Make it your resolution to visit at least ten heritage sites next year. Not sure where to go? Here are our top pics!
 

Seville Heritage Park

Once a Taino village, the Seville Estate was the first place Christopher Columbus encountered the Amer-Indians.
Now located in St. Ann, you can explore an extraordinary array of historical artifacts that depicts the life of the Tainos, Africans and Europeans.
A water wheel overlooking the Caribbean Sea was used to operate the estate’s sugar mill and Overseer’s House. The park offers daily tours between Monday and Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, so brace yourself for an adventure into the past!

 

Roxborough

Originally called “Roxbro Castle”, this estate is the birth place of National Hero, the Right Excellent Norman Washington Manley. His father, Thomas Albert Samuel Manley, bought part of the estate in the late nineteenth century. When his father died in 1903, the Manley family moved to their Belmont property in St. Catherine.
Destroyed by fire in 1968, only the house’s foundation remains.

 

Devon House

Perhaps Jamaica’s most celebrated landmark, this historical site was home to the country’s first black millionaire, George Stiebel.  Built in 1881, the Georgian styled house is an embodiment of Jamaican architecture in the 19th century.
Get a taste of Jamaican society in the Victorian era by exploring the beautifully restored rooms, furnished with 19th century antiques.

 

Fort Charles

Built in the 17th century, Fort Charles was the first fort erected in Port Royal. Originally called Fort Cromwell, it is the only surviving fort of Jamaica’s horrific 1692 earthquake. In 1765, the fort housed 104 guns with a garrison of approximately 500 men.
Take a trip to the fort and experience the maritime museum, showcasing artifacts from the sunken city, and the famous Royal Artillery Store now known as the “Giddy House.”
 

Colbeck Castle

The history of this castle remains a mystery, though it is believed it was built under British rule in the 17th century. It now lies in ruins,but  its impressive grey stoned walls show the history of its grandeur.
Visit and see the rectangular shaped monument that includes four tower-like structures at each corner, about 40 feet in height.

 

Blenheim

Birthplace to National Hero, Sir Alexander Bustamante, Blenheim is a small rural district in Hanover.
A replica of the thatched house where he lived was built and now acts as a museum. Visit and explore several of his personal artifacts as well as press clippings detailing his life’s work.

 

Liberty Hall

Decked in red, black and green, this monument stands as a proud reminder of achievements and work of National Hero, the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
Liberty hall was the headquarters of Garvey’s United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Under the slogan "One God! One Aim! One Destiny", the UNIA’s mission was to improve the conditions of black race across the world.

 

Rose Hall

Ever heard of the legend of The White Witch? Get a taste of the 19th century Great House that overlooks the stunning Caribbean Sea. Now transformed into a tour site and museum, it’s a great place to visit to enjoy a piece of Jamaica’s heritage and culture.
Explore its exquisite architectural structure and enjoy tales of the lady of the house, Anne Palmer. The epitome of cruelty, Palmer often tormented her slaves and was believed to have murdered her three husbands. 
It is rumored that the white witch haunts Rose Hall to this day, so you may even see a ghost!

 

Lovers' Leap Lighthouse

East of Treasure Beach, this Lighthouse stands about 1600 feet above sea level. It is said to be haunted by two enslaved lovers who used to meet in secret on the Yardley Plantation. Wanting the female slave for himself, the owner of the plantation made arrangements to sell her lover.
Unable to bear the thought of separating, the two lovers jumped off the cliff, hand in hand, to their death!

 

Accompong

This village in St. Elizabeth is named after Accompong, brother of the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons.
In 1739, as part of a Peace Treaty with the British, the land was given to the Maroons, the first group of black who fought and gained their freedom.
Visit the small farming community, and explore the small museum that showcases Maroon History.

 

Tell us about any other sites that you want to visit this year!