The Royal Palm Reserve

Behind Negril's beach lies the Great Morass, a peat wetland of around twenty-three square kilometres that filters the water reaching the coast and holds the island's largest stand of Roystonea princeps, the Jamaican royal palm, which grows nowhere else in the world. The reserve protects a piece of it, with raised boardwalks running out through swamp forest and open water between palms sixty feet high. Birdlife is good, with herons, jacanas, whistling ducks and West Indian woodpeckers, and American crocodiles live in the wetland. There are ponds for fishing and a viewing tower. It is one of the few pieces of interior nature within reach of the Negril strip.

What you actually see

• The royal palm stands - the endemic species, found only in Jamaica.
• The boardwalks - raised walkways out over swamp forest and open water.
• Birdlife - herons, jacanas, whistling ducks and endemic woodpeckers.
• The viewing tower - over the morass toward the coast.

When to go

December to April is drier and the boardwalks in better condition. Early morning and late afternoon are best for birds. The reserve keeps set hours and has closed for periods when funding lapsed, so check before going.

Honest expectations

The reserve has been closed or barely staffed at various times and the boardwalks have suffered from underfunding, with sections in poor repair. It is small and takes about ninety minutes. Mosquitoes are heavy. The morass itself is under real pressure from drainage and development, which the reserve alone cannot fix.

Nearby

Negril's beach is fifteen minutes; Mayfield Falls is an hour inland.