The Islands - Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean: Lovetripper Guide - page 236

snook and tarpon, some reaching as large as 200 pounds. You
may see spear fishermen with a snorkel, mask and speargun,
swimming in the dark water stained by peat deposits. The fish-
ermen's canoes are hand-hewn and burned out using a genera-
tions-old technique. Among the catch are tiny brine shrimp,
sold by women in the St. Elizabeth parish along the roadside.
Highly salted and spiced, these are a popular snack with locals
and visitors.

C rocodiles are the biggest attraction on the Black
River. Once hunted, the crocodiles are now protected.
These reptiles can live as long as 100 years, so long that
some have become known by local residents. One 15-
foot-long specimen named Lester is seen nightly.

You'll also find plenty of opportunities to get out on the water
aboard sunset cruises, most with an open bar. During the day,
catamaran trips take visitors out to small offshore cays. For
cruises, call Calico Sailing Cruises, 876-954-2565.

For a look at the countryside around Negril the way it used to
be, consider at day at Belvedere Estate, one of the first sugar-
cane plantations on the island. Located an hour from town, the
estate is set up as a living museum with costumed guides to
show you the ruins of the 1800s great house, the sugar factory,
and the boiler where the juice of the cane is made into brown
sugar. In the craft village, watch a weaver make coconut palms
into baskets, talk to an herbalist about Jamaica's bountiful
herbs, visit a canoe maker, and have a taste of island bread at
the bakery. A traditional Jamaican lunch is included with the
tour. For reservations, call 876-952-6001 or 957-4170.

Port Antonio Sights
The top activity in quiet Port Antonio is a romantic raft ride
aboard a bamboo float powered by a pole-maneuvering captain.
If at all possible, take the two- to three-hour excursion down the
Rio Grande; it's an experience the two of you won't forget. Call
Rio Grande Rafting, 876-993-5778, for reservations.

Nearby, Boston Beach is the place to go on the island for jerk,
slow cooked in pits.