Coco Hill Forest

Coco Hill on the ridge above Bathsheba is a private forest project where the owner has been restoring degraded land since the 2010s, planting cacao, coconut, bamboo, fruit and native trees along trails that climb the slope, with the east coast visible below through gaps. It is a working agroforestry operation as much as a garden, and the planting is deliberately mixed rather than ornamental.

The landscape

• The agroforestry planting - cacao, coconut, bamboo and fruit mixed together.
• The trail network - paths climbing the ridge through the planting.
• The east coast view - Bathsheba and the Atlantic through gaps in the trees.
• The restoration - land brought back from degraded pasture since the 2010s.

When to go

December to May is the dry season and the trails are firmer. The wet season brings mud and growth. Mornings are cooler for the climb.

Good to know

The forest is young and still establishing; it is not old-growth. Trails are steep in places and muddy after rain. It is a private operation with an entry fee.

Nearby

Bathsheba is below, and Hackleton's Cliff is south.