘, situated close to Jamaica’s southwest coast. We heard that the property consists of a nice hotel along with some other buildings and a pool. Of course, the feature attraction is a 25-30 foot gaping hole in the rocky limestone ground. Just over 20 feet down, the karst cave is filled with inviting light blue water. Similar to Negril’s most famous attraction Rick’s Café, the thing to do at the Blue Hole is to jump from the surface down into the water below – Well (pun intended), that sounds like fun!
So, we contacted a local tour operator who had been recommended to us to help us experience the place for ourselves. Andre Miller and a colleague picked us up from our Bloody Bay beach hotel and we were off… It’s an enjoyable 40-minute drive, starting down the main road parallel to 7-mile beach then heading inland on the outskirts of Negril before journeying towards the south coast on secondary roads. The second half of the drive is fairly slow, due to the narrow pot-hole filled tracks, but we were in no hurry. We enjoyed taking in the sights of the Westmoreland countryside. It was interesting to see colourful houses scattered throughout the lush green jungle – Big houses on the hilltops and smaller houses in various stages of construction built closer to the road.
Ultimately, we arrived at a modest-looking little dirt parking lot. But don’t let that fool you – It’s much more impressive once you wade on in… The Blue Hole Mineral Spring has a nice relaxing rural vibe to it, inviting one to explore at leisure. I loved the thatched-roof gazebos with modern tiled floors. There’s a colourfully painted bar, and a similar style building offering shade right next to the modern swimming pool. Backing into wild greenery, there’s also a multi-floor building with a partly enclosed party (or dining) area. The whole place has an easy-going feel to it, inviting you to kick back and chill for a while…
We got there early in the day, so it was nice and quiet. It was just the two of us, a couple of other tourists along with a handful of locals I assume were staff, taxi drivers, and others just hanging around. After a quick glance into the hole, we continued exploring – Venturing up some stairs to a decent-sized, vibrant-colour painted hotel. We went up the exterior stairwell straight to the rooftop, where we savoured spectacular views of the natural green beauty surrounding the place, brightly accented by the brilliant blues of the Caribbean Sea and endless sky. It was warm and sunny with a refreshing breeze – We could have stayed there forever… Except that I had an exciting jump on my mind.
Back down at the main area of the property, I took a better look at the namesake attraction. There’s a railing along one side of the blue hole and mineral spring, and some trees and stone walls bordering 2 other sides. An unobstructed end provides access to the hole via a small jumping platform and a sturdy metal ladder that disappears down into the cavern. Peering below into the sun-deprived cave, it’s fascinating to see the milky pastel blue water below. A staff member named Getty (spelling?) came over for a chat. Part lifeguard, part showman, and part tour guide, he’s here to help folks enjoy the natural attraction to the fullest. Getty assured me that the water, fed from a fresh underground spring, is over 35 feet deep – no problem man (as they say in Jamaica) 😊. While we were chatting, a local leaped off the railing into the hole, showing me there was nothing to it.
OK, I figured the best way to do this is to stop thinking about it, so I held my breath and stepped off the ledge. Honestly, it was an exhilarating and frightful drop that didn’t last much more than a second before I plunged deep into the water, where it seemed to take forever for me to bob back up to the surface. What a rush! A wild sensation for anyone who doesn’t normally jump off cliffs.
While my eyes were adjusting to the relative darkness, I swam towards a rock protruding from the side of the cave. I was thinking that the water temperature was comfortable enough when I noticed that there were little fish swimming all around me in the mineral-rich water – I didn’t expect that. I grabbed a seat on a rock ledge and took a look around. The cavern is a much bigger down at water level than it is up at the surface.
Getty showed us a place to find some grey powdery earth from between the rocks, and how to mix it with water to make a nice mineral-rich clay/pomace for our arms, shoulders, neck and back.
Such a unique experience hanging out in a mineral-water filled subterranean cavern – A place where all your problems can melt away.
After a relaxing swim and skin scrub/treatment, we eventually climbed the ladder to join the world once again.
As I reached the top of the ladder I noticed Getty way above me in a tree. Once he got our attention, he jumped – that must have added another 5-10 feet to the drop… Our entertainment at the hole over, I grabbed a cold red stripe from the bar and waded into the swimming pool. WoW – was it ever warm! I was told that the pool is also filled with natural mineral-rich water, having just been pumped in from the spring the day before. The warm water is so soothing… Sitting on the built-in bench that rings the pool’s edge, I soaked up the minerals, sunshine and reggae beats coming from the bar. I’m not sure there’s a better way to spend the day.
Oh… there’s more at the Blue Hole Mineral Spring than meets the eye… If you’re interested in marijuana, ask one of the staff to show you around their “field of dreams” (my term not theirs), and they’ll be happy to oblige. They grow some of the best bud in Jamaica if not the world, right here in these fields, and they have the awards to prove it.
Well… After hanging out for a while, we decided to head back to so-called civilization. All in all, a great day off the beaten path – A day that awoke my senses!
For an overview of the land of wood and water, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page
For other great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica blog
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Jamaica Adventures blog for some other great ideas!
ACT Staff
