Mandeville

Mandeville sits at around six hundred metres in the Manchester hills and is noticeably cooler than anywhere on the coast, which is why it was laid out in 1816 as a hill retreat and why it later drew retirees and bauxite company staff. The centre keeps a green with the Georgian courthouse and parish church around it, unusual in Jamaica for surviving as an ensemble. Coffee, citrus and vegetables grow in the surrounding hills.

History

The town stands on an inland plateau at 628 metres, the only parish capital of Jamaica not on the coast or on a major river, and many large early 19th-century houses line the winding streets around its square, parish church and clock tower (Wikipedia, Mandeville, Jamaica).

What's there

• The village green - the 1816 square with the courthouse and church around it.
• The Georgian courthouse - a cut-stone building of 1820 on the green.
• The parish church - Saint Mark's, from the same period, across the green.
• The climate - highland air noticeably cooler than the coast.

When to go

Year round; the altitude keeps it comfortable in every season. December to April is drier. Nights can be genuinely cool by Jamaican standards.

What to expect

There is little formal sightseeing beyond the green and its buildings. The town has grown outward without much planning and traffic is heavy. Most visitors pass through rather than stay.

Nearby

Gourie Cave is north near Christiana, and Black River is southwest.

Key facts