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Green Grotto Caves - explore your adventurous side
Jamaica is blessed with an abundance of natural wonders, and the Green Grotto Caves, situated in Discovery Bay, St Ann, is certainly one of the more interesting sites and attracts thousands each year.
Situated on 25.9 hectares of the island's beautiful north coast, the caves are located between the resort centres of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and are precisely 3.2 kilometres from Discovery Bay to the west and four kilometres from Runaway Bay to the east.
The central feature of this natural attraction is the large labyrinthine limestone cave with its numerous rock formations, including stalactites, stalagmites and abundance of overhead ceiling pockets.
Green Grotto is 1,525 metres long and 12 metres deep and is characterised by numerous chambers, light holes, and a subterranean lake - the Grotto Lake - sits at the bottom.
The cave is rich in history and can be identified with different groups of people. The first Jamaicans, the Tainos, found shelter in the caves initially. Proof of this is evident in the multiple fragments of pottery and adzes that are unearthed from time to time. During the period of takeover by the English, the caves were used as a hideout for the Spaniards who were being driven out of the country.
The caves can also be identified with the period between the two world wars where they were used by smugglers running arms to Cuba. In the latter years during the Second World War, the Government of Jamaica used the entrance of the cave as a storeroom for rum in barrels.
With the entrance fees being reduced for the Labour Day holidays, it is certainly worthy of a visit. |
