Attractions Near Kingston, Jamaica

Guardsman's Serenity Fishing and Wildlife Sanctuary

40 minutes west of Kingston via A1/A2 west . A popular stop with Kingston school groups, this sanctuary was established by the executive chairman of the Guardsman Group, a security company in Kingston. A visit to the site starts with a tractor ride through mango orchards and vegetable plots, then a visit to the animal collection, with exotic birds and a petting zoo. Food lovers will be interested in the sanctuary for another reason: local dishes are served for lunch and dinner in the restaurant. Curried goat, barbecue or jerked chicken, oxtail and other local dishes are available. You can even fish for red tilapia and have the restaurant clean and bag your catch.

Flat Bridge

Located outside Kingston on the Rio Cobre. This bridge was built in the late 1700s by slaves. You’ll see that there’s no rail on the bridge – every time a rail has been added, the river rises and washes it out. Legend has it that two slaves were killed and their bodies added to the mortar; their ghosts are said to haunt the site.

Spanish Town

14 miles west of Kingston on A1. This was once Santiago de la Vega, the island’s capital city under Spanish rule. Those early explorers came to Jamaica in search of precious metals and finally gave up the island to the English in 1655. Spanish Town is an excellent day trip for history buffs. Attractions include Jamaican People’s Museum of Crafts and Technology (home of many vintage farm implements, musical instruments and pottery) and St. James Cathedral (St. Jago de la Vega), the oldest Anglican cathedral beyond England’s borders. Built in 1523, the historic church is worth a peek and is open daily; admission is free. The cathedral is filled with memorials to former Jamaican governors; outside the chapel lie many historic graves dating back to Jamaica’s earliest days.