|  | CINCHONA BOTANICAL GARDENS | | |
| |
| Length of drive - SH through Newcastle to Section to Silver Hill Gap (which is as far as you can go with out 4WD): 50 Min.
Length of hike- full circle from Silver Hill Gap to Cinchona via Clydesdale National Park and back, including time to walk in the gardens: 6 hours
Elevation gain - from Clydesdale: 1,300 feet.
Cost: $80.00 per person The road between the Gap and Section is one of the few remaining Montane forest areas left in Jamaica. Most days mists descend on the area like clockwork by 11:00 AM making it especially lush. | |
| | | On the Trail The name Cinchona comes from the tree whose bark is a source of quinine, once a highly valued commodity for curing malaria. Cinchona was planted here as a commercial enterprise, but only a few of the trees remain. At the top of the gardens is the old Governor's house (built of mahogany and pine). | | The old Governer General's retreat At 4,500 ft., the coolness allowed many European species such as Rhododendron and Cryptomeria to grow and the place became a fashionable retreat for the elite of Colonial Jamaica. | |
|
| | | Azalea indica and Agapanthus in the Gardens | | Viewing the South Coast Surrounded by farms and natural bush, the exposed site of Cinchona provides panoramic views as far as the sea 30 miles away. | |
|
| | | Damage from Gilbert and later storms The dominant tree now is the giant eucalyptus, of which there are twelve species. There are also Norfolk Island and massonia pines, podacarpus, and huge rhododendrons. | | Bamboo walk with sphagnum moss as a flooring | |
|
| |
| |
