- Address: Belvedere Estate, Twin River Farms, Chester Castle, Jamaica
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00
- Ticket price: 1200 Jamaican dollars
- Contact telephones: + (1 876) 952 60 01
- Email: estatebelvedere@gmail.com
- Website: www.estatebelvedere.com
Excursion to Belvedere Manor is one of the most exciting on the island. This landmark is a kind of museum, reminiscent of the sad times of the slave system in Jamaica and as if carrying tourists to the atmosphere of the 30's. XX century. Here, surprisingly, natural harmony, silence, peace and a difficult situation of hard slave labor are combined. The tour is sure to please everyone who is interested in historical facts, as well as the way of life and culture of the people of Jamaica .
Location:
The Belvedere estate is located near one of the largest resorts in Jamaica - Montego Bay , and covers an area of 100 acres.
History of the estate
The estate Belvedere was built at the very beginning of the XIX century. Since the first days it has been rapidly developing, as a result of which it quickly became the largest sugar cane plantation on the island. However, in 1831, during the Christmas Revolt, the estate was burned by slaves who oppose the abolition of slavery.
Today, the atmosphere of the first third of the 20th century, when slave labor has not yet been abolished, is preserved here. Ruins of some buildings have reached our days.
What interesting things can you see at the Belvedere estate?
A unique and truly mesmerizing open-air museum is hidden under the name Belvedere Manor. The first thing that you pay attention to when you get here is the unique thickets of bananas and citrus, coconut palms and various exotic trees. All this beauty surrounds the Belvedere and creates an amazing harmony with nature. Be sure to come here to enjoy the peace and quiet of this historic area.
On the territory of tourists necessarily show a three-hundred-meter dam built by the hands of slaves, and, of course, the famous plantations of sugar cane. In addition, you can see the ruins of some preserved buildings, for example, the Great House, where they reconstructed the situation, houses of slaves and gardens with fragrant herbs. The excursion will continue by going to the remains of the sugar factory, where you can look at the process of squeezing it out of reeds. Then you will be shown some plots from the life of slaveholders and their slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, and local actors will appear before you in the images of a blacksmith, a healer, a baker, and they will tell you about the traditions and customs of those times. To see all this with my own eyes is very entertaining.
Nowadays, on the sugar plantations of Belvedere manor, they cultivate delicious tropical fruits. You can try them, after going on a tour, to relax in Trash House Restaurant and Bar and dine in a pleasant relaxing atmosphere with the accompaniment of incendiary melodies by Jamaican musicians.
We also note the opportunity to visit the unique Royal Palm Reserve, which covers an area of 150 hectares and boasts that almost 300 species of animals live on its territory and 140 varieties of exotic plants grow. In addition, you can walk around the estate and see the valley of the river and a beautiful waterfall. All this is not far from the estate Belvedere, so you can easily combine several tours in Jamaica , especially if you come here on a rented car.
How to get there?
To visit the Belvedere estate, head to Montego Bay to start. There are no direct flights from Russia to Jamaica, so you will have to fly with transfers. The most convenient way to get to Montego Bay Airport (one of Jamaica 's international airports ) is a one-hop flight, usually in Frankfurt, less often in London. Next, to be directly to the estate, you will need to rent a car or take a taxi. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes.