Blue Mountain Peak is the highest
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and one of the highest peaks in the
Caribbean at . It is the home of
Blue Mountain coffee. It is located on the border of the
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
and
Saint Thomas parishes of Jamaica.
The Blue Mountain Peak is part of the
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, which became a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 2015.
Hiking
The
Blue Mountains are popular for hiking and camping. The traditional Blue Mountain trek is a hike to the peak and consists of a increase in elevation. Jamaicans prefer to reach the peak at sunrise, thus the 3- to 4-hour hike is usually undertaken in darkness. Since the sky is usually very clear in the mornings, Cuba can be seen in the distance.
There is a park fee to pay to hike on the peak.
[Lindsey Kilifin]
A Guide To Hiking The Jamaican Blue Mountains
''Theculturetrip.com'', 9 February 2017 (accessed on 3 October 2019)
Flora
The famous
Blue Mountain coffee is grown on the mountain. The small coffee farming communities of
Claverty Cottage and
Hagley Gap
Hagley Gap is a settlement in Saint Thomas parish in southeastern Jamaica. It is a farming village, located from Kingston near the top of the Blue Mountains, whose primary source of revenue is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.
Hagley Gap is ...
are located near the peak.
Some of the plants found on the Blue Mountain cannot be found anywhere else in the world and they are often of a dwarfed sort. This is mainly due to the cold climate which inhibits growth.
Birds
File:Vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima).jpg, Vervain hummingbird (''Mellisuga minima''), Strawberry Hill, Jamaica
File:Jamaican Spindalis RWD4.jpg, Male Jamaican spindalis (''Spindalis nigricephala''), Blue Mountains, Jamaica
File:Setophaga pharetra Blue Mountains 1.jpg, Arrowhead warbler
The arrowhead warbler (''Setophaga pharetra'') is a species of bird in the family Parulidae.
It is endemic to Jamaica.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains ...
''Setophaga pharetra'', Blue Mountains, Jamaica.
See also
*
List of Ultras of the Caribbean
The following sortable table comprises the seven ultra-prominent summits on the islands of the Caribbean Sea. Each of these peaks has at least of topographic prominence. Five of these peaks rise on the island of Hispaniola (three in the Dom ...
*
List of mountain peaks of the Caribbean
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaksThis article defines a significant summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence, and a major summit as a summit with at least of topographic prominence. All ...
References
External links
*
Mountains of Jamaica
Extreme points of Jamaica
Geography of Portland Parish
Geography of Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica
Highest points of countries
Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
{{Jamaica-geo-stub