A Journey Through The Blue Mountains

When heading to Jamaica, most people look forward to relaxing on the beautiful, sandy beaches that envelop the island. Not me! I was most excited about visiting the mecca for coffee-lovers: the Blue Mountains. The region produces some of the best – if not the best – coffee in the world so the trek from Ocho Rios (about a 2.5 hr drive) was a no-brainer for me.

While there are a handful of tour companies who will take you to this paradise, I’m convinced that none of them can can offer up an experience quite like Carolyn Barrett, owner of Barrett Adventures. Having lived in the Caribbean for nearly half a century, Carolyn has been a proud Jamaican citizen for 23 years and knows the island like the back of her hand. To say that she’s a history buff is an understatement; she taught us more about the country in one day than most people learn over the course of several visits! She’s also one of the best drivers I’ve ever shared a car with: I think she could drive up the mountain range with her eyes closed.

I knew we were in for an epic experience on the first leg of our journey when Carolyn jumped out of the car and ran into a field so she could show us what cacao looks like. Upon her return, she grabbed a large knife and split the pod in half so we could taste the fleshy pulp that surrounds the beans. Experiential learning at it’s best!

Following our scenic and enlightening drive up the mountains (technically, only coffee grown at elevations above 3000 ft can be called Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee), we parked our car outside an unassuming building. We had arrived at our destination: the Old Tavern Estate. Established by Alex Twyman in 1968, the estate is home to some of the best coffee in the world. The Twymans are the only estate licenced coffee plantation in Jamaica (the Coffee Industry Board requires other growers to sell their product to licensed processors). We had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy Twyman (Alex’s wife) who graciously welcomed us into her home and offered us a variety of coffee and sweets when we arrived. I’m so glad we went with Carolyn: they’ve been friends for 20+ years which made the experience very intimate and memorable – we felt like we were visiting family!

After sampling the different coffees, Carolyn and Dorothy walked us through the growing, roasting and packaging process. In a nutshell: the berries are harvested between March and May, fermented for 4-10 hours, dried on a BBQ in Kingston, rested for four months (aged coffee rests for seven years), sorted into five sizes (to ensure an even roast) and then meticulously roasted in 5 lb batches using these two machines:

We were curious to see what the coffee plants look like so Carolyn took us on a tour around the estate. My husband and I trailed behind as she effortlessly hiked through the rainforest; she put us to shame with her athleticism (a certified diver, professional skier and expert hiker to name a few of her wonder woman abilities). The air is quite thin at 3,500 – 4,500 ft altitude and the 75 acre coffee farm will give even those in top shape a solid workout. That being said, Carolyn is incredibly patient and stopped along the way for us to “take pictures” (i.e., so we could catch our breath). On our first stop, she plucked a ripe berry from a coffee tree and split it open to reveal the two seeds inside (aka coffee beans).

We quickly discovered that Carolyn is an expert botanist too. She recognized just about every plant we walked by. And she even pointed out the edible flowers so we could give them a try. We really liked the nasturtium – it tasted like a radish!

We also saw banana trees…

Beautiful ferns…

Climbed down to a hidden waterfall…

Ate fresh oranges right off a tree…

Bought coconut drops from Venus – a lovely lady who was walking along the mountainside selling goods to passersby…

And hiked some more…

What I thought was going to be a brief (and potentially touristy) visit to a coffee farm turned out to be an unforgettable and authentic journey through the Blue Mountains. I’m so glad we took a private tour with Carolyn; her knowledge of the island, sense of adventure and genuineness is truly unparalleled. If you’re heading to Jamaica and want to see a different side of the country, I’d highly recommend booking a tour with Barrett Adventures!

A few things to note…

• The private Old Tavern Estate tour that I’ve recapped above costs $225 per person if there are 2-3 people on the tour, $150 per person if there are 4-5 people and $100 per person if there are 6 or more people in the group.
• If you’re looking for a longer/more physically challenging adventure, Carolyn does a 14-mile hike to Blue Mountain Peak. She also offers several other hiking tours in various parts of both the Blue and John Crow Mountains where you’ll get a chance to see some secret waterfalls and the wild boar that were brought to the island by the Spaniards!
• Make sure you dress appropriately (I definitely didn’t). Wear comfortable shoes that have good grip and long pants – you’ll be walking through some prickly bushes in the rainforest! Take a sweater as well since it can get a bit chilly when you reach high altitudes.
• You can purchase coffee from Dorothy at the estate. At $20 for a 227 g bag, you’re getting premium beans for a good price (and directly from the grower).
• If a coffee tour/hike in the mountains isn’t your thing, Barrett Adventures offers a range of other tours (from half-day to multi-day adventures). Their most popular tour – and one they started over eight years ago – is a day trip to the Secret Falls near Ocho Rios.

The Blue Mountains tour was complimentary for me and my husband. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.