“You always pass failure on the way
to success.” Mickey Rooney
I have met some amazing people on Instagram. Ricarda, one of the owners of irie_holiday_tours is one of those wondrous souls.
I've been longing to visit Gut River for years after seeing bloggers downdiroadja and adventuresfromelle ventured to this off-the-beaten-path in the Parish of Manchester.
There are no public Transportations that go to Gut River. Hence why I didn’t make the trip three years ago. If you are familiar with my blog, Ninety-Nine percent of my travels are taken via public transportations.
irie_holiday_tours started in 2014. That means this tour company is very knowledgeable about specific destinations and the history of Jamaica.
I’ve been to Duppy Church, Noisy River, and Beat Back Waterfall(boarder of Manchester and Clarendon)in Manchester. Now it's time to explore Gut River and Alligator Pond. A big thank you again to ire_holiday_tours.
After I visited Big River in Lime Hall New Ground beneath Higgins Town in Saint Ann’s Bay, I ventured to Gut River in Manchester with irie_holiday_tours. Ricarda being my tour guide, driver, photographer, and great company.
Deserted all the way to Gut River
Ricarda is amazing. It’s like I’ve known her from my past life. We clicked instantly after meeting each other for the first time in Lime Hall Saint Ann’s Bay. She has a beautiful personality.
Ricarda is not only a tour operator; she’s also a physiotherapist and a Youtuber. Check out irie_holiday_tours and Physio876 on Instagram.
I recommend going with a tour company or persons knowledgeable about the area for a trip to Gut River and other off-the-beaten-path locations.
There are a lot of “Tour Company” being created recently. Some of these owners of these tour companies don’t take the time to visit these locations and find out as much about the location as possible before carrying individuals to these destinations especially the hidden gems. This is not safe. Please research the companies you planned on exploring Jamaica with.
If you want to take this trip with friends and family, that’s perfect. For a solo traveler be careful because the area is circled by swam and bush. Furthermore, the roads are deserted and full of potholes.
I was super scared but I needed this picture.
On our journey to Gut River, Ricarda and I talked about how much love we have for Jamaica, the places we have both visited, etc.
Ricarda stated that Alligator Pond got its name from the Don Figueroa Mountains. When viewed from the beach it looks like bumps on an Alligator’s back.
Driving in comfort and style.
I thought it was because alligators existed in the area. As a matter of fact, there are no Alligators in Jamaica only Crocodiles.
Our first stop was at Alligator Hole from the deserted B12 road that linked Milk River to Alligator Pond. This is the home of the Manatees but there were none in sight.
View from the top
Ensure your vehicle is in perfect condition before making this journey. Plenty of potholes will greet you on your journey and you don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
There is nothing but bush on both sides of the narrow deserted road from the South Coast Road from Milk River to Alligator Pond. Not even cell service is available.
The road to Gut River is like this for the most part.
We didn’t see any of the caretakers. We browse the area take a few pictures and continued on our journey to Gut River.
Forty minutes later we got to Gut River. I’ve been waiting a while for this moment.
Ricarda parked the vehicle on the road in front of the narrow path that led to the beautifully, transparent, glassy 20 feet deep spring waters of Gut River.
The crystal clear water at Gut River comes from an underground spring that creates a deep pool of water.
Ricarda jumped in the sexy spring water. Wish I had the courage to jump in. I am so working on it.
Gut River came from the German word for good which is GUT. I was at a river with a German name with a German.
She’s super brave.
Gut River is a free destination but there is a cost to get to this hidden gem since it's in the middle of nowhere.
You can wear your swimwear under your clothes like I did since there are no restrooms are you could change in your vehicle.
Carry food because there are no vendors and a first aid kit. No cell service at Gut River.
There are spaces available at the beach for parking which was a few seconds from where we parked.
Parking and swimming are at your own risk. No lifeguard and restrooms are available.
Ricarda jumped in the sexy spring water. The water has different shades of green when the sun hits the surface of the water.
I have mastered so many aspects of swimming. Yet I am still afraid to dive in any body of water. But I had to feel the water on my skin after coming from Kingston.
Hence, I was assisted by a tree truck that I hold on to while I played around in the water.
I even sat on it to take a few photos.
We stayed a few minutes because the area wasn’t clean and time was against us.
After walking less than a minute from where we parked, we turned left on a narrow dirt road. We heard music playing. Seconds later, we saw a man and a woman enjoying the music from their car. We greeted them and continued into the river to get to the beach.
It was cool. It was up to my waist because of how short I am. We saw two females and a male enjoying the cold water. We greeted them also and continued on the beach.
I had a wow moment seeing the beach at first glance.
crossing the river to the beach
We had this large endless section of coastline that extended miles to ourselves. The water looked dirty because of the rough tide that was stirring up the black sand.
Preparing to capture beautiful moments on camera.
I could stay at the beach all day. The sun was getting ready to set, creeping behind the clouds.
Reasons why I love to explore.
Views for years to come.
The mountains were beautiful in the distance.
We were in the middle of nowhere. I was at peace. I preferred the beach to the river.
This is because there is more space on the beach. Also, it was less polluted with garbage.
If you want to escape to the remote and untouched part of Jamaica’s South coast, you should visit Gut River.
Have you been to Gut River? What was your experience like? Do tell!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Whatta Gwaan!
You've discovered my blog. I'm delighted you're here. Maybe it's destiny. I'm Doreen Lillian Scarlett welcome to Nature's Sweet Escapes where I go on the far side of Instagram to document and share my adventures.